Australian tourist shares photos of Bali beach strewn with rubbish

Australian travellers who visited a Bali beach became so horrified by what she saw that they took photos of the scene to warn others.

Australian travellers have shared their shock as new photos emerged of a popular Bali beach strewn with rubbish.

Tourist Tracey Hull shared the images on a popular Facebook group for Australians in Bali, along with the caption: “At least I know where the sewerage outlet is in Legian, absolute disgusting today.”

Tracey said it was awful to see the beach looking that way, and that it was absolutely covered in plastic waste.

“That was my third time visiting Bali,” she told news.com.au. “It (the rubbish) happens every time, in December it was full of plastic cups and straws and bags, all Indonesian brands.

“It was like swimming in the tip.”

The images from a Bali beach raised eyebrows. Picture: Facebook/Tracey Hull

Tourist Tracey said it was like swimming in a tip. Picture: Facebook/Tracey Hull

The post received quite the reaction, with some Australians saying they’d also noticed the beaches were looking rather unsightly.

Others also speculated over the cause of the problem, with one tourist commenting: “I was there in mid December, walked on beach nearly every day and sand was full of rubbish and pollution. I know it was probably tourists but it was a turn off for me.”

While another said: “It’s been raining? It’s from storm water. ‍️ The rubbish is sadly from lack of education and government services (i.e. rubbish pick up). Rubbish is thrown in the ravines inland.”

And others said: “Oh my goodness that’s simply dreadful”, “the real Bali” and “disgusting outlet”.

Some said the images were “dreadful”. Picture: Facebook/Tracey Hull

It can happen at some Bali beaches around this time of the year. Picture: Facebook/Tracey Hull

Some commenters believe the problem extends beyond Bali.

“Trade winds bring the trash in rainy season … happens every year at this time of year,” one holiday-maker wrote.

“Only swim in the pool this time of year,” another said. “Onshore winds wash all the c--p onto Kuta beach this time of year. The rivers flow into the sea and the wind blows everything back. A vicious circle of rubbish.”

Volunteers have been picking up rubbish in Bali. Picture: Facebook/Tracey Hull

So what’s really going on with the rubbish problem?

Within the last fortnight, Marine Garbage Evacuation Detection Coordinator of the Badung Regency Environmental and Sanitation Service Made Gede Dwipayana said the entire coast had been covered with rubbish. Volunteers had collected a massive amount of rubbish from October to December.

It’s a big problem. Picture: Facebook/Tracey Hull

Indonesia recorded 68.5 million tonnes of waste in 2021. Picture: Facebook/Tracey Hull

“A total of 600 tonnes. That’s all on the … coast of Badung Regency in the west,” Mr Dwipayana told CCN Indonesia.

“Until now there have been no problems, even though the weather was extreme, we worked wearing full raincoats and there were no problems.”

He predicted January to be the peak of the problem due to the high number of tourists and the wet season.

During December and March, heavy rain and winds force rubbish down rivers through the regency and then they accumulate on the coastline.

Rubbish is a huge issue in Bali, and Indonesia has recorded 68.5 million tonnes of waste in 2021.

What Legian Beach can look like without the rubbish. Picture: iStock

Well, it could be worse. Just last week beachgoers in Legian got a huge shock when a large crocodile washed up on the shore. The 3m-long reptile was removed from the sand on Wednesday.