Photos expose grim reality of Bali beach

Bali is known for its pristine beaches, rich cultural heritage and stunning landscape – but these photos show another side to the beloved hotspot.

Bali is known for its pristine beaches, rich cultural heritage and stunning landscape – but these photos show another side to the beloved hotspot.

New photos have emerged of Kuta beach — the tourist island located in the south — showing it overrun with mounds of plastic bottles, food containers and abandoned shopping bags.

Locals were snapped wading through the piles of rubbish on Tuesday in an attempt to revert the beach back to its usually pristine conditions.

A man walks near waste that was washed ashore by strong waves at Kuta beach in Bali on Tuesday. Picture: Made Nagi/EPA/AAP

However, throughout the months of October to March during Indonesia’s wet season, you will find rubbish often dumped on Bali’s Kuta, Seminyak, Legian and Jimbaran beaches daily.

It’s an annual phenomenon that sees plastic, garbage, and waste from shipping vessels often carried into land by strong winds, high tides, and driving rains.

Indonesia is among the worst contributors to plastic pollution, with 200,000 tonnes of plastic washing into the ocean, according to a study published by the journal Nature Communications in 2017.

A viral Instagram post shared last week shows just how much of a problem it is with “trash tsunamis” flowing down waterways.

“These are the trash tsunamis of Indonesia and it will all end up in the ocean,” clean-up environmentalist Gary Bencheghib, who shared the clip, wrote.

“We can no longer turn a blind eye to these waves of plastic.”

He can be seen surrounded by waste. Picture: Made Nagi/EPA/AAP

A woman seen collecting the waste. Picture: Made Nagi/EPA/AAP

Head of Kuta Beach Task Force, I Wayan Sirna said to overcome the problem of waste on the beach they usually co-ordinate with the relevant agencies so that the waste can be cleaned immediately.

“Because per day, the amount of waste can reach 8 trucks to 10 trucks,” he said in October last year following another onslaught of trash.

Here she is snapped with a huge garbage bag over her shoulder as she continues to clear the washed up waste. Picture: Made Nagi/EPA/AAP

It’s an annual phenomenon that sees plastic garbage, and waste from shipping vessels often carried into land by strong winds, high tides, and driving rains. Picture: Made Nagi/EPA/AAP

Earlier this year, Australian tourist Tracy Hull shared grim photos 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.

Kuta beach when it’s not covered in waste. Picture: Alamy

Looking pristine. Picture: Alamy

“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 post received a huge reaction with some Aussies saying they’d also noticed the beaches were looking rather unsightly.

An Aussie tourist recently shared photos of another Bali beach covered in waste. Picture: Facebook/Tracey Hull

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

“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,” one person commented.

“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,” another added.

Volunteers often pick up rubbish in Bali. Picture: Facebook/Tracey Hull

Others reinforced “trade winds bring the trash in rainy season” while also noting Bali’s lack of a centralised waste system.

“[It] happens every year at this time of year,” one holiday-maker wrote.

“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.”

At the time, 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 with volunteers collecting a massive amount of rubbish from October to December.

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

Indonesia recorded 68.5 million tonnes of waste in 2021.