Cryptic Voyage #3 - Plastic In Paradise

As difficult as it is to leave the Canadian winter behind, Cryptic Moth accepted an invitation to board a Greenpeace vessel in Hawaii and sample for plastic debris in the Pacific Ocean. They are following up on the fine work done by Captain Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation (see Alphabet Soup post) who has been documenting how plastics accumulate in our oceans and how they can impact marine animals.



We arrived on the big island of Hawaii a few days before our departure to visit with the Captain. Unfortunately, Charlie spent the first day busy repairing broken windows and cracked cement pillars as a result of the recent earthquake. We took the opportunity to drive around the island filming various scenic spots with Greenpeace scientist, Adam.



But we were not there simply as tourists. The following day we awoke at 4am to visit Camillo Beach – one of the dirtiest beaches in the world. Getting to the south side of the island, however, required serious off-road vehicles called Unimogs. The three-hour drive was loud, bumpy and muddy. Needless to say, Gad loved every single moment of it.



As you might expect, this was not your ordinary day at a Hawaiin beach. Because of prevailing winds and ocean currents, Camillo beach collects a ton of this crap - everything from bottles to floats to toothbrushes, lighters etc. Surprisingly, the group who showed us around (Ron, Noni, Dayton and Jen) helped clean this very beach only 5 months earlier! In one particularly bad area, the litter piled 3-feet high and 3-feet deep. It was as if plastic was taking the place of sand. Yum.



It was a long, hot day of shooting but well worth the trek.



Tomorrow we fly to the island of Oahu to board the Esperanza, a Greenpeace vessel sailing the globe in defense of our oceans.



Out.

I+G