5 MIN READ
10-10-2025
No Trash Left Behind: The Hidden Cleanup Beneath Batubelig Bridge
I Nyoman Nuarta, 4ocean Indonesia Content Correspondent
It was a bright morning at Batubelig Beach. The tide was calm, the air crisp with salt, and for a moment, the shoreline seemed nearly spotless. “Looks good today,” someone said as the 4ocean Denpasar team unloaded their cleanup gear.
But just a few hundred meters west, where the bridge arches over the canal, the story changed. Beneath the bridge, waves had pushed plastic bottles, discarded nets, and wrappers into tight, hidden pockets among the rocks. It was a corner most visitors never see, and one that rarely gets cleaned.
Getting there wasn’t easy. The team had to climb down steep, slippery stones, carrying bags and tools in one hand while holding on with the other. But they pressed on, determined. “It was tiring,” one of the crew said, “but incredibly satisfying to see the area finally clean.”
Bit by bit, they pulled out everything that didn’t belong, bottles wedged between rocks, soggy dolls, tangled fishing line, even fragments of kites. By the end of the morning, 684 pounds of waste had been removed: 570.6 pounds of plastic and 113.4 pounds of mixed waste.
Though smaller in scale than previous cleanups, this one carried deep meaning. By reaching an area few ever touch, the team ensured that no hidden trash remained to be washed back into the sea.
“Seeing Batubelig Beach grow cleaner day by day keeps us motivated,” said Captain Agus. “The bridge cleanup reminded us that even when things look fine on the surface, there’s often more to uncover.”
This cleanup also served as a powerful reminder to visitors: awareness doesn’t stop where the sand looks clean. Even the smallest bits of litter can travel, accumulate, and hide in unseen corners. The team plans to monitor the bridge area regularly to keep it from becoming a trap again.
As the crew packed up, the morning light glinted off the freshly cleaned stones. A simple act, but one that keeps the ocean breathing a little easier.
