Man goes to the beach in Bali: He can't believe what he sees there

Bali (Indonesia) - It is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Bali. So Sam Bencheghib was all the more shocked when he saw Jimbaran Beach recently. Because it was covered in garbage. Replenishment came in waves directly from the sea. However, Bencheghib was not there as a vacationer, but in his capacity as an environmentalist. So the young man had already heard about the drama, but couldn't believe the scale of it when he saw it in front of him.

Bencheghib is co-founder of the environmental organization "Sungai Watch", with whose help he immediately set to work. "We called our community for help and Bali responded - 2000 strong. We removed 70 tons of plastic from Jimbaran beach," Bencheghib explained in an Instagram video last week.

The clip shows the scale of the tragedy. The video has achieved more than 49 million clicks in the first six days since its publication.

Fortunately, Bencheghib also has some good news in it. "The clean-up is not over yet, but with Bali's support behind us, our hopes are high."

The situation really looks better in another Instagram clip from the environmentalist with New York roots. If only it were that simple in real life: one cut - and the beach is clean again.

But where did all the garbage actually come from?

Yahoo News Australia has now spoken to Indonesia expert Quentin Long. "There are two things that play a role here: firstly, there are seasonal weather and tidal patterns that lead to a lot more garbage being washed up on the beaches," he said.

Secondly, the garbage has to come from somewhere first, according to Long: "There is a huge garbage epidemic in Bali, and the garbage actually ends up in the waters around the island and then washes up on the beaches seasonally."

Fortunately, the situation has now been recognized as a major problem that needs to be tackled.

However, other experts warn that cleaning up is not a long-term solution. Instead, waste must be avoided from the outset.