Coast 2 Coast: South Africa's biggest beach cleanup marathon with Save A Fishie

When ocean lovers unite, incredible things happen. This May, our Trash Bash community joined forces with Save A Fishie, a dedicated local beach cleanup organisation, for something special: The launch of Coast 2 Coast 2025, an ambitious 7-week cleanup marathon covering the entire length of South Africa's coastline.

Why we teamed up with Save A Fishie

The Two Oceans Aquarium’s monthly Trash Bash cleanups have always focused on building community and nurturing ocean stewardship, inspiring people to take meaningful action for our marine environment. With many grassroots organisations running beach cleanups around Cape Town, we've consistently chosen locations that don't already have dedicated groups regularly hosting cleanups.

Lagoon Beach presented a unique challenge. Notorious as one of Cape Town's most debris-heavy beaches due to pollution flowing from two nearby river mouths – the Salt River and Black River – this spot has been repeatedly requested by our loyal Trash Bash community. The constant influx of urban runoff, plastic waste, and storm debris makes it one of the Western Cape's most challenging cleanup sites.

This year, we reached out to Save A Fishie to bring Trash Bash to some of their regular Lagoon Beach cleanups, and collaborating with such an established grassroots community of ocean advocates has been absolutely wonderful!

Launching something extraordinary

Regular Trash Bashers who joined our May cleanup became part of Coast 2 Coast 2025's official launch. This pioneering initiative will see Save A Fishie's team travel the entire South African coastline over seven weeks, organising cleanups and building local partnerships in coastal communities.

"Cleaning the beach makes me feel connected to the ocean in the most beautiful way. It feels like I'm actually making a difference and giving back. There's such a good feeling knowing you're helping protect sea life. I love getting people of all ages involved—once you start, it becomes addictive in the best possible way," shared Zoe Prinsloo, Save A Fishie's founder.

"I'm incredibly proud and excited about our 7-week Coast 2 Coast journey – it's an incredible opportunity to raise awareness and deliver vital education across the country, showing just how much impact we can create together as a nation! Remember, no piece of litter is too small to matter. Even the tiniest fragment makes a real difference – every single bit counts!"

The numbers speak for themselves: The launch event alone collected over a ton of debris from Lagoon Beach, demonstrating the incredible impact possible when communities unite around ocean conservation.

Get involved

Both the Two Oceans Aquarium and Save A Fishie organise regular beach cleanups throughout the Cape Town region. We encourage our ocean-loving community to "adopt" a stretch of coastline near your home – consistency is key to making a lasting impact.

• View our monthly Trash Bash cleanup calendar.
• Follow Save A Fishie’s Coast 2 Coast 2025 and other cleanups.

With Save A Fishie proving that over a ton of debris can be collected in a single session, imagine what we can achieve together across seven weeks and thousands of kilometres of coastline. Every piece of litter removed, every person inspired, and every community engaged brings us closer to healthier oceans for future generations.