18/06/2026
When I saw the swell buoy for Wadjemup / Rottnest Island reaching north of 9m, I knew that a lot debris was about to wash up on the islands beaches (mainly the northern and southern facing beaches).
I've never seen the swell get this large, and sure enough when I went out to Salmon Bay (on the south side of the island) this is what I found. The high tide line was at the base of the sand dunes (it's never this high).
A couple hours later and I managed to grab what I could, including some high risk items like commercial marine rope which poses a significant threat to marine megafauna. Lots of recreational western rock lobster pot gear was also found.
As the storms continue to roll in over the winter, I aim to be present on the beaches as much as possible to combat these marine debris events.
Huge thanks to the rangers on Wadjemup / Rottnest Island who also remove countless items of marine debris where possible.
