Watching fireworks on the beach is a mesmerizing experience, or is it ?
What is it about lights and fire that fascinates us ?
From fireflies to fireworks, we love them all, the bonfires, shooting stars and fire dancers…
Every year we celebrate time passing with an explosion of fireworks into the sky, a series of loud explosions followed by sudden play of lights.
It was not until I moved to the beach that I came with the darker side of this minute lived moment of exhilaration.
On the first of January, bag on hand, I went for my morning walk on the beach to be surrounded by nature in its purest state.
I love the Ocean and have been living by its side since 2003. My days spent by the Ocean working as a dive instructor, surf instructor and spending my free time snorkeling or beach gazing. The sound of the Ocean tuning with my inners, the sense of open space bringing me Peace, the feel of the water feeling like home.
It’s fairly obvious that I have a close relationship with the Ocean and naturally, I feel very protective of it .
As part of my “take and Give” theory, I pick up trash as I walk along the tide, toes buried into the sand.
Plastic forks, bottles, empty snack bags, bottle caps by the dozen, pieces of broken plastic, broken glass, articles from the boat people from the bay ( sponges, zip ties, black tape), so many hair ties that I stop counting, all these are the usual items I pick up everyday.
On the first of January, not only there is more trash but there is one kind that is most harmful : firework shells.
In front of a big beach hotel restaurant I found 62 hard plastic shells of a small size that will turn into a weapon once eaten by any sea creature.
The broken shells are tubes who slice open like an octopus when used. The leftover layer of toxic powder will be released into the Ocean poisoning both corals and fish, The plastic will also contaminate and it will tear apart the guts of any fish swallowing it.
The first week of January is all about limiting the damage created by 10 minutes of awe.
I won’t even mention how disturbing it must be for the wildlife of the area. Imagine being a monkey, skunk, raccoon, squirrel, iguana, bird, anteater, porcupine and in the middle of the darkness hearing a sudden massive explosion that does not belong to your habitat. I guess I just did mention them after all.
Until my first Newyear’s day on the beach, I thought fireworks were a fun entertainment, now I think of them as the killer of the things I love most : Nature.
I had to think, what do I love most ? nature or watching a firework ?
The answer came very easy to me and since I am trying to be more aware of how I am entertaining myself and to choose what is ultimately more important to the Whole.
10 minutes of entertainment are certainly not worth the damaging deadly impact it has on my habitat.
What do you think ?