Participants took part in the 10th annual Peninsula Paddle over the weekend on Sunday, September 8. Paddlers were left stunned at the amount of plastic that is suffocating a section of the Black River.

Each year the Peninsula Paddle brings together like-minded individuals from all over the Mother City. The aim of the paddle is to raise awareness of the social and environmental concerns that are effecting our city’s rivers.

During the event, participants reached a section of the Black River where they were forced to a standstill by the sheer volumes of plastic in the water.

“Shocked to find a stretch of the Black River that was a sea of plastics and weeds. Such a disappointment. We couldn’t paddle for a large section of the river,” says Kevin Winter, one of the paddle’s participants.



The unbelievable state of Black River.

Participants were shocked by the poor state of the river and couldn’t help but feel that Capetonians are failing the Mother City’s rivers.

“[The] 10th Peninsula paddle just finished. Conclusion: this is the worst state we have seen it in 10 years. We are failing badly,” Peninsula Paddle shares via their Facebook page.



The plastic river.

As we continue to fight a war against the plague of plastic that is corroding our beautiful planet, a sight like this is one that is difficult to see and impossible to forget.

Source: Cape Town Etc