Worst trash tsunami wave ever strikes Bali – here’s what’s causing it and how the tropical paradise is being killed by tourism

The pristine Balinese beaches of the tropical paradise on Australia’s doorstep have been swamped by the worst tidal wave of rubbish the island has ever seen.

An epidemic of tourism overdevelopment now threatens to destroy the pristine idyll forever, with streets full of traffic and holidaymakers, and waste turning the sea into a sewer

Shocking images this week revealed the tsumani of plastic waste washing up on the normally spectacular Pantai Kedonganan beach in Jimbaran, south of Kuta.

Thousands of volunteers worked for days to restore the natural beauty, but the horrific scene is a sign of the enormous costs being paid by Bali’s overdeveloped south.

The world’s love affair with Indonesia’s Island of the Gods now comes at a very high price.

Sam Bencheghib, one of the founders of nonprofit Sungai Watch, posted a stomach-churning video of “the worst garbage binge I’ve ever seen.”

Mr Bencheghib’s disturbing images showed Jimbaran’s famous beach in a sickening state, awash in rubbish, mostly plastic, as far as the eye could see.

Two live sea turtles were found by the cleanup army hidden among the rubbish on the coast, trapped under a mountain of plastic.

Mr. Bencheghib wrote that he “called out to our community for help, and Bali answered.”

Between December 24 and January 5, almost 3,000 people removed 66,000 kg of plastic from the beach.

‘Every year the wave of waste is getting bigger; our governments must now wake up and improve waste management infrastructure,” Mr Bencheghib said.

The heartbreaking sight is exhausting for the locals who have to deal with it – or face financial ruin if the tourists suddenly decide to stay away.

“Bali residents and tourists are fed up with plastic beaches across Bali,” admits Kelly Bencheghib, co-founder of Sungai Watch.

“It’s heartwarming to see nearly 3,000 volunteers coming together to help us clean the beach.”

In a sign of the times, the waste collected consisted mainly of plastic drinking cups, water bottles and single-use bags, covering the golden sand in a pale dark gray.

Sungai Watch was founded in 2020 by Mr Bencheghib with siblings Kelly and Gary to clean Bali’s rivers and prevent plastic from entering the ocean and washing up on beaches.

The organization of more than 150 ‘river warriors’ collects, sorts and recycles up to three tons of river plastic every day

Sungai Watch has already collected more than 2,800,000 kg of plastic, installed 300 barriers, cleaned 260 villages and organized 1,420 community cleanups.

The Sungai watch website states: ‘By designing simple waste barriers and operating a collection, sorting and upcycling system, we have created a scalable approach to tackling plastic pollution.’

“We are on a mission to install a thousand barriers in Indonesia’s most polluted rivers and expand Sungai Watch internationally.”

“This is not just a local problem; it is a crisis that affects the whole of Indonesia,” said Gary Bencheghib.

And it may get worse.

“The scale of this pollution is staggering and requires urgent action from individuals, businesses and government to address the root causes of plastic waste,” Bencheghib said.

The alarming images of Jimbaran Beach are light years away from the traditional tourist images of a spectacular, sun-drenched coastline.

Visitors flock to the island to enjoy an ice-cold Bintang as the sun sets over Kuta Beach, watch a traditional Kecak dance at the 1,000-year-old Uluwatu Temple, explore the rice terraces and take a selfie in Ubud’s Monkey Forest.

But instead of a dream, the reality is trash-strewn beaches and tourist-choked streets due to rampant overdevelopment and burdensome infrastructure.

The Bali Sun reported that the resort island welcomed 6.3 million tourists in 2024, exceeding tourism targets, with a 2025 target of 6.5 million tourists.

But the island is now in danger of killing its golden goose.

Last year, travel bible Fodor’s Travel placed the idyllic Indonesian island on its ‘No List’ of 2025.

“Rapid, uncontrolled development, fueled by overtourism, is degrading Bali’s natural habitats, eroding its environmental and cultural heritage and creating a ‘plastic apocalypse,'” wrote Fodor’s Travel.

This ongoing battle has forced local authorities into action.

They want to ban the construction of new hotels, villas, nightclubs and food and beverage outlets in Bali’s busiest areas for at least two years, in a bid to control and limit the rapid influx of tourists.

The ban on the construction of new hotels could be extended to ten years, giving Bali some much-needed breathing space.

The moratorium was supposed to come into effect in October last year but is still being finalized, the Bali Sun reported.

Bali Tourism Board (BTB) Chairman Ida Bagus Agung Partha Adnyana said: ‘The licensing moratorium in South Bali is necessary to overcome several challenges arising due to rapid development, especially in the hotel and accommodation sector.’

“We understand that this step aims to maintain ecological balance, improve the quality of tourism and encourage equitable development in Bali.”

In a further attempt to tackle the negative impacts of overtourism, a ‘tourist tax’ was introduced in February last year.

Tourists entering Bali now have to pay IDR 150,000 ($15 AUD) in an effort to help preserve Bali’s culture, heritage and environment.

The money received from the tax goes towards environmental initiatives, including waste management and cultural preservation programs.

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani said waste management programs were selected because: “If we cannot process the waste well enough, it will cause a bad smell and damage the environment.”

With the moratorium on new hotels and the tourist tax, Bali’s ‘garbage waves’ will hopefully be a thing of the past – and the gods will smile again on the island.