The Great Northern Cleanup is a far northern version of Clean Up Australia, and dedicated volunteers of Tangaroa Blue were out in force on Sunday to clean up our mess.  


100,000 marine mammals and one million sea birds die every year from marine debris. 77 Australian species are affected and 20 of these are already endangered.


Tangaroa Blue founder, Heidi Taylor, said these deaths are so easily prevented.


"It requires such a small behavioural change to make such a big difference. Just put your rubbish in the bin. If you can carry carry it to the beach, you can carry it out again," Heidi said.


A group of 28 people from Tangaroa Blue, D.E.R.M., and the Port Douglas Coast Guard made the trip to Cape Kimberley on Sunday as part of the Great Northern Cleanup.


Their efforts resulted in 586kg of waste being collected including tires, ropes, an old television, over 900 plastic bottles, 93 cigarette lighters, 1,283 lids and bottletops, 3,430 broken pieces of hard plastic, 2,679 pieces of polystyrene, and 248 shoes.


"The rubbish is flushed down from Daintree or washed up with the winter winds onto the beach," Heidi said.


Cigarette butts are also a massive problem from thoughtless people who dispose of their rubbish incorrectly. A recent cleanup of the Marina netted 700 butts in just two hours.


"They're so dangerous because they're made from plastic and never break down completely," Heidi said. "Marine creatures regularly ingest them because they float and look like fish eggs or other prey."


Tangaroa Blue members regularly target our favourite areas for cleanups including Four Mile Beach, Newell Beach, Wonga Beach, and Cooya Beach.


To get involved, jump on the Tangaroa Blue website and register as a member. Or you could lead by example and bin your rubbish. Who knows, it might catch on.