This was a mammoth campaign. Over 15.7 tonnes of plastic pollution were removed from just 14.3 kilometres of coastline. Let that sink in. 1.1 tonnes of trash per kilometre of coastline cleaned. The equivalent of an estimated 280,000 pieces of debris — mostly plastic — all tirelessly collected by hand, bag by bag, under relentless torrential rain while surrounded by crocodiles.

But this campaign was about so much more than just the numbers.

The journey began at Ringandano-No (Pennefather River), on the northwest coast of Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula, where Sea Shepherd joined forces with the Nanum Wungthim Rangers and respected Elder Uncle Richard Barkley. This area has long suffered under the weight of plastic pollution, washing ashore relentlessly and threatening vital turtle nesting sites along the Western Cape. When the rangers asked for help, we didn't hesitate.

With traditional guidance from Uncle Richard, we gained a deeper understanding of Country, participated in a cultural blessing, and forged waterways known for their saltwater crocodile residents — an experience that left our volunteers in awe and full of respect for Indigenous knowledge and connection to Land and Sea. Despite heavy rains, collapsed tents, and long treks through wild terrain, the team remained undeterred.

By week’s end, working together with the Nanum Wungthim Rangers, Mapoon Land and Sea Rangers and with help from Little Rocket (a First Nations creative agency documenting the effort), over 6 tonnes of debris had been cleared across 7.4 kilometres of beach.

From there, the team pushed north to Mapoon — a remote Aboriginal community and key nesting ground for endangered marine turtles like the Flatback, Hawksbill, and Olive Ridley. Partnering with the Mapoon Land and Sea Rangers, we returned to Flinders Beach.

What we found was heartbreaking. Despite having cleaned a large section of this coastline just two years ago, debris had returned in overwhelming quantities. A staggering 24-kilometre stretch of coastline was buried in plastic and ghost nets. On one single day, 2.65 tonnes of trash was removed from just 1.6 kilometres of beach. Rain poured, roads flooded, but with the support of the local council and community, the work continued.

Joined again by the Nanum Wungthim Rangers, the team cleaned, sorted, weighed, and documented every step — sharing valuable data with CSIRO and government bodies to inform policy and protect wildlife. On the final day, the team came across the densest section yet — pulling a horrifying 100 kilograms of plastic from every 50 meters of shore.

Marine debris isn’t just an environmental issue — it’s a cultural and ecological crisis. Rangers like Steven Barkley, a traditional owner and Nanum Wungthim Ranger, said more rubbish washes up every year, burying Country beneath a tide of trash. It’s heartbreaking, he says, but knowing that groups like Sea Shepherd are standing shoulder to shoulder with Indigenous rangers makes a difference.

This land — their paradise — deserves our respect and our action.

Our work alongside Indigenous rangers is not possible without your support. These remote cleanups are logistically challenging, physically demanding, and costly — but they are vital to protecting our oceans, wildlife, and Indigenous cultural heritage.

By donating to Sea Shepherd Australia, you are directly supporting us to assist ranger-led marine debris removal, turtle nesting site protection, First Nations collaborations and cultural conservation, and data collection that drives national environmental policy.

Together, we can help restore and protect Australia’s most remote and precious coastlines.