Celebrate World Oceans Day Saturday at Hapuna

The 4th Annual World Oceans Day will be celebrated between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday at Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area’s south pavilion.

The event is free, except for a $5 parking fee at Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area for non-Hawaii residents.

Learn more about Hawaii’s incredible ocean resources from over a dozen participating organizations at Hapuna’s south pavilion. The theme this year is “Together we can protect and restore our ocean.”

“Plastic pollution is an issue on the Big Island,” said Dena Sedar, interpretive program specialist for Hawaii state parks. “While a majority of the marine debris that ends up on the coastline comes from other places, single-use plastic water bottles and plastic straws can end up as trash on beaches and coastline. By reducing the amount of single-use plastic we all use, we can help make our ocean and shorelines safer for marine species.”

There will be a beach cleanup from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Keiki can earn a prize for visiting more than six informational booths.

Hawaii Wildlife Fund will host a marine debris prevention activity station at 10 a.m. where people can participate in fun activities and games to learn how to prevent marine debris. A recycling station hosted by the county will allow visitors an opportunity to learn about recycling items they bring to the park. A hydration station will be part of the event so visitors can refill their water bottles.

Participating organizations at World Oceans Day include: Hawaii Wildlife Fund, National Park Service, Eyes of the Reef, Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative, Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, Hawaiian Island Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuaries, Coral Reef Alliance, Kahaluu Bay Education Center, West Hawaii Aquatic Entanglement Response Network, DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources, Dolphin Quest, Keep Puako Beautiful, Lynker, Liquid Robotics, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Ke Kai Ola The Marine Mammal Center.