Environmentalist Kelly Slater Reacts to the Viral Art Piece Featuring Him Surfing the Plastic Ocean

From collaborating with Reef Check to safeguard reefs to

creating awareness about the increasing garbage, Kelly Slater has always been a vocal environmentalist. The 11-time world champion had also called plastic pollution “horrible” and criticized the damage to ecosystems by pollution.  Recently, the surfing icon responded to an artwork that featured him on Instagram.

Slater reshared the art piece which the RFK Jr podcast had uploaded in a recent Instagram post. Fans had also commented about how witnessing this plastic ocean was heartbreaking, adding how disposable masks during Covid-19 further led to pollution. This post received more than 500 likes which apparently motivated Slater to give his take on the artwork which featured him. Expressing curiosity about the artist of the piece, the surfing legend gave a heartwarming compliment to the artwork.

Kelly Slater’s heartfelt appreciation for a masterpiece

Displaying the piece on his

Instagram Story, the surfer wrote, “Cool art piece. Don’t have artist’s name or account.” The picture exhibited Slater on a surfboard, in an ocean that was filled with plastic bottles and plastic bags. Interestingly, the plastic that was drawn resembled a massive wave on which Slater surfed. According to UNESCO, more than 7 million metric tonnes of plastic refuse are found in the ocean every year, resulting in marine pollution. The post is a clear reflection of the harsh reality of plastic pollution in the current era.

Slater held nothing back about this issue of plastic pollution in an interview with Tracks magazine. Describing the plastic pollution in Bali, he spoke about how he tries to raise awareness about plastic pollution. The popular surfer also disclosed his perspective on which country has improved and reduced plastic pollution.

Read More: Kelly Slater Shares Final Memory of Surfing Community’s Rare Effort That Influenced the Youth

Kelly Slater reveals his perspective on plastic pollution

Giving his opinion on Bali, Slater stated,

“I would have loved to have seen Bali in the 70s, before all the tourism, the trash, the crowds, population explosion….”  Continuing, he pointed out, “The amount of trash and garbage there is horrific for all of us to see.” Explaining how in first world countries, water pollution isn’t visible on the ground and is done secretly, he elaborated how pollution can be clearly seen in third world countries.

Talking about how France has improved in terms of pollution, he told about his attempt to create awareness through social media. The surfing legend also elaborated on various effects of pollution such as the death of fish and how brown algae’s growth results in the deaths of manatees.

The artwork featuring Slater amidst plastic once again creates awareness of how plastic pollution is still a rampant issue that requires more attention. It remains to be seen whether the upcoming EurOCEAN conference in October 2023 recommends more positive measures to reduce plastic pollution.

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