I picked up five balloons during a recent beach walk. If you’ve spent time at the beach or on the ocean, chances are you’ve seen stray balloons too.

That’s why the @surfridersandiego Rise Above Plastics team is advocating for lighter-than-air balloons bans across San Diego County. To date, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar, and Coronado have all phased out the sale of helium-filled balloons.

As more cities consider similar policies, it’s import to gather data that shows how widespread balloon debris really is. To support this effort, R/V Pilar has created a user-friendly online form for tracking balloon litter.

Whether you’re at the beach, hiking a bluff, or walking in your neighborhood, if you spot a balloon, please snap a photo and upload it to the tracker.

We can stop balloon pollution — one sighting at a time!