The beach is a magical place for many, offering days filled with rest and relaxation.
That is until a floating billboard ruins your view.
In a summer Reddit post, the view of picturesque aquamarine water and a white sand beach was ruined by a giant advertisement for Big Gulps. The promotion was erected on what appeared to be a barge chugging along the shoreline. The photo was later determined to be a screenshot of a post that was pulled from an earlier TikTok in Miami.
"Imagine going to a beach to relax and this thing appears," the poster wrote.
Humans share beaches and the waters off of them with all kinds of plants and wildlife, most of which are likely oblivious to such an atrocity.
But aside from creating an eyesore for people and perhaps a hazard for birds and aquatic animals, 7-Eleven and other advertisers — a poster for the movie The Tomorrow War popped up next on the digital screen — commissioned a boat that inevitably pollutes the air and water purely just for the chance to advertise products. That just makes the ad boat stick out as even more unnecessary compared to boats used for transportation, cargo shipping, or even pleasure.
Trash and litter might be the source of much of the damage caused to beaches, but boat pollution and marine equipment are also serious threats.
Boat maintenance and sewage discharge are two of the worst offenders. Chlorine, ammonia, and phosphates, which can harm plankton and fish, may seep into groundwater or be washed into surface water. Fuel and oil also contain petroleum hydrocarbons that present risks for bottom-dwelling organisms.
And while we can't know the toilet situation on this boat's journey, fecal contamination during boating can damage shellfishing areas and cause severe human health problems, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. And though it's more problematic in freshwater locations, it can also stimulate algae growth, which can reduce the available oxygen needed by fish and other organisms.
Either way, putting an extra boat in the water means contributing to all those downsides just to tout a 79-cent drink, as if the eyesore isn't enough reason to discourage it.
The post was made in the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit, but that didn't give it quite enough credit for some users, so commenters also chimed in.
"Someone call the boat-ramming Orcas," one commenter joked. "Will pay in quality salmon."
"This is real life??" another said. "What an abomination."
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