LAGUNA BEACH On a recent paddle, Rich German plucked seven Mylar balloons out of the water several miles out on the ocean.
It wasn’t an unusual find. The 47-year-old Laguna Beach resident sees them every day on his paddles off Laguna and Dana Point.
“People don’t realize that when they release them, they float to the ocean,” German said. “They become litter because they don’t biodegrade. Sea life sees them as food.”
German, who has an ocean awareness nonprofit called Project O, has started a petition to get rubber, latex and Mylar helium-filled balloons banned in Laguna Beach. So far, he has gathered 1,500 online signatures.
If the City Council were to agree to a ban, the city would be the first in Southern California to do so, and follow a 2015 ban by officials in Nantucket, Mass.
Earlier this month, Laguna Beach became the first city in Orange County to ban smoking citywide.
German cites reports by Surfrider, OC Coastkeeper and Heal The Bay that balloons are a common source of ocean pollution and pose a severe threat to marine species that mistake them for food. Balloons get caught in respiratory and digestive tracts and slowly kill the animal, he said.
He got a positive response when he approached Laguna Beach Mayor Toni Iseman about the ban.
“He isn’t the only one who has brought back information on the impacts of balloons on our sea life,” Iseman said. “I know his passion could make this a reality in our future.”
But Councilman Steve Dicterow said he was unaware of the petition and would need proof the ban would solve a problem.
“I don’t believe in banning things unless there is a good reason,” Dicterow said. “I would have to see that there is an issue. Banning things because it feels good isn’t something I’d like to do.”
German started Project O after a 2015 encounter with a pod of orcas off Laguna. His video went viral, bringing him to the attention of such environmental groups as Save The Whales, PETA and Blackfish.
For German, that experience was the “ah” moment.
“I took that as a sign that I was supposed to do something to protect the ocean and the marine life,” he said.
His nonprofit works to make people more aware of global issues that impact sea life, he said. In December, he released a book, “Blue Laguna: A Paddleboarder’s Perspective,” dedicated to the city’s 7.2 miles of coastline with the only “no fishing” beaches in Orange County. All proceeds go to Project O, including its children’s educational programs and clean-water program, he said.
But the balloon ban is his signature effort to take a local issue and find a global solution, he said.
“Some people may think it’s a small thing but Laguna Beach is a small town, still everyone pays attention to it,” German said. “To me, balloons are symbolic of a bigger problem. It’s also all the plastics, the fishing line and gear that endanger animals. I want people to become more aware of what’s happening out there.”
In Nantucket, people can no longer sell or use any type of balloon that can be inflated with “lighter-than-air gas,” such as helium. The measure covers plastic, latex, and Mylar balloons, the Boston Globe reported.
A report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that latex balloons lose air in two months, but if exposed to water, that can take over a year. Once balloons are flat, animals can still ingest them, the report found. The flat balloons could appear even more like prey, experts said.
German, who wants an outright ban of sales and use of helium-filled balloons, said he understands that some families and store owners might not agree.
Main Beach Toys in Laguna doesn’t sell helium-filled balloons, said Bri Heath, who runs the store with her father. They do sell water balloons, punch balloons and rocket balloons, she said.
“People come in and ask for helium-filled balloons, but they are hard to find in Laguna,” Heath said.
She said a ban “wouldn’t bother us.”
German has a fan in 10-year-old Connor Berryhill who recently made a video about the impact of helium-filled balloons on the ocean and its wildlife.
Connor, who frequently does cleanups in Dana Point Harbor, said he wants to educate kids his own age about why they shouldn’t use balloons for birthday celebrations and other festivities. He regularly asks his father to stop their boat on trips across to Catalina Island to balloons out of the water.
“Every time I’m out on the ocean, I always come across these balloons, and I know every balloon I find is another amazing creature lost,” Connor said. Recently, he made a video to get the point across to kids his own age.
But Liz Black, a Laguna Beach parent who considers herself respectful of the environment, said the ban would be an “extreme measure” without first educating people on the proper use and disposal of balloons.
“My kids love balloons,” Black said. “One year my daughter wanted a balloon party and I rented helium to blow them up. But I also bought weights to go with the balloons. Afterwards we cut them up and threw them into the trash.”
German said he would be happy if the city were to even take a first step — banning balloon releases.
In 2014, Orange County Coastkeeper, Heal the Bay and Surfrider Foundation urged Laguna Hills-based The Little Red Dog rescue group to cancel a balloon release planned to commemorate deceased dogs.
“Ultimately, it will be up to Laguna on how far they will take the ban,” German said. “It they stop releases, that would be a step forward.”
