A video filmed on a remote beach in Ibiza has sparked concern over the amount of waste reaching some of the island's less accessible stretches of coastline.

An Ibiza hiking guide says she collected microplastics, bottle caps, pieces of rope, bottles, plastic bags and other rubbish in just five minutes while leading a group to a secluded beach.

Among the most striking discoveries was a discarded nappy lying underwater and surrounded by fish. The guide recorded the scene and shared it on social media, where the images have prompted a wider discussion about marine pollution, littering and the responsibility of visitors to leave Ibiza's coastline clean.

Five Minutes of Beach Cleaning

The guide, who runs the Instagram profile hikingwithanaibz, said she began collecting rubbish while her clients were swimming.

The beach is described as difficult to access by car and relatively little visited compared with Ibiza's better-known coastal destinations. Despite its remote location, however, the guide found a surprising amount of waste both on the shore and in the water.

She collected numerous small pieces of plastic, bottle caps, rope, bottles and bags.

The discovery of the nappy was particularly striking because it was submerged in the sea and surrounded by fish.

The video has since become the centrepiece of her message about the environmental impact of waste left along Ibiza's coastline.

A Remote Cala Is Not Free From Marine Waste

The location of the beach has not been publicly identified in the report, and the footage serves more as a warning about the wider problem than as a call to visit a particular location.

The fact that rubbish was found in an isolated area raises questions about how waste reaches remote parts of the coast.

Marine litter does not necessarily originate directly from people visiting the exact beach where it is discovered. Plastic and other waste can be transported by currents, wind and maritime activity before eventually reaching shorelines and coves.

At the same time, discarded items left directly on beaches can also become marine pollution, particularly when they are carried into the water.

The video therefore highlights a problem that extends beyond the busiest tourist beaches.

The Fish and Plastic Pollution Debate

In her social media message, the hiking guide focused particularly on the relationship between plastic pollution and marine life.

The images show fish around the discarded nappy, while the guide also highlighted the presence of microplastics among the waste she collected.

Her broader warning is that plastics entering the marine environment can become part of the food chain.

The specific footage does not establish what the fish were consuming or demonstrate that the animals had ingested microplastics. However, the scene illustrates the proximity between marine wildlife and human-generated waste in coastal environments.

It is one of the reasons marine litter has become an important environmental issue across the Mediterranean.

Ibiza Already Removes Large Quantities of Coastal Waste

The discovery comes despite ongoing official programmes dedicated to removing waste from the Balearic coastline.

The Balearic Government's 2026 coastal cleaning service operates with 23 boats, including vessels working close to beaches and others covering wider stretches of coastline. The programme runs from May through September.

During June alone, the service removed almost 7.75 tonnes of waste from the sea and coastline across the Balearic Islands.

Ibiza accounted for more than 1.42 tonnes of that total.

In July, another 7.17 tonnes were removed across the archipelago, with Ibiza accounting for approximately 1.44 tonnes.

These figures cover material collected through the official coastal cleaning operation and demonstrate the continued volume of waste reaching or accumulating in the islands' marine environment.

Thousands of Pieces of Litter Removed From Natural Areas

Separate environmental conservation work has also been taking place in protected and environmentally sensitive coastal areas.

A Balearic Government project funded through the Sustainable Tourism Tax reported removing around 22 tonnes of abandoned waste from environmentally important coastal areas during the 2025-26 season.

The Ibiza and Formentera brigades accounted for around 6 tonnes of that total.

The same project removed invasive plants and collected more than 27,000 cigarette butts across the participating areas, highlighting how even relatively small pieces of litter can accumulate in sensitive coastal habitats.

The initiatives show that beach and coastline cleaning is already a substantial ongoing operation across the islands, but the appearance of new waste remains a persistent challenge.

The Guide's Simple Message: Take a Bag

Rather than focusing solely on criticism, the guide used the video to promote a very simple action.

She encouraged people heading to beaches, coves and natural areas to take a small bag with them and collect any rubbish they come across.

Her point is that even a few minutes spent picking up bottle caps, cigarette ends and pieces of plastic can make a difference.

The approach has been echoed by many people commenting on the video, with some saying they have adopted the habit of taking rubbish home after visiting beaches and countryside areas.

Others shared similar experiences from different islands and coastal areas.

The Debate Over Revealing Remote Beaches

The video has also generated a second discussion: whether highlighting secluded beaches online could unintentionally attract more visitors.

Remote coves have become increasingly popular through social media, travel guides and location-sharing platforms.

For some people, publicly identifying previously quiet locations can contribute to overcrowding, parking problems and additional pressure on fragile natural areas.

In this case, keeping the exact location out of the spotlight may help prevent the environmental message from turning into publicity for another secluded swimming spot.

The debate reflects a broader challenge facing Ibiza: how to encourage people to discover the island's natural spaces without increasing the pressure placed on them.

Protecting Ibiza's Coastline Is a Shared Responsibility

Ibiza's beaches and surrounding waters are among the island's most important natural assets, but maintaining them requires more than organised cleaning operations.

Government services can remove waste, environmental teams can restore sensitive areas and local authorities can provide infrastructure, but rubbish can continue to enter the marine environment through careless behaviour and other sources.

For residents and visitors, the basic responsibility remains straightforward: take rubbish away, avoid leaving plastics behind and treat remote beaches with the same care as organised, heavily serviced beach areas.

A secluded cala may look untouched, but the video demonstrates that remoteness does not necessarily protect it from pollution.

A Five-Minute Cleanup With a Wider Message

The most striking part of the story may be how little time it took to find so much rubbish.

In only five minutes, one hiking guide says she was able to remove a collection of plastics and other waste from a difficult-to-access coastal area.

The image of a discarded nappy underwater, surrounded by fish, has given the issue a particularly powerful visual focus.

Official figures show that thousands of kilograms of waste are already being removed from Balearic waters and coastlines each year, including substantial quantities from Ibiza.

The latest video is therefore more than an isolated example of litter on a beach. It is a reminder that Ibiza's coastline continues to face pressure even in places that appear far removed from the island's busiest tourist areas.

Keeping those spaces clean ultimately depends not only on the services that collect waste, but also on the decisions made by every person who visits them.