Gender Reveal Party Litters La Jolla Beach With Plastic Confetti
Congratulations, it's a girl. And also a massive mess.
A gender reveal party near the Camino de la Costa beach access in La Jolla has sparked outrage after roughly 50 guests gathered on January 10 for a celebration that included a helicopter releasing pink smoke over the shoreline and confetti cannons blasting pieces of pink plastic across the bluffs.
The problem? That confetti was not biodegradable. Pieces of pink plastic scattered across the rocks and sand before the next high tide washed it all out to sea. Welcome to the Pacific Ocean, little bits of forever-plastic.
The incident landed on the agenda at the January 26 La Jolla Parks and Beaches board meeting, where members and nearby residents voiced serious concerns about pollution and harm to marine life. Volunteers had already visited the site to collect what they could, but confetti on coastal rocks is not exactly easy to retrieve.
The board voted to send a letter to city departments urging San Diego to impose heavy fines on anyone who pulls a similar stunt. Board member Melinda Merryweather did not mince words, calling it an opportunity to set an example and noting that nobody can exactly vacuum confetti off a beach.
This is hardly the first time a gender reveal has gone sideways. A similar helicopter confetti incident at a Miami beach in 2020 drew national criticism for beach pollution. In California, a 2020 gender reveal pyrotechnic device sparked the deadly El Dorado wildfire, which burned over 22,000 acres. Biodegradable options like colored powder and rice-based confetti exist and are widely available.
Nobody is against celebrating a new baby. But maybe next time, cut a cake. The ocean will thank you.
Sources: La Jolla Light | Miami New Times | The Cool Down | La Jolla Parks & Beaches