SeaStar Hero successfully concluded another season, underscoring its role in promoting sustainable tourism and actively preserving the marine environment. This project by Sonda from Vižinada turns environmental care into an engaging outdoor activity, providing beachgoers with equipment to dive and have fun while removing trash from the sea, fostering a sense of ownership over the marine environment and offering rewards for participation.
Through initiatives organized across numerous locations on the Istrian peninsula, this summer’s campaign attracted a large number of participants, helping to preserve the marine ecosystem and raise awareness about the importance of protecting our seas.
Over two months, more than 3,000 SeaStar Heroes collected over 12,800 pieces of small plastic and other waste, including large items like car tires and anchor parts – a volume comparable to 20,000 small plastic spoons. This proves that community engagement and simple actions can inspire positive behavioral changes without relying on complex technologies – what’s essential is building a culture of sustainable behavior through hands-on nature conservation activities.
With support from the Poreč Tourist Board, this initiative began in 2023 at five locations in Poreč and expanded this year to 13 beaches across the Poreč Riviera Cluster, which includes the town of Poreč, the municipalities of Tar-Vabriga and Funtana, and locations in Vrsar, Pula, and Telašćica Nature Park. This expansion increased engagement among visitors and locals, further strengthening community ecological awareness. Expanding to Telašćica marked an important milestone, enabling the project to grow further and enhance ecological awareness in a unique protected area.
Collaboration with the tourism sector continued to strengthen this year, with tourist boards, local restaurants, and hotels playing a key role in engaging their guests and promoting eco-friendly practices. Financial support from the Croatian National Tourist Board, the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, and Zadar County’s tourist boards significantly contributed to the project’s growth. Meanwhile, major hotel groups like Plava Laguna and Maistra joined Valamar in supporting the expansion to new locations, further cementing the project’s regional presence.
Small business owners (restaurants and bars) and cultural venues also supported the project, rewarding participants. Municipal companies Montraker and Usluga Poreč, which have been partners from the beginning, provided significant support, highlighting the importance of cross-sector collaboration and involving diverse stakeholders in sustainable practices.
Thanks to the project, waste that typically goes unnoticed in standard underwater cleanups can now be collected, while raising awareness of the importance of sea conservation and emphasizing that each individual plays a vital role in protecting the planet. By setting up special branded stations along the coast where diving and waste collection equipment is available, participants have a chance to enjoy the fun activity of diving and exploring underwater while actively removing waste from the marine environment and winning rewards, becoming part of an engaged community that contributes to planetary conservation.
Given its success, the project will continue next year with plans to expand and promote eco-conscious tourism along the Adriatic coast and beyond. If the project expanded to just five more locations, it could help remove over 20,000 pieces of plastic from the sea—all through a fun experience for everyone involved. Sonda invites locations across Croatia to join them in 2025.
This highly valued initiative has already been recognized as an innovative tourism product, receiving positive responses from the public, visitors, media, and project partners. For the second consecutive year, it has received acknowledgment and support from the WWF and was honored with two IdejaX awards in the national creativity competition. Learn more about the project at www.seastarhero.com or follow on the official Instagram profile: www.instagram.com/seastarhero
