Laguna Beach close to banning public use, sales of all balloons

The Laguna Beach City Council is looking at banning the use on public property, as well as the sale and distribution of all balloons, no matter if they’re Mylar or hand-blown, which local environmentalists say would set an example for other coastal cities to follow.

If approved Feb. 21, violations could mean fines ranging from $100 to $500, officials said. City staff would plan a campaign on social media and the city’s website, as well as advertisements to get the word out.

Three local grocers – Pavilions, Ralphs and Gelsons Market – each sell hundreds of helium-filled balloons a year and store supervisors agreed the loss of sales would significantly cut business in their floral departments.

To create the Laguna Beach ordinance, city staffers said they researched reports from the Surfrider Foundation, Ocean Conservancy and other groups, as well as looked at other cities that have some kind of local ban in place, whether out of concern for the environment or the fire hazard posed when balloons fly into power lines. Encinitas became the first in San Diego County last year to ban the sale, use and distribution of helium-filled balloons; Solana Beach followed in April.  Hermosa Beach city leaders prohibited them along with other single-use plastics. Glendale has as well.

“I’m super happy, it looks like it will be the most aggressive balloon ban anywhere,” said Rich German, who gathered 1,500 signatures through his Project O nonprofit several years ago to support a balloon ban in Laguna Beach. “We’re hoping now that Laguna will start a trend and cities along the coast will follow. To me, balloons are representative of the bigger problem of plastics, trash and fishing nets. It’s one step in the right direction.”

German, who paddleboards daily off Laguna Beach, said he’ll be looking out this week for Valentine’s Day balloons that make it out to the ocean. Two years ago, he picked up 31 after the holiday, he said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has an entire department focused on the dangers of marine debris, which includes balloons. Christy Kehoe, director of the program in California, said she respects what Laguna Beach officials are doing.

“Unlike other marine debris, balloons can travel hundreds of miles, popping up and floating back down,” Kehoe said. “They can get snagged on trees and electrical wires and cause other damage. People tend to think they are light and whimsical and don’t realize how dangerous they are to sea life.”

In a study done in Australia, balloons were found to be the most harmful to seabirds, marine life and turtles, Kehoe said. And in Virginia, nearly 5,000 balloons were found during a one-day cleanup.

Kehoe pointed to sea turtles, which often mistake the metallic balloons as jellyfish.

“When they ingest them, they can clog their digestive system,” Kehoe said, adding that the attached strings can wrap around their heads and necks.

Dr. Lauren Palmer, veterinarian at The Marine Mammal Center Los Angeles, said she’s found pieces of balloons in the stomachs of sea lions and has seen ribbons and strings that have caused entanglements.

“Mylar balloons or any helium balloon, in particular, should be banned because they will always come down as trash somewhere and are not disposed of responsibly,” she said.

Glenn Gray, CEO of the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, agreed with Palmer.

“We know firsthand it’s a real problem,” he said. “Balloons are mistaken oftentimes for food, and because of that can become lodged in an animal’s throat or stomach giving them the false sense they are full. Then they come in for malnutrition.”

Denise Erkeneff, the chapter coordinator for the Surfrider Foundation in South Orange County, was there to speak during the Laguna Beach council’s first review of a potential new law last month and was supportive of a request from Mayor Bob Whalen that the city embark on an education campaign before it goes into effect, which is proposed for Jan. 1.

“To me, the No. 1 step is preemptive education,” she said, adding that Surfrider could help.

Among her suggestions is getting outreach done through Visit Laguna Beach, the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce and event planners that use rental space at hotels. She throws kudos to the operators at The Ranch, which forbids balloons on their property.

“People on the ocean all the time find balloons there daily,” she said. “That’s not the sight to see when you’re looking at wildlife.”

Exactly that problem is something that Donna Kalez and Gisele Anderson, who both run whale-watching charters out of Dana Point Harbor, struggle with. To get Dana Point named the first Whale Heritage Site in North America by the World Cetacean Alliance, they made eradicating balloon debris a priority. Last year the two charters collected more than 1,500 balloons drifting on the ocean’s surface.

“Every time we stop and see dolphins and whales, we pick up balloons,” Kalez said.

“When they release them nine or 10 miles from the coast, they always blow into the ocean,” she added. “No matter what they say, there is no biodegradable balloon.”

Related links

• Video: Paddleboarder has close encounter with gray whale off Laguna Beach
• Why paddleboarder Rich German wants Laguna Beach to ban balloons
• 50 years, 10,000 rescues make Laguna Beach’s marine mammal center ocean health experts
• Dana Point named first Whale Heritage Site in North America
• Rare, pure white Risso’s dolphin ‘a show-stopper’ with pod off Southern California

As part of NOAA’s effort in reducing marine debris, the agency is working with a group from Cal State Channel Islands that is studying the impacts and does cleanups around the remote islands, which are home to sea lion and elephant seal rookeries.

A 2022 cleanup netted 745 pounds of debris, including balloons.

“Throughout the country, whether it’s local, city or state, a lot of work is being done to address balloon litter,” Kehoe said. “There is a growing excitement to solve this issue and it’s growing in public awareness.”

“It’s incredibly important to stop the problem at its source,” she added. “I respect Laguna Beach in their attempt to educate the community at large.”