Whale Tail sculptures from Prestatyn

An exciting new recycling project for the north Wales coast.

In the summer of 2018, Jacha was contacted by the Prestatyn Business Forum. Having seen Edith the Rhino – our community art project here at the station, the forum were keen for something similar for Prestatyn. After meeting with members of the PBF Jacha designed six Whale tail sculptures, in various stages of diving. The sculptures will be located right on the sea front at Prestatyn. Each tail will house a bin for recycling and have information displayed on it explaining the importance of collecting rubbish and the impact plastic pollution has on sea life.

The forum loved Jacha’s design for the tails, and so the fundraising and logistics began in earnest. Fast forward 18 months to 2020 and most of the boxes have now been ticked – the majority of the fundraising has been completed and the planning applications have been submitted. All being well it is hoped that the Whale tails will be in place by September 2020.

It is estimated that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the world’s oceans than there will be fish. It is with this in mind that we must take action to protect our marine species, including Whales. Last year Jacha held an exhibition in Chester Cathedral centred around plastic pollution and it’s impact on marine species, the exhibition featured 12 life-sized marine creatures made entirely from plastic he had collected from a local beach in just three mornings. He hopes that by the Prestatyn Whale Tails being located on the seafront it will encourage beach goers to collect any rubbish they may find and to put it into the tails to help stop more plastic entering our oceans.

Jacha would like to thank Sally Smart, secretary of Prestatyn Business Forum for all her hard work in helping to make this project a reality and for her enthusiasm and hard work in the fund raising for it.