50 Pristine Miles

When we first shared the Operation 50 Pristine Miles story, it was all about action—boots on sand, daily cleanups, and a coastline slowly coming back to life. But something unexpected grew alongside that physical effort: a growing pile of strange, weathered, sometimes baffling objects pulled from the beach.

Over time, these objects started telling their own story. Now, there’s a place where that story lives: a small, thoughtful museum in Sette Cama—built from scratch to house the pieces of trash no one could quite throw away.

The new video offers a quiet, compelling look at that space, guided by Estelle, who’s been involved in the project from the start. If you’ve got five minutes, it’s worth every second.

Not Just Rubbish

Estelle walks you through rows of fishing floats, toothbrushes, medicine bottles, flip-flops, toys, gas canisters—even a well-travelled baby doll. Each item has its own path, washed ashore by the Atlantic, gathered by hand, and placed with care in the museum.

It’s oddly moving.

What could easily be written off as junk becomes something more. A broken sandal from Nigeria. A biscuit wrapper in French. A razor blade still in its packaging. They speak of lives lived elsewhere, and the invisible current that connects us—sometimes literally. What’s powerful here isn’t just what was found, but how it’s been reframed. The museum doesn’t scold. It doesn’t preach. It just shows you what the ocean brings in, if you’re paying attention.

A Different Kind of Conservation

The museum isn’t the end goal of Operation 50 Pristine Miles, but it adds depth to the work. It shows that this isn’t just a beach cleanup—it’s a record. A reflection. A reminder.

And it raises a few questions: What do we throw away? Where does it really go? Who ends up picking it up?

Watching Estelle walk through the museum, you start to realise how much care goes into the work behind the scenes—work that’s about more than just removing litter. It’s about seeing the bigger picture, and helping others see it too. If you’ve read the original blog post, this video adds a whole new dimension. If you haven’t, this is a good place to start.

Watch it. Share it. And when you’re next near a coastline, think about what stories are washing up at your feet.