Cape Town-based influencer Michelle Sky Hayward went viral this summer for all the wrong reasons after sharing a beach day video that worried fans more about her health than her ocean swim.
On July 8, Hayward posted a clip of herself diving into the chilly waters at Bloubergstrand beach. Bundled in excitement, she laughed through the cold waves, telling her followers,
“I’m having so much fun I literally don’t even feel the cold,” before accidentally swallowing a mouthful of water. Without missing a beat, she added, “That is salty.”
While Hayward seemed to be having the time of her life, her comments section quickly became a health advisory. Followers were alarmed by the thick foam floating around her, warning that she might not splash in sea bubbles.
“I don’t think you know what foam is,” one person wrote. Another bluntly told her, “That foam is turds.” A third fan begged, “Can someone tell her that kak water. SEWAGE WATER!!”
Hayward responded with humor, later posting another video with the caption:
“I fear I have made a terrible mistake. #fail #coldplunge #capetown.”
But despite the uproar, the influencer insists she’s perfectly fine.
“I did not get sick. If anything, it boosted my immune system because I’ve been feeling great ever since,”
In a follow-up, she explained that while the water looked cloudier than usual, it “smelled like normal ocean smells.” She even admitted,
“I loved the foam! I felt like a mermaid in a bubble bath.”
The City of Cape Town also weighed in, reassuring concerned viewers that Hayward hadn’t taken a dip in sewage. “Claims that the sea foam at Blaauwberg Beach and surrounds in Cape Town is a result of sewage or pollution are incorrect,” city officials said, adding that regular testing in the area had shown “excellent results.”
Marine scientist Dr. Barry Clark echoed this, explaining that the foam was most likely natural — the result of waves churning up kelp beds. The breakdown of kelp releases a mucus that, when agitated by storms, creates frothy foam that lingers on the surface.
Still, the incident struck a nerve with locals. Cape Town has faced longstanding criticism over its sewage management, with independent researchers pointing out that more than 40 million liters of raw sewage are discharged into the Atlantic Ocean daily. Several beaches near where Hayward swam, including Small Bay, have been flagged for poor water quality.
So while the foam seems natural this time, the viral moment highlighted a bigger truth: in Cape Town, it’s often hard to tell the difference between sea foam and pollution. One social media user quipped, “Foam might be natural this time. But with Cape Town’s sewage record, who can blame people for assuming the worst?”
