Latest news with #MichelleSkyHayward
IOL News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Cape Town woman clarifies viral sea foam video: 'I felt like a mermaid in a bubble bath'
Michelle Sky Hayward's video of herself enjoying a swim in the ocean has gone viral. Image: Screenshot / Instgram When Michelle Sky Hayward shared a video of herself having the time of her life swimming in the ocean, she had no idea it would make headlines around the world. In the now-viral clip, the Capetonian is seen frolicking in foamy waters, even blowing bubbles in what many at the time assumed was 'sewage water.' Since the video spread online, Hayward has been flooded with questions about the incident. Stunned by the reaction, she posted a follow-up video to address some of the concerns. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading She began by clarifying that she's not an American tourist but a local who swims in the ocean at least once a week. Naturally, people were concerned about her health. But Hayward reassured viewers she didn't get sick. 'If anything, maybe it even boosted my immune system, because I've been feeling great ever since,' she said. While she admitted the water appeared murkier than usual, she noted there was no bad smell that might have put her off swimming. She did, however, point out the unusually large amount of foam. 'Honestly, I loved the foam. I loved it! I felt like I was in a bubble bath. It was so cool. I felt like I was a mermaid in a bubble bath,' she said. The slightly warmer water made the experience even more enjoyable. 'I was having the time of my life. I spent so much time there,' she added. Though many assumed she was swimming in sewage, the City of Cape Town has dismissed those claims. 'Claims that the sea foam at Blaauwberg beach and surrounds in Cape Town is a result of sewage or pollution are incorrect,' they said in a statement. 'Water quality samples taken at Big Bay, Small Bay and Table View over the past 12 months showed excellent results.' They added that sea foam is a natural phenomenon caused by ocean activity, especially strong wave action along the city's exposed coastline. Marine scientist Dr Barry Clark explained in a separate video that the foam, along with murky water, was likely due to waves hitting kelp, breaking it down into particles that mixed with other organic material. IOL Lifestyle
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Influencer who was brutally mocked for swimming in SEWAGE hits out at critics: 'I loved it'
An influencer who was brutally mocked for swimming in sewage has hit out at critics as she insisted that it has actually improved her skin. Michelle Sky Hayward, 33, from Cape Town, South Africa, recently left people all across the globe disgusted when she posted a video of herself splashing around in what she now believes was poop. In the video, she appeared confused as she went for her morning dip and noticed the water was murkier and foamier than usual. Even so, she continued on with her swim, getting the mysterious brown foam all over her body, hair, and face - and even accidentally swallowing some at one point. Afterwards, horrified viewers rushed to the comment section to warn her that what she was swimming in was likely sewage. Now, she has spoken exclusively about the ordeal with the Daily Mail, and she insisted that while she was 'horrified' by the realization, she hasn't had any negative side affects. She explained that it hasn't made her sick at all, in fact, she thinks it's been beneficial for her skin. 'It didn't make me sick at all which is great. I've been feeling really good ever since which I am very grateful for because I know a lot of people were worried,' she shared. Michelle Sky Hayward, 33, from South Africa, left people all across the globe disgusted when she posted a video of herself splashing around in what she now believes was poop 'Some people pointed out that my skin has been glowing ever since, so who knows, maybe it was beneficial to my skin.' While chatting with the Daily Mail, Michelle explained that she swims at that beach at least once a week and had never seen foam like that in it before - but she didn't think much of it. She added that she was in the water for roughly 15 minutes. 'I loved the foam because it made me think of a bubble bath. It also seemed to make the water warmer so I didn't get too cold at first,' she explained. 'I had no idea what it was, I thought it was just because of the stormy weather and big waves nearby.' The social media star added, 'I didn't notice an unusual smell about it but it did definitely taste more salty than usual.' After she posted the clip to her Instagram, she said she was 'horrified' to see all the comments about it possibly being sewage. 'The comments pointed out that there had been a sewerage spill in the area and I know that that does sometimes happen at our beaches,' she continued. But in the end, she said she's not too concerned. 'All in all I'm not too upset because in the end I had a great time in the ocean and no one really knows for sure what it was,' she concluded. One comment from Michelle's original video read, 'The situation in Cape Town - the city has sewage treatment plants, but it still discharges part of the effluents into the ocean, especially in coastal areas like Green Point, Camps Bay, and Hout Bay. 'These discharges are often only primary-treated sewage or even raw sewage, depending on the area and the system's capacity. 'The historical justification was that ocean currents would dilute the waste, which is now heavily questioned by environmentalists and local researchers.' 'It's all over her face,' someone else wrote with some throwing up emojis. 'I'm not kidding, I almost puked,' another user announced. Many others shared their disgust while some slammed her for not figuring out what it was. In a follow-up video shared to her Instagram, Michelle addressed some of the negative comments. 'No, I did not get sick. If anything, it even boosted my immune system because I've been feeling great ever since, so who knows,' she said. 'I didn't actually smell anything, it just smelled like the normal ocean smell. I did notice that the water was super murky and it's very clear in that spot [usually], there was also a lot of foam that I hadn't seen before. 'But guys, honestly, I love the foam. I loved it, I felt like I was in a bubble bath, it was so cool. I literally felt like a mermaid in a bubble bath. I was having so much fun. 'The water felt a bit warmer than usual so I was having the time of my life, it was amazing. I actually had no idea [it was sewage].'
The South African
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The South African
Cape Town woman who swam in 'sewage': 'Felt like a bubble bath'
A Cape Town woman who went viral for swimming in what appeared to be a sea full of sewage has laughed off the embarrassing ordeal. The video has made international headlines, appearing in publications like Daily Mail, The Mirror, and India Today. Last week, Cape Town kitesurfer and influencer Michelle Sky Hayward had South Africans cringing over a video of her swimming at a local beach in Bloubergstrand. In a viral TikTok video, the blonde woman was seen frolicking in the waves, containing a brownish foam, believed to be 'sewage'. 'This is one of my favourite spots to swim at, it's so beautiful', she said. With the mystery foam now covering her body and face, she continued: 'It's so warm here, I don't even feel the cold.' At one point, Michelle swallowed a bit of the murky water. 'I'm having so much fun', she added. @michelleskyhayward Let me know in the comments! ♬ GRR – Fantomel @michelleskyhayward Oops 💀 ♬ DIM – Yves After going viral over the mortifying moment, Michelle Sy Hayward answered questions from concerned followers. She said of the video, 'I'm not an American tourist…I'm a Cape Town local.' Of swimming in what was believed to be raw sewage, she said: 'No, I did not get sick. If anything, it boosted my immune system, because I've been feeling great ever since When asked if she encountered a foul smell, she answered, 'It smelled like how the ocean smells. I did notice that the water was super murky, and it's usually very clear in that spot. There was a lot of foam that I had not seen before. But honestly, I loved the foam! It felt like a bubble bath. I literally felt like a mermaid.' @michelleskyhayward Replying to @ ♬ original sound – Michelle Sky 🇿🇦👨👩👧 Meanwhile, the City of Cape Town has shot down claims that the water in Blouberg – as appeared in the viral video – was sewage. In a video clip, marine scientist Dr Barry Clark claimed that foam, coupled with murky waters, was a result of waves striking kelp, which was broken down into particles mixed with other pollutants. The city emphasised: 'Seam foam is a 100% natural phenomenon and a part of oceanic processes such as strong wave action from sea storms along Cape Town's exposed coastline.' CORRECTING FAKE NEWS ABOUT SEA FOAM Claims that the sea foam at Blaauwberg beach and surrounds in Cape Town is a result of sewage or pollution, is INCORRECT. The water quality samples taken at Big Bay, Small Bay and Table View over the past 12 months showed EXCELLENT results according to the Hazen percentile health risk categorisation. FACT: Sea foam is a 100% natural phenomenon, and part of oceanic processes such as strong wave action from sea storms along Cape Town's exposed coastline. Watch this video to learn more. Posted by City of Cape Town on Thursday 24 July 2025 Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Is it safe? Cape Town influencer swims into weird ocean foam and the internet reacts
TikTok sensation Michelle Sky Hayward dives into Cape Town's murky waters, sparking a wave of reactions online. Image: TikTok TikTok user and content creator Michelle Sky Hayward leaves netizens scratching their heads after taking a deep dive into what seems like bubbling sewer water. Generally, most people know to steer clear of dodgy-looking water; however, Hayward seems to have taken the phrase 'diving into the unknown' quite literally. The content creator, who has since gone viral, shared a video of herself swimming in the mysterious-looking foamy water in Cape Town. 'I'm having so much fun, I literally don't even feel the cold,' she told the camera, moments before taking an unintentional gulp of the questionable water. Hayward then screamed and laughed after some water went into her mouth, saying it tasted 'salty'. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Not only has the mother of one gone viral on social media, but she has also made the international news headlines for her unconventional swim. The adventurous fitness enthusiast has since posted a video on both Instagram and TikTok confirming that she is 'not an American tourist' and is a local to Cape Town, swimming in the sea 'at least once a week'. She said, 'I actually didn't smell anything when I went into the sea; it smelled like the normal ocean smells. 'I did notice that the water was super murky, and it is usually clear in that spot. There was also a lot of foam that I hadn't seen before. But I honestly loved the foam. I felt like I was in a bubble bath; it was so cool.' The video's comments section was filled with people baffled by the water's murky appearance. Viewers were quick to point out the obvious signs of questionable water quality, with many left wondering how Hayward didn't notice. 'I refuse to believe this is raw sewage and it doesn't have the worst smell … how did you not smell it?' asked @nsreemxx. 'As humans, we have a natural aversion to things that don't look or feel right. Even if they didn't know the exact reasoning, people would not want to get in this water upon seeing it. But I guess not everyone,' said @RedScarf.
India Today
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
South African woman reacts after her viral 'sewage swim' video sparks concern
Michelle Sky Hayward, a content creator from South Africa's Cape Town, has responded to the buzz surrounding her Instagram video in which she was seen swimming through a thick layer of ocean now-viral video, originally captioned, 'I fear I have made a terrible mistake,' triggered concern among a section of viewers who speculated the foamy water was actually hope she knows that foam is from a nearby sewer pipe,' a user commented, while another bluntly stated, 'The ocean is literally the biggest toilet in the world.' However, marine-savvy viewers rushed to clarify that the foam was not necessarily harmful. Many explained that the seafoam seen in the clip is a natural occurrence, formed by the agitation of seawater rich in organic matter like proteins, lipids, and compounds from decomposed algae blooms. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Michelle Sky Hayward (@michelleskyhayward)Meanwhile, in a follow-up video addressing the backlash, Hayward explained, 'I accidentally went viral for 'swimming in sewage,' and I wanted to answer some of your questions.' She clarified that she is not a tourist but a Cape Town local who swims in the sea regularly, at least once a week.'No, I did not get sick,' she said, adding that she actually felt great after the swim. 'If anything, it boosted my immune system.' Furthermore, she said that there was no foul smell: 'It smelt like the normal ocean smell. I didn't smell anything.'However, Hayward did admit the water appeared murkier than usual and that there was more foam than she typically sees. But far from being disgusted, she enjoyed the experience: 'I honestly loved the foam. I felt like I was in a bubble bath. I literally felt like a mermaid in a bubble bath. I had so much fun because the water felt a bit warmer than usual.'Watch the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Michelle Sky Hayward (@michelleskyhayward)Michelle Sky Hayward has over 36,000 followers on Instagram.- Ends
