Paula Luckhoff27 July 2025 | 16:58
Cape Town woman debunks 'sewage' claims after foam swimming video goes viral
Michelle Sky Hayward unintentionally made international headlines after she posted a video showing the fun she had swimming in waters filled with foam.
Michelle Sky Hayward enjoying a swim in a foam-filled ocean. Screengrab from Instagram
"I accidentally went viral for 'swimming in sewage' and then accidentally made international news headlines."
That's Capetonian Michelle Sky Hayward in a follow-up video on social media, after people around the world expressed concern about a previous post showing her swimming in a very foamy ocean.
The influencer and kitesurfer explains that she loves the sea and goes for a dip at least once a week.
The questions she answers include whether she got sick, and whether the 'smell of the sewage' did not alert her.
"I did not get sick. If anything, it boosted my immune system because I've been feeling great ever since!"
Michelle Sky Hayward, Capetonian
"When I went for a swim all I smelled was the normal ocean smells. I did notice the water was murky and there was a lot of foam, but guys, I loved the foam! I felt like a mermaid in a bubble bath."
Michelle Sky Hayward, Capetonian
People have also said that her skin is glowing, Hayward says, 'so maybe we're on to something here'.