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Why is the water in the bay so dirty?
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Author:  Monika [ Tue May 20, 2014 9:54 am ]
Post subject:  Why is the water in the bay so dirty?
I swam yesterday on a Public Beach- water was gross, is that an every-year result of rainy season storms or smth? How long does it usually last?

At first I thought those are only some broken tree branches and sea plants, but then I realised im swimming between tissues, plastic bottles and other trash.

Any idea whats happening? Ive been living here for 6 months and its the first time I see water so trashy!
Author:  Alan [ Tue May 20, 2014 10:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Why is the water in the bay so dirty?
Heavy rain washed rubbish into drains and rivers and then the sea, and if the wind and current is right, floats back to the beach.

I've been swimming the last three days in the afternoon.
It was pretty bad on Saturday, better on Sunday.
Monday hardly any floating rubbish, though plenty on the beach.

But almost always if you can swim out to the far line of buoys, it's pretty clear, even when it is scummy close to shore.
Author:  Lamma-Gung [ Tue May 20, 2014 11:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Why is the water in the bay so dirty?
The Great Lamma Garbage Patch, outside the Hung Shing Yeh beach shark nets (name inspired by the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch").

I've taken these photos from the Family Trail a few days ago.
Is The Great Lamma Garbage Patch still there or has it dissolved by now, or been washed over the shark net onto the beach?

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Author:  Alan [ Tue May 20, 2014 7:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Why is the water in the bay so dirty?
Just back from HSY, the water is clear, no flotsam, the garbage patch is gone and even the sand is pretty clean.

I noticed a lot of styrofoam on the rocks at PSB on the way back.
Author:  Lamma-Gung [ Wed May 21, 2014 12:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Why is the water in the bay so dirty?
Today, after the amazing thunderstorm last night? The beach looks even worse now, I've heard...
Author:  Alan [ Wed May 21, 2014 12:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Why is the water in the bay so dirty?
The beach is often covered with crap in the morning, but the LCSD clean that up every day.

How much is in the water depends on the prevailing winds.
Yesterday at 6pm was almost pristine despite heavy rains earlier in the day.
Author:  Lamma-Gung [ Wed May 21, 2014 12:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Why is the water in the bay so dirty?
So "The Great Lamma Garbage Patch", visible from the Family Trail, has gone now? Have we lost another tourist attraction?
Author:  Alan [ Wed May 21, 2014 1:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Why is the water in the bay so dirty?
Lamma-Gung {L_WROTE}:
So "The Great Lamma Garbage Patch", visible from the Family Trail, has gone now? Have we lost another tourist attraction?

It was gone yesterday. Just some weed on the inside of the net.

Will probably reform every few weeks when the winds push the plastic into the barrier.


Update Wednesday 6pm:
Water still clear, no garbage patch. About a dozen people swimming this evening.


Update Thursday 6pm:
Pretty bad, lots of flotsam, chips of plastic and wood, nothing big. I gave up after 25 minutes.
Author:  lamma air [ Sun Jun 15, 2014 10:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Why is the water in the bay so dirty?
It all depends on the rainfall and currents as several people have said. I swim on the Shek Li beach and always do a clean each time. I average about 3 large bags at about 20 killos per bag. That's about 60 kg a week. After black rain once I shifted about 10 bags at one time and then gave up. A lot of this material has been in the water a while everything from slippers to lighters in a highly degraded state. Polystyrene boxes are very common both as large boxes down to white powder. Collecting below the low tide yields lots of boating rubbish life oil filters and fishing nets. Despite this the thing I find most annoying are dogs on the beach that crap everywhere with no owner in site. I watched three dogs come down to the beach, shit, have a run around and then return home. I suppose it saves the owner taking them for a walk.
Author:  Alan [ Sun Jun 15, 2014 11:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Why is the water in the bay so dirty?
lamma air {L_WROTE}:
Despite this the thing I find most annoying are dogs on the beach that crap everywhere with no owner in site. I watched three dogs come down to the beach, shit, have a run around and then return home. I suppose it saves the owner taking them for a walk.



Well, it's obviously not hygienic, but it's biodegradable and will be gone in a few days, feeding the algae, unlike the plastic which will be floating around for decades and slowly releasing toxic chemicals.

By Shek Li do you mean the beach north of the tannery?
I used to live near there, the water was okay but the rocks and shells were very sharp and so painful to get out into the water. I also used to go up to the pretty little enclosed beach north of that, past the square pier, but now some bastards have blocked access to that.
Author:  Lamma-Gung [ Tue Jun 17, 2014 5:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Why is the water in the bay so dirty?
News from residents near Hung Shing Yeh beach today: "The trash is dreadful."

Any pictures? What's happening?
The cleaning ladies from FEHD are very busy cleaning up so much washed up trash from this public beach...
Author:  Alan [ Tue Jun 17, 2014 8:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Why is the water in the bay so dirty?
Lamma-Gung {L_WROTE}:
Any pictures? What's happening?

The last two days a huge amount of trash on the beach.
The usual plastic flotsam

However, not much in the water yesterday and almost none today, at least in the evening.

Must be a wind blowing it all into the bay and to the shore, left behind as the tide recedes.

Yesterday saw a big white jellyfish, bumped into it but didn't get any stings.
Author:  Lamma-Gung [ Wed Jun 18, 2014 8:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Why is the water in the bay so dirty?
Email to Marine Dept.:

"Thank you for telling me you have asked the Marine scavenger boat to go to HSY.

I asked the LCSD manager at the beach to do this but he said it was actually within the LCSD area and that Mardep would not do it. He was simply waiting for the rubbish to arrive on the beach so that the cleaning contract workers, all elderly women in their late 50s and early 60s, to clean it when it arrives on the beach.

Apart from this essential service, carried out by Johnson Cleaners ltd, no one else on land is bothering to help the old ladies. There are at least 8 young strong life guards watching them and tourists just walking past taking photos of themselves while the entire shoreline is covered in trash! It makes you want to cry!

During this month and when the tide is bringing so much rubbish from the West, Please can we have daily Marine Dept action all along this beautiful, unspoiled coast?

To illustrate my complaint here are three photos from this morning.
Very best wishes, and many thanks for you quick and efficient response,

Roz Keep, Lamma Island"

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