Los Cabos Beaches Declared Safe For Swimming By Government Experts

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Last Updated 1 year ago

Los Cabos has once again received positive news for tourists who are soon to be visiting the mega-popular destination.

The head of the State Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Coepris), José Manuel Larumbe Pineda, has reported that the beaches of Los Cabos most popular with bathers are in tip-top shape for recreational use!

What Was Discovered

Coepris conducted an analysis of seawater samples collected from 29 different coastal areas to get an understanding of the current state of pollution in Los Cabos.

The levels of enterococci, a fecal bacteria used as an indicator of water quality, were found to be significantly below the maximum allowed internationally.

Why This Is Important

The importance of this result can’t be understated. The ocean is a huge draw for travelers visiting Los Cabos, with snorkeling and other water activities being extremely popular amongst visitors.

And when it comes to swimming, it’s no surprise that the cleanliness of the water is a big concern for people arriving on vacation.

While thoughts of pollution may not be the first thing on people’s minds when planning their next trip, many beaches around the world struggle with this issue.

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For example, Kamilo beach in Hawaii has earned the unfortunate nickname of the “plastic beach”, due to mammoth amounts of trash washing up from Asia, severely impacting its draw for tourism.

And while Los Cabos beaches are pristine to the naked eye, the authorities wanted to make sure the water matched the sand on cleanliness.

Polluted water can lead to many unnecessary health issues, which is the last thing any tourist wants to deal with while vacationing in a paradise like Los Cabos.

Tourists expect clean swimming water, and any concerns about water quality can be an unwelcome focus that takes away from visitors’ ability to relax and enjoy the beach.

Not All Beaches Are Safe

Although this news of the waters in Los Cabos being sanitary is fantastic, it should be remembered that many of the beaches in this beautiful destination aren’t suitable for swimming.

And it isn’t pollution that is at fault. Nature, unfortunately, hasn’t been kind to many beaches in Los Cabos where swimming is concerned. The sub-sea landscape creates life-threatening conditions that have claimed a sadly large number of victims.

In many areas, the beach shelf ends abruptly, sometimes only 10-20 feet from the water’s edge, where it then dramatically dives down. A swimmer can almost go from waist-deep water to being the length of a school bus from the ocean floor in just a few steps.

Additionally, while this in itself may not sound too dangerous, being able to swim isn’t a guarantee of safety. This is because the extreme nature of these ocean bed drop-offs brings some seriously dangerous side effects.

The potential for freak waves on these beaches is huge. The force of the tidal flow doesn’t lose its power gradually as the ocean floor rises to meet it and instead reaches almost right to the sand with its full might before being broken.

This power of nature can easily disorientate swimmers if it forces them under the water, and to complicate matters even further, these conditions create dangerous undercurrents and rip tides, both of which spell serious trouble for swimmers.

If a swimmer does find themselves being pulled out by an undercurrent or rip tide, it’s important to follow the following steps:

• Don’t panic, stay calm, and keep your head above water.
• Don’t try to swim against the current, this will only tire you out and make it more difficult to escape.
• Swim parallel to the shore, keeping the beach on the right or left side of the body. Rip tides are often narrow, so by swimming parallel to it you can break free from its forces and swim back to shore.
• If you’re unable to swim parallel to the shore, tread water and conserve energy. Raise your arm and yell for help if you see people on the shore or in the water nearby. Los Cabos beaches are served by lifeguards, so help is always close by.
• If you see someone in trouble, call for help immediately. Don’t attempt to rescue them yourself. Those attempting to rescue others from the water often end up in more danger than the person who originally required rescue.
• Don’t swim at night. It’s even more difficult to spot dangerous conditions in the dark, and Los Cabos lifeguards aren’t on duty to provide rescue if needed.

It should be noted there are many beaches in Los Cabos that are perfectly safe for swimmers. A simple google search to confirm the beach you are on is safe will mean the above advice will hopefully never need to be used.