Sea turns brown at nicely liked UK seashore as a whole lot witness ‘frothy scum’
Sun worshippers who flocked to a beloved British beach were stunned when the sea turned a murky brown over the weekend. The cloudy waters at Porthdinllaen beach in North Wales sparked alarm of a sewage leak.
But Natural Resources Wales – the country’s environmental body – has responded to the concerns and clarified that no sewage leak had taken place. They said the discolouration stemmed from naturally occurring algae.
Arfon Hughes, environment team leader said: “Our officers received reports of potential pollution at Porthdinllaen beach over the bank holiday weekend. Upon inspection, this was found to be a type of non-toxic algae called Phaeocystis – one of the most common bloom-forming algae in our coastal waters.
“The blooms can form a brown, frothy scum that is harmless and may be influenced by recent sunlight and warmer temperatures.
“Anyone with concerns about potential pollution can report them to us by calling our 24/7 incident communication line on 0300 065 3000 or by using our online incident form.”
The beauty spot was packed with beachgoers over the weekend as Britain’s heatwave hit a record 35.1C, causing roads to melt and rails to buckle.
The May temperature high was broken for a second day in a row following Monday’s 34.8C (94.6F) scorcher.
In between, many reached for fans and sweltered through the month’s hottest-ever night. The overnight 21.3C (70F) temperatures in London met the Met Office’s definition of tropical
Porthdinllaen has a sweeping sandy bay sheltered by the Carreg Ddu headland. It is famed for its beach pub, Ty Coch, which has been named among the best beach bars in the world. The area has escaped major development, parts are now owned by the National Trust.
The small coastal village is at the tip of the north western coast of Wales, but one expert said it was worth the drive. They wrote: “On a fine day you could almost be in Bondi or LA — but you still couldn’t be anywhere but north Wales.”
