Bermuda's Beaches

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Bermuda's Beaches

Gorgeous, mostly with pink sand and why this is so

To refer to this web file, please use "bermuda-online.org/beaches.htm" as your Subject.

	Bermuda has some magnificent large and small beaches. Some great ones are public, meaning that anyone can enjoy them. But some are private, not for general public, only to their guests - re-assuring to those who stay at properties with private beaches. Beach sand is not volcanic but from finely pulverized remains of calcium carbonate shells and skeletons of invertebrates such as corals, clams, forams and other shells. Beaches begin with tiny single-celled animals, Foraminifera, in particular, homotrema rubrum - or forams - dark red skeletal animals that grow profusely on the underside of Bermuda's coral reefs. When the red forms die, the skeletons plummet to the ocean floor. Wave action erodes the forams. They become mixed with other debris on the seabed such as the white shells of clams, snails and sea urchins.
	It is at that time that Bermuda's white sand takes on its characteristic pink hue. While coral reefs are common elsewhere, Bermuda is one of the northernmost areas in the Western Hemisphere. (But by no means the northernmost place in the world for coral reefs, as is commonly but mistakenly claimed). There are cold-water and other coral reefs on the coastlines of Spain and Portugal throughout the northeast Atlantic, stretching north in the Irish sea, then due north, northwest and northeast all the way up to Norway). Cold-water corals form a rich habitat for deep-water species hunted by fishing trawlers mostly from Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, France and Norway. Coral reefs alone cover an area twice the length of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. In the islands of the Bahamas, Pink Sands Beach on Harbour Island in the Bahamas was, on May 24, 2008 declared by Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper to be the most beautiful beach in the world.
	There, and to some extent in Bermuda too, the pink sands turn salmon-colored in the setting sun. In at least five places in north west Scotland, the sand is also pink, a very deep pink, but not because of the warm water corals. Scottish beaches mostly have deep blue, much colder waters but there are several with turquoise waters). In Bermuda, see the contrast of pink sand, turquoise water between the shoreline, outlying reefs, and dark blue of the ocean beyond the reefs or land. The sand in Bermuda is exceptionally fine. Beaches in Bermuda are often favored for weddings. Often, religious ministers in Bermuda shorts and knee length socks will preside. Most beaches are on the South Shore, but a few are on the North Shore. Watch out for the rip tide and rip currents on the South Shore beaches! They are formed by water seeking its own level. More water is pushed up on the beach as the frequency of the waves breaking on the beach increases.
	As this water accumulates, it must return to the sea to find its own level, thus causing a drag outwards. The larger the surf, the more intense the rip currents. They pull out to sea, not down beneath the surface. Examples of fine North Shore beaches include Deep Bay, Shelly Bay and Tobacco Bay. At low tide, when the reef formations are clearly visible and the sea is calm, South Shore potboiler formations can be explored. Some contain deep natural pools for visitors to swim or wade out to and enjoy. Visitors used to riding surf boards on high rolling waves, as in California, Hawaii, Australia and elsewhere, should note that only when the wind is blowing heavily from the south do Bermuda's South Shore beaches get any decent surf. Many people assume, wrongly, that Bermuda must have good surfing beaches. Beaches are closed when the wind blows too heavily from the south. There very little good surfing usually, because of the reefs' calming influence on the waves. When gales and hurricanes occur, of the type that bring surfing conditions, surfing is dangerous. Rip tides are bad then, too.

Bermudians and locals don't use the beaches from Labor Day in September through May 24. Why not?

Water temperature can be as high as 85 degrees Fahrenheit in August. But it can dip to below 64 degrees in winter, too cold for most residents, only for the human penguins from Canada, Europe, UK and the USA's East Coast. After all, Bermuda is NOT part of the Caribbean.

But note what happens on Cup Match days...

On Cup Match days - see under Public Holidays and Traditions - many Bermudians who don't go physically to the game listen to it on the radio while they camp by night and picnic by day at public (Government) parks or beaches or both. The designated campgrounds are Ferry Point, Coney Island and Chaplin Bay but all public parks and beaches are liable to be invaded by persons pitching tents from two days beforehand and until the Sunday evening after Cup Match. It can be disconcerting for tourists who hope in vain for deserted public beaches and who are not used to seeing campers pitching tents so close to public beaches. All campers must apply personally for and get permits, issued well in advance, and that only Bermudians and resident locals, not tourists or business visitors, are allowed to pitch a tent by day or night.

One of the most beautiful beach walks in the world

At almost any time of year - exceptions being when there are hurricanes or gales driving the sea to shore in huge waves - a walk on the beach is glorious. It is the South Shore Park between Horseshoe Bay in Southampton Parish and Warwick Long Bay in Warwick Parish. Some beaches - like the famous Natural Arches beach - are private, open to guests of the Mid Ocean Club - or the relevant private owner or hotel - only. Only staying guests - or others, including or cruise ship passengers by special arrangement - may use private beaches and their facilities above the high water mark. But know that all beaches and waters are public - not private - from the sea and up to (but not in excess of) their high water mark. This means they can be approached and accessed by boat providing neither the boat nor the passengers are above the high water mark. The public beaches are open from sunrise to sunset. Do not attempt to use them illegally at night, for your own safety.

Public beaches are without the off beach and water sports facilities of private beaches. Only two public beaches have a privately-run bar. Beaches - public and private - do not allow nudes or semi-nudes. Camping and sleeping on the beaches are not permitted. The Bermuda Police Service encourages all beach-goers, especially visitors, to be extra vigilant of their belongings at the beach and only take items that are really necessary. They advise visitors not to take a lot of cash or credit cards or passports or watches other forms of identification or jewelry. Most of the thefts at the beach are crimes of opportunity. 90 percent of the time when thefts, which are quite numerous, occur at the beach it is because criminals see an expensive item lying unattended.

Bermuda beaches are likely to face further coastal erosion and deeper sea surges in the future due to global warming. Already, at certain times of the year, a major section of the sands of Elbow Beach and nearby Stonington Beach are washed away. Bermuda's coastline has eroded by between 20 and 30 centimeters in the last century but scientists expect that with global warming, further erosion of up to 100 centimeters will likely occur in the 21st century.

Residents and visitors should be aware that periodically reported by The Royal Gazette - sewage spoils prime South Shore beaches public and private. Unsightly and potentially disease-carrying balls of sewage wash up. The grey, golf-ball size lumps of human waste are created from when sewage pumped offshore in outfall pumps a mile or so from Hungry Bay; from large hotels in the Parishes of Paget and Southampton and from off Tobacco Bay in St. George's. Sewage outfall pipes are in plain view at the eastern end of Elbow Beach. The sewage problem arises because Bermuda is both physically isolated and one of the most densely populated countries in the world per square mile, yet with no sewage farms to treat sewage on land instead of at sea. A major contributor is the grease that comes from outfall pipes going from the City of Hamilton to Hungry Bay. The screening system used is not a treatment system and grease from the city's many restaurants mingles with other waste. All waste pumped out to sea beyond the reefs is completely untreated. This includes radio-active waste from X-rays and other machinery at - and all other waste from - King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. (In the United Kingdom and Europe, Canada and United States of America, it is forbidden to dump such radio-active and other hospital waste into the ocean). It was hoped the high salinity of the sea and its volume would dilute the effects and achieve a rapid die-off. But when grease mingles with sewage, it prevents any breakdown and instead carries the sewage to shore. A sewage treatment plant in the city or nearby is a solution but no one in Bermuda wants it near them.

Also as reported by The Royal Gazette - there are periodic sightings on the beaches and in waters nearby of Portuguese Men of War (Bluebottle, physalia spp - hydroid) commonly but mistakenly referred to as "jelly fish" with "blue or white sails" usually clearly visible and with fiercely stinging, food-catching tentacles. They get this name from Mediterranean sailors who believed they resembled 17th century Portuguese ships of war in full sail. Not only is it not a jellyfish, it's not even an "it," but a "they." The Portuguese man-of-war is a siphonophore, an animal made up of a colony of organisms working together. The man-of-war comprises four separate polyps. It gets its name from the uppermost polyp, a gas-filled bladder, or pneumatophore, which sits above the water and somewhat resembles an old warship at full sail. Man-of-wars are also known as bluebottles for the purple-blue color of their pneumatophores. The tentacles are the man-of-war's second organism. These long, thin tendrils can extend 165 feet (50 meters) in length below the surface, although 30 feet (10 meters) is more the average. They are covered in venom-filled nematocysts used to paralyze and kill fish and other small creatures. For humans, a man-of-war sting is excruciatingly painful, and sometimes deadly. Even dead man-of-wars washed up on shore can deliver a major problem if touched or prodded. Avoid them from a great distance at all costs, in the water and on shore as their sting could be very serious, or deadly to those at risk of heat attack or stroke or both. Ashore, they may look dead but are not. If you do not, but approach them at entirely your own risk and are stung by a Portuguese Man of War jellyfish, to avoid potential problems make sure you summon help in any way possible and see a doctor straight away or get to a hospital as soon as possible. British and European visitors should note these creatures are as potent as the lion's mane jellyfish in Britain and its counterparts of the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. In Europe, especially in Spain, the national Red Cross treats injured visitors on the beaches and governments also respond there by putting out red flags and sending boats to net the creatures.

Another problem could be tar, the result of ships dumping oil illegally at sea. Bermuda has strict laws against ships pumping their bilges off Bermuda so the problem is not as bad as it once was. In the event you encounter any tar, baby oil is helpful and with the nicest smell.

The Bermuda Lifeguard Service is a service of the Parks Department of the Ministry of the Environment of the Bermuda Government. In the swimming season, the most popular public beaches have lifeguards from this service. They must be at least 16 years old, fit, healthy and strong swimmers. Telephone 236-4201 or 236-5902 or fax 236-3711. P. O. Box HM 20, Bermuda HM AX or e-mail lifeguard@ibl.bm. The private beaches do not have this service.

Beaches private and public beaches

Public beaches

All owned by the Bermuda taxpayer and operated/cleaned by the Bermuda Government from whom all particulars about any specific beach, such as whether there are bathrooms and restaurants or beach bars should be obtained. They are free to the general public from dawn to sunset. Most Bermuda beaches are family beaches. A few have basic restaurants franchised from the Bermuda Government but usually with no bars. An exception is at Tobacco Bay in St. George's. Some public beaches have a basic bathroom or toilet but others will not. None have changing rooms or showers.

Public beaches close from sunset to sunrise. Don't be on a beach at night and before dawn. Sleeping on public beaches is not allowed. Don't be surprised to see, on the Good Friday public holiday, hundreds of multi-colored, hand-made Bermuda kites are up in the air above some of the public beaches.

Private beaches

Owned privately by individual hotels or individual home owners. They are reserved for use by registered guests only - not the general public - or by special arrangement directly and solely between them and cruise ship operators. All hotel-owned private beaches have licensed beach bars, often with full-service tourist restaurants either on the beach as well as the bars, or nearby, usually with bathrooms. They have changing rooms and showers for their staying guests only.

Parish beaches

The following listing shows the parishes in alphabetical, not geographical, order, although the map below shows them in geographical order from west to east.