The horrors of the ocean or why you can't swim when there are red flags. Swimming in the open ocean American Atlantic resorts

After a hard day at work, you want to drop everything and fly beyond the horizon. Silence. Water. Vacation on the ocean. Hammock under palm trees, cocktails and sunset. So where to go?

Hello!

Vacations on the ocean can be different. It all depends on the resort and time of year. In this article weLet's discuss the most popular destinations.

Holidays on the Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is a distant and alluring romance. Here, surrounded by palm trees and local aborigines, you will have the opportunity to swim, eat seafood and try your hand at diving.

NOTE

Goa, India

The former Portuguese colony in India welcomes 2 million tourists every year. Everyone wants to be alone with the ocean and Asian flavor.

Planning a trip? That way!

We have prepared some useful gifts for you. They will help you save money while preparing for your trip.

Goa is divided into two parts:

1. Northern (young people and more economical tourists come here, there is a more developed infrastructure and more different entertainment);
2. Yuzhnoe (considered the most decent and expensive, people look for peace and tranquility here).

Why go to Goa

• Beach holiday;
• Diving;
• Yoga;
• Ayurveda.

Pros of Goa

• Convenient to get to;
• Budget-friendly by world standards;
• Nice beaches;
• Developed tourism infrastructure;
• English is widely spoken;
• There are no extreme heat waves;
• It's easy to rent a bike;
• Beautiful sunsets in the evenings.

Maldives

The Republic of Maldives is located on several hundred small coral islands in the Indian Ocean. Choose any one and enjoy the warm ocean.

Why go to the Maldives

• Beach holiday;
• Separation from civilization;
• Diving;
• Surfing.

Pros of the Maldives

• No visa required;
• Beaches with white sand and clear water;
• Lots of exotic fruits;
• Hotels on the water;
• Safely.

By the way, in the Maldives you can swim with giant whale sharks. Amazing experience. To at least roughly imagine these sensations, watch the video.

When to go to the Maldives

The best time to visit the ocean in the Maldives: from to. More details in the article about by month.

What to watch out for in the Maldives

• Few tourist attractions;
• High prices for everything (especially drinking water);
• Sometimes stingrays and sharks swim to the islands;
• You cannot break corals and take them as souvenirs;
• Nudism is prohibited;
• Huge fines for littering.

What currency to take to the Maldives

It's better to take dollars on your trip. If the need arises, you can exchange them for local rufiyaa already on the islands. Usually this is not required and all payments are made in US currency.

What to bring from the Maldives

Tea, handmade souvenirs and hookah sets.

Attention!You cannot export souvenirs made from red and black corals, shells, pearls and turtle shell products.

Mauritius

The island state belongs to East Africa. was the only habitat of the extinct Dodo bird.

Why go to Mauritius

• Beach holiday;
• Diving;
• Luxurious vacation on the ocean.

Pros of Mauritius

• Great service: beaches, hotels, restaurants, etc.
• There is no crime;
• The time is close to Moscow;
• The visa is issued free of charge right at the airport;
• There are coral reefs with interesting life around.

When to go to Mauritius

What to watch out for in Mauritius

• Prices are steep;
• Left side traffic;
• Sharp corals are often found near the shore; sea urchins are found in them: do not forget about special shoes;
• The weather changes dramatically, do not forget to carry windbreakers or raincoats;
• There are strong currents beyond the nearest reefs. You shouldn't swim there without an instructor.

What currency to take to Mauritius

It is better to take dollars or euros with you. There is not much difference. In tourist places you can pay with a bank card, although there will be a commission. To shop at the markets, you will have to change your currency to local rupees.

What to bring from Mauritius

Wooden ship models, souvenirs with the Dodo bird, keychains with multi-colored sand.

Seychelles

The state in East Africa is located on 115 islands. True, only 33 are inhabited. After the international airport was opened in 1971, tourists and big businesses flocked here. More information in the post on how.

Why go to Seychelles

• Beach holiday;
• Diving;
• Surfing;
• Fishing in the ocean;
• Wedding by the ocean.

Pros of Seychelles

• No visa required;
• White sand beaches;
• Well-developed tourism infrastructure;
• Safe (sometimes stolen);
• On Eden Island you can find a great Russian restaurant serving okroshka!

When to go to Seychelles

The best time to holiday in the Seychelles is from November to March.

What to watch out for in the Seychelles

• Food poisoning;
• Contact with sea urchins and poisonous fish;
• Difficult logistics (it takes a long time to get to the islands);
• Large tips (up to 20%).

What currency to take to Seychelles

It is better to take dollars with you on vacation. It’s difficult to change rubles, and the exchange rate for euros is bad. You only need to change currency officially: at banks, ATMs, at the airport. Currency trading is prohibited by law.

What to bring from Seychelles

Souvenirs made from palm leaves, sea nuts, jewelry made from coral and shells.

Bali, Indonesia

Bali is a huge island in the Malay archipelago. An excellent choice for those who don't want to sit still. - the opportunity to combine beach gatherings and a cultural program in one trip.

Why go to Bali

• Beach holiday;
• Surfing;
• Getting to know Indonesian culture.

Pros of Bali

• Convenient logistics (there is an international air on the island);
• Entertainment for tourists: nature reserves, attractions, etc.
• Lots of budget accommodation;
• Cheap scooter rental and gasoline;
• Beautiful and varied nature.

When to go to Bali

The best time to vacation in Bali is during the dry season: from May to October. Read more in the article about by month.

What to watch out for in Bali

• Big waves;
• Street crime;
• Traffic jams;
• Bad roads;
• Deception of tourists.

What currency to take in Bali

It is best to take dollars or euros with you. Try to bring small bills. Please note, it is better if the dollars are issued after 2004. Early options may not be accepted. The fact is that a lot of fakes were riveted here at one time.

Do not change currency with suspicious guys and where the exchange rate is with a bunch of nines. Most likely, they will try to deceive you.

If you plan to take bank cards with you, be sure to inform your bank before your trip. Indonesia is considered not a very trustworthy country, so your card may simply be blocked for your own safety.

What to bring from Bali

Creations of local artisans: paintings, decorative weapons, dolls, masks, chess, etc. The girls bring oils, shampoos, soaps and cosmetics.

Sri Lanka

If you want an exclusively beach holiday, then stay on the southern part of the island (remember the monsoons). If you want drive and adventure, then rent a car and drive around the island in search of attractions.

What to watch out for in Sri Lanka

• Unsanitary conditions;
• Dirty water (drink only from a bottle);
• Crime;
• Insect attacks (If mosquitoes bother you and the fumigator does not help, then purchase cinnamon oil from local residents);
• Strong waves and rip currents.

What currency to take to Sri Lanka

When traveling to Sri Lanka, it is best to take dollars with you. Exchange them for rupees -no problem. Pay for purchases with bank cards with caution. Lots of scammers. For change, it is better to take small bills. The course is better for them.

What to bring from Sri Lanka

This is Ceylon! Be sure to buy tea and spices: cardamom, pepper, ginger, curry, etc. Along the way, you can take cosmetics and coconut arak. This is such an alcoholic drink.

Holidays on the Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is limitless and beautiful. Many people come to its resorts to get as far away from the usual world as possible and get lost on small islands.

Fiji

Fiji is one of the most developed countries in Oceania. It is located on three hundred islands, more than two hundred of which are uninhabited. Movies and commercials about the tropical paradise are often shot here, so you should have a good idea of ​​what it looks like: islands, palm trees, blue water and bikini-clad beauties.

Why go to Fiji

• Beach holiday;
• Wedding ceremony;
• Swimming with sharks;
• Separation from civilization;

Pros of Fiji

• Tipping is not customary;
• There is no need to apply for a visa;
• Wild nature;
• Clean sandy beaches;
• Every day you can watch the ebb and flow of the tides.

When to go to Fiji

The ideal time for a holiday is from May to October. The air temperature fluctuates around 25 degrees. There are no heavy rains or hurricanes.

What to watch out for in Fiji

• Before vacation, you must be vaccinated against hepatitis A and B, typhoid fever, diphtheria and tetanus;
• The islands are very difficult to reach;
• Clashes on ethnic grounds often occur between residents of the country; you should not take part in rallies, pickets or wear political symbols;
• On unequipped beaches, sea urchins live in corals. Don't forget your beach shoes;
• Be careful when swimming, diving and fishing. In wild places, it is quite possible to encounter poisonous ocean inhabitants, sharks and sea snakes;
• In cities they can get robbed, but on tourist islands this is impossible.

What currency to take to Fiji

It is best to take dollars with you on a trip. But it is not customary to pay with them on the islands. Change your currency to local dollars.

What to bring from Fiji

The main souvenirs are handicrafts: bags, baskets, rugs, fans, wood crafts, knives made from shark teeth and various dishes and accessories related to the life of local aborigines.

Bora Bora, French Polynesia

One of the most beautiful islands of French Polynesia was discovered by the infamous James Cook. Now it is a cult resort for wealthy tourists. Others don't come here: too far from civilization. There is an ocean all around.

Why go to Bora Bora

• Beach holiday;
• Diving;
• A break from civilization.

Pros of Bora Bora

• Wild nature;
• Clean beaches and water;
• Great service;
• No crime.

When to go to Bora Bora

The most suitable time for vacation is from May to October. At this time there is little rain, and the temperature does not exceed 30 degrees.

What to watch out for in Bora Bora

• Wild prices for everything;
• Long flight;
• There's not much to do on the island;
• Sea predators are somewhere nearby.

What currency to take to Bora Bora

It is most profitable to take euros with you on a trip. Dollars can also be exchanged, but the exchange rate will be worse. Almost everywhere they accept bank cards.

What to bring from Bora Bora

First of all, people from Bora Bora bring memories of a heavenly vacation and a rested body. In the second -coconut soap, black pearls, sea paraphernalia (shells, panama hats, wicker baskets, etc.)

Hawaii, USA

A vast ocean, active volcanoes, jungles and comfortable hotels. Aloha, this is Hawaii! The 160 islands are a separate US state. This imposes a number of features. More on them later.

Why go to Hawaii

• Beach holiday;
• Introduction to Hawaiian culture;
• Volcanoes;
• Surfing;
• Diving.

Pros of Hawaii

• Payment in dollars;
• General knowledge of English;
• Good level of service;
• There is no risk of catching a tropical infection;
• Rich nightlife.

When to go to Hawaii

The climate in the Hawaiian Islands is pleasant and even. There are 2 seasons: dry (April— September) and wet (October— March). Most tourists come during the wet season, since in summer the temperatures are higher and hurricanes occur more often.

What to watch out for in Hawaii

• To vacation in Hawaii you need to register . With all the ensuing consequences;
• There are no direct flights from Russia;
• Due to the isolation from the mainland, prices are higher;

What currency to take to Hawaii

Dollars!

What to bring from Hawaii

Typically, tourists buy traditional Hawaiian shirts, dresses and macadamia nuts on the islands. Plus a traditional set of souvenirs from a vacation on the ocean: jewelry, seafood, art, and so on.

Holidays on the Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean, although cool, can also be a great place for a beach holiday. Here are some examples.

Algarve, Portugal

In Portugal you can have a great relaxation on the ocean shore, without being too far away from civilization. If you wish, you canfind cheap hotelsor use couchsurfing . The Atlantic water here is quite clean, although colder than in the Mediterranean or Black Sea. In addition to the Algarve, there are many other resorts, for example.

Why go to the Algarve

• Civilized beach holiday;
• Getting to know Portugal.

Pros of the Algarve

• It's easy to come up with a cultural program;
• Clean and civil;
• Developed infrastructure;
• Rich nightlife;
• Easy to reach for Schengen holders.

When to go to the Algarve

The best time for vacation is between May and October.

What to watch out for in the Algarve

• We need Schengen;
• Crowded beaches in season;
• Fraudsters;
• Cool water.

What currency to take in the Algarve

Take euros.

What to bring from the Algarve

All traditional Portuguese souvenirs. Bring home port or wine, cork products, cheese and olive oil.

Canary Islands

The autonomous region, located on islands in the Atlantic Ocean, belongs to Spain with all the ensuing consequences (language, currency, visa, etc.). Here you can find wonderful beaches with black volcanic sand that will help you relax and forget about traditional everyday problems. Tenerife hosts a legendary carnival, which is sometimes compared in its colorfulness to the Brazilian one.

Why go to the Canaries

• Beach holiday;
• Carnival in Tenerife;
• Surfing (beaches in Guincho and Ericeira).

Pros of the Canary Islands

• Lots of delicious local wines;
• European service;
• Comfortable climate;
• Beaches with black volcanic sand.

When to go to the Canaries

The best time to go is from to May. A huge flow of tourists occurs during Christmas and Easter.

What to watch out for in the Canaries

• We need Schengen;
• There are a lot of surfers (it’s difficult for beginners);
• Cool ocean water;
• Little budget housing;
• Small space for a non-beach holiday.

What currency to take to the Canaries

Euro!

What to bring from the Canary Islands

Wine, cigars, aloe cosmetics, obsidian and olivine jewelry, and pottery are usually brought from the islands. If you don't have enough money for souvenirs, you can find a huge Canarian pine cone.

South Africa

A huge number of beautiful sandy beaches can be found on the Atlantic coast of South Africa. It is not far from the capital of this country - Cape Town. According to tourists, the atmosphere is very reminiscent of the south of France. Pleasant coast, adequate infrastructure, fresh wind.

If you wish, you can get to the Cape of Good Hope, where before your eyes two oceans will merge into one: the Atlantic and Indian.

Why go to South Africa

• Beach holiday;
• Surfing;
• Swimming with sharks;
• Safaris in nature reserves;
• Diving;
• Yachting;
• Visiting the penguins.

Pros of South Africa

• Extensive cultural program;
• Good service in tourist places (for Africa);
• Surf paradise.

When to go to South Africa

The best time for vacation is from October to March.

What to watch out for in South Africa

• Long flight;
• Crime;
• Sunshine (take a hat, cream, glasses);
• In border areas there is a risk of contracting malaria and yellow fever.

What currency to take to South Africa

The country's currency is the South African rand. There are many exchange offices, but it is better to use bank ones. Hotels charge an additional commission. You cannot pay in dollars or euros. You can take both world currencies. Preferably in small bills.

What to bring from South Africa

Tanzinite stone jewelry, African handicrafts: paintings, masks, figurines, beaded jewelry and traditional sea souvenirs.

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic occupies two-thirds of the island of Haiti. People come here to lie on the beach and take a break from the usual civilization.

Why go to the Dominican Republic

• Beach holiday;
• Diving.

Pros of the Dominican Republic

• No visa required;
• Beautiful and clean beaches;
• Unusual cuisine.

When to go to the Dominican Republic

What to fear in the Dominican Republic

• Long flight;
• Problems with acclimatization;
• Locals don't speak English well;
• Problems with the Internet (speed);
• Petty theft;
• Expensive excursions;
• Problems with early check-in at hotels.

What currency to take to the Dominican Republic

The main currency is pesos. But tourists can easily pay in American dollars. If you decide to buy local currency, be sure to keep the receipt. Otherwise, you will not be able to change your balances at the end of your vacation.

What to bring from the Dominican Republic

Tourists return from the Dominican Republic with bottles of rum, cigars, coffee and cocoa. They sell a lot of sea souvenirs: shells, stars, shark teeth, crabs and beautiful stones.

Holidays on the Arctic Ocean

There is no beach holiday on the Arctic Ocean. And in general, here you will not find anything from a traditional television picture. No palm trees or coconuts. There is snow, ice and crazy wind all around. But there are adventure lovers who plan entire expeditions to these parts in order to plow snowmobiles across the vast expanses and enjoy the complete solitude and beauty of northern nature.

Interested in last minute tours?

See what options are available for your dates. The site monitors offers from 120 companies. There is a convenient system for searching and filtering offers. All prices are final. Flight and accommodation are already included. Prices start from 6,000 rubles per person.

For readers of the LHTravel website there is .

Are you afraid of being left without communication on the road?

From time to time, news appears in Bali that another vacationer has drowned. Most usually associate this with the fact that someone simply “doesn’t know how” to swim. In reality, people who have excellent physical fitness often drown. And misfortune occurs for one reason - due to ignorance of safety precautions when swimming in the ocean, which is very different from the seas or fresh water bodies we are accustomed to.

Below is a very useful article about in what situations and places it is dangerous to swim in the ocean, how to follow safety precautions and what to do if something goes wrong while swimming and a wave “drags” you back into the ocean.

(The article is not mine, this is a repost)

Several dozen people drown in Bali every year. Including our compatriots. Moreover, they drown not somewhere far away on deserted beaches, but in the most crowded and popular places. Literally 50 meters from the shore.

Why is this happening? Why do people who can swim drown near the shore? And they drown regardless of age, gender and physical condition - even good athletes sometimes cannot swim out. Because behave incorrectly in the ocean, do not know basic safety precautions and panic at a critical moment.

In this post, I will tell you about the most common accidents in the ocean. About reverse currents, about the so-called channels, once in which a person is instantly carried away into the open ocean. In English this phenomenon is called - rip current.

Let's start with the theory.

The ocean is not a sea or a river, and certainly not a lake with calm water. The ocean is a much more complex and dangerous thing. Tides are created by the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun on the Earth and its oceans, having a direct effect on wave patterns.

At low tide, you may encounter exposed rocks or reefs that weren't there six hours ago. As a rule, in this case the waves become steeper and break further from the shore.

High tides tend to create softer, slower breaking waves. Tides can also cause rip currents, which are created when waves hit rocks or sandbanks on the coast and ricochet back out to sea.

Imagine ocean waves that roll onto the shore over and over again and bring more and more water. But this water mass does not remain on the shore, but returns back to the ocean. How? Through channels that are formed as a result of waves breaking on the shore. Here's what it looks like schematically:

That is, the wave breaks on the coastal shallows, and then, accumulating in a certain place, goes back into the ocean, forming reverse current . It turns out as if river in the ocean. AND This is the most dangerous place on the entire beach! The speed of the current in the channel reaches 2-3 meters per second and once you get into it, you will instantly be carried away from the shore. At this moment, most people panic, they begin to frantically fight the current and row as hard as they can towards the shore. And the waves keep covering and covering, and having lost all strength, the person drowns.

THIS IS THE CAUSE OF MORE THAN HALF OF ALL DEATHS IN THE OCEAN!

The most dangerous thing is that you can find yourself in such a channel, even standing waist-deep or chest-deep in water. That is, feeling the bottom confidently beneath you and suddenly suddenly it begins to suck in into the ocean! So what to do if you still find yourself in reverse current and, despite all your efforts, you are carried into the ocean?

There are several basic rules that you need to remember and always keep in mind:

1. DON'T PANIC!

Panic is the enemy in any extreme situation. When a person panics, instead of soberly assessing the situation and making the right decisions, he is guided by his instincts and most often does the wrong thing.

2. SAVE ENERGY!

There is no need to fight the current and row with all your might back to the shore. It's useless. It is unlikely that you will have enough strength to overcome the force of the current in the canal. You need to row not towards the shore, but sideways, that is, parallel to the shore!

3. DON'T SWIM IN THE OCEAN ALONE!

The golden rule says - not sure, don't bother ! Try to swim on busy beaches, where there are other people besides you and preferably lifeguards.

Here is a schematic diagram of the correct actions in case of getting caught in a reverse current:

There are a number of other important points that you need to know and remember:

– the canal will never drag you to the bottom! A reverse current occurs on the surface and does not form funnels or whirlpools. The channel will drag you along the surface from the shore, but not to the depths.

– the channel is not wide! Typically the channel width does not exceed 50 meters. And most often it is limited to 10-20 meters in total. That is, after swimming literally 20-30 meters along the shore, you will feel like you have swam out of the canal.

– channel length is limited! The current will weaken quite quickly, the channel ends its “work” where the waves reach their peak and begin to break. In surfer's language this place is called “line up”. This is where all the surfers usually hang out and try to ride the incoming waves. Usually this is no further than 100 meters from the shore.

This is what the channel looks like in real life:

That is, you see that the channel even differs in the color of the water from the rest of the water mass. In this case, it is sand raised by waves from the coastal shallows, which the canal carried into the ocean. The fact that sand is on the surface of the water just shows that the reverse flow is superficial and forms only on the surface.

How to “see” a channel?

All channels have their own distinct features:

– a visible channel of rushing water perpendicular to the shore;

– a gap in the general structure of tidal waves (a continuous strip of waves, and in the middle there is a 5-10-meter gap);

– a coastal zone with a changed color of water (say, everything around is blue or green, and some area is white);

- an area of ​​foam, some kind of marine vegetation, bubbles, which steadily moves from the shore into the open sea.

If you see any of the things described, consider yourself lucky and just don't go swimming in that place. What if you don't see any of the four signs? This means you are out of luck, because 80 percent of dangerous spontaneously occurring “ channels” (flash rips) do not manifest themselves visually in any way. That is, professional rescuers will still be able to identify these places, but ordinary tourists are unlikely to.

In Bali, there are lifeguards on the main tourist beaches - Kuta, Semenyak, Oberoi. In most cases, there are flags on the beaches that can change their location throughout the day.

The color of the flags is the same all over the world and is very easy to remember:

The red and yellow flag means that there are lifeguards on the beach and that it is safe to swim between these flags.

Red flag – swimming in this area (between the red flags) is strictly prohibited!

Sometimes you look at the ocean - the waves seem small, but there is a red flag on the beach. And when at this moment you still want to climb into the ocean for a swim, remember about the currents and what is written here.

The author of this note has been swimming professionally for more than 10 years and has the rank of master of sports in swimming. I fell into such channels twice - the first time without knowing the theory, and the second time already knowing everything that was written above.

The first time it happened was right opposite the popular Potato Head, where we were relaxing with friends. There was a red flag on the beach, the waves were about 2 meters high and there was no one on the water. Self-confidently going to “ride the waves,” I easily swam 30 meters from the shore and calmly “caught the waves”, dived, etc. However, when I had a swim and decided to go ashore, I found myself in the “channel,” but not strong. To be honest, after 5-7 minutes of desperately struggling with the current, I really wasn’t sure that this time I would be able to get to the shore. I rowed with all my might and dived to the shore, but in fact I was just floundering in place. And the most interesting thing is that it was literally 30-35 meters from the shore, right opposite the beach club in which at that time there were several hundred people and everyone who was watching me (including my friends) was sure that everything was absolutely fine and I'm just splashing in the ocean. As a result, in between waves, I began to simply dive and cling to the bottom with my hands with all my might.” climb” to the shore. It took me about 10 minutes in total to finally stand confidently on my feet in waist-deep depth and go ashore. There was absolutely no strength! I barely made it to my sun lounger, where it took me about 30 minutes to come to my senses.

It seems simpler - you climb into the water and swim. This is exactly what many people do for the first time. And the wave hits them painfully, picks them up and drags them somewhere from the shore, after which they no longer want to swim...

This article is a letter from our regular reader from Australia aurum— gives all novice ocean swimmers some useful tips. It’s probably worth listening to them - personal experience after all. // editors of "Rest"

And then it turns out that in ten to fifteen minutes they managed to get sunburned and get a headache. The most annoying thing is that the locals splash around looking happy. And their secrets are quite simple.

Preparing for swimming begins with applying sunscreen fifteen minutes before swimming.

Preferably SPF +30. Moreover, you need to smear it all over - smear both your ears and your toes. The lips are smeared with a special balm, and the nose and cheekbones are smeared with zinc cream. The cream should be waterproof - withstand 4 hours in water, and after swimming it is advisable to re-apply every time the skin dries.

It’s also good to buy a special beach tent and sunbathe only in it.

And don’t forget to drink as much as possible - headaches as a result of dehydration on the beach will not torment you.

You should only swim on equipped beaches - with shark nets and where lifeguards are stationed. Because due to the uneven coastline in some places, rip currents can carry hundreds of meters out to sea in a few minutes.

The ocean, unless it is a bay or a beach on the side of some island opposite the open ocean, is almost never calm. Therefore, they usually don’t swim in the ocean, but stand in the surf - away from the shore, since the water near the shore is muddy - and jump or ride the waves.

You need to enter the water sideways, then the waves don’t hit you so painfully. It is better to dive under large waves with white foam on top, and when small ones approach, it is better to jump. When a big wave approaches, you can swim to the shore in advance, catch the wave and ride it about twenty meters. Loose long hair in such a situation is a terrible nuisance; it is better to take a hair tie with you and braid your hair tightly.

Burns on jellyfish and physalia - or "Portuguese man-of-war" - are quite common.

The main thing is not to panic: although they wrote in Russian books that burns of the physalia are almost fatal, in reality everything is not so scary; as a rule, people do not die from burns of the physalia.
It's just that burns from physalia are not only quite painful, but also take a long time to heal - months - and at the same time they itch terribly. A hot shower and tea tree oil help here.

Jellyfish can also be extremely dangerous, but if the pain is mild, applying an ice pack as first aid is sufficient.

And if you swim in a special T-shirt and long shorts for swimming and surfing (borders, not only men and boys swim in them, there are also women’s borders) - then the risk of burns is significantly less.

Responses:
Yes, indeed, in Australia you shouldn’t go to the beach without good sunscreen. But zinc ointment and a beach tent are rather overkill. Perhaps for small children or people with overly photosensitive skin.

You can also swim for real, and not rock on the waves, in the ocean. You just need to swim beyond the surf line - 20-30 meters from the shore or further. The waves there are very small, even if close to the shore they are one and a half to two meters high. If you feel that a strong reverse current is carrying you into the ocean, do not try to fight it - it will only be in vain...

The same Sienkiewicz wrote elsewhere about how they dealt with burns from physalia in the future: they used an ancient folk remedy - urine - with much better results.
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After I talked about it, according to established tradition, I present 10 reasons to hate this city.

• Weather. If you think Los Angeles has good weather, you're wrong. If you live in the San Fernando Valley, your summer temperatures will be +40, and your teeth will chatter at +10 in the winter. If you, like me, live by the ocean, then you will always be cold. The thermometer shows +25, but this is not the usual resort weather we are used to. The cool breeze from the ocean - sometimes pleasant, and most often piercing, almost never subsides here. In the sun you will instantly burn, and in the shade at +25 you will die. At the same time, the constant sun makes people a little inadequate (*see about crazy people). The eternal cold is my main complaint about Los Angeles. Never in Moscow have I been frozen to the bone as I am in this heavenly place. If you used to think that Ugg boots are worn here all year round because it is “fashionable”, then in fact they are worn so as not to get cold feet. What about dry air? When the wind blows from the desert, the air humidity drops to 10% (it’s like on an airplane) and this can happen for several days - “You’ll be tired of swallowing dust”, - it's really about Los Angeles!

We buy new ugg boots regularly)))

You can't criticize the weather— I’ll make it a separate point. Because everyone who lives in LA has a tattoo on their gyrus, saying that the weather here is always good - they will definitely ask you about this as soon as they catch your accent. And don’t even think about complaining, because the weather is the main advantage of Los Angeles and they won’t let you forget about it, even if you stand in a hat and gloves and order hot tea or udon to somehow warm up.

• Dirty beaches. Well, yes, the beaches here are very beautiful, but most of the beaches within the city are disgustingly dirty. Since Americans work a lot, it is mainly residents of neighboring Mexico with their huge families who relax on the beaches, and they are not at all concerned about culture. Instead of keeping the beaches clean, they make an effort (and succeed) to make our beaches and cities look like Ensenada, the Mexican border - eat chips, drink cola - throw trash into the ocean!
• But even on clean beaches (almost) you can't swim. First, cold water. Even if +18 C doesn’t seem cold, it’s difficult to force yourself to get into the water, because you might get chilled by the wind when you get out. And secondly, the waves. The height of the waves is always excellent for surfers, but going for a “swim” in such a storm is unrealistic - the water is muddy, and I psychologically cannot go into muddy water.

10 Reasons to Hate Los Angeles

Hugs. Do you kiss when meeting friends? What about friends of friends whom you have never met? Hardly? So, you don’t live in Los Angeles - get used to the fact that when you meet everyone, even those you don’t know (for example, at a party) will not just kiss, but also warmly hug! I, like most Russians, am a rather cold person, but these constant hugs broke me too - now even in Moscow I catch myself trying to hug everyone in a row, for which I have earned a reputation “it’s immediately obvious that you’re not from here”. The hugs are accompanied by the usual compliments of “you look divine” and “God you look amazing,” which make me think I have the wrong mirrors in my house.

• Los Angeles Lakers. Really tired of it! From every water tap flows eternal conversations about our basketball team - Kobe and Gasol, Gasol and Kobe...
• Traffic. Traffic jams. Oh, they are famous all over the world! Of course, Muscovites who come to visit me say that “if you stood, mother, on Sadovoy, you would be ashamed to complain,” since the flow of cars in Los Angeles, although slowly, is moving, but I am obliged to talk about this say.
• Palm trees. No comments. There are a lot of them.
• Air pollution I dedicated.
• Public transport. In fact, public transport in Los Angeles is more than extensive and the transport network here is the largest in the country after New York, but the fact that the city is incredibly extensive makes your chances of surviving without a car close to zero. Although I survive, I work at home and my husband takes me everywhere. Sometimes I go by bus, but all this was not even close to what I was used to in Moscow - the nearest bus stop is a 20-minute walk for me - do you understand what a trip to fitness costs me?

Live nature. Raccoons walk the streets, cougars run through parks and yards (one of the news these days is that a cougar tore apart a dog in a yard near Glendale), coyotes are also not uncommon in some areas. In the high-rise building where I lived, an eagle carried away a small Yorkshire terrier from the balcony. We found a lizard in the trunk of the car. A spider bit me. The fox stole our sandwiches when I went golfing with my husband once in my life. There are snakes in the desert.

Earthquakes. It’s not that it shakes every day - maybe I feel something once a year, but after I survived a 5.5 magnitude earthquake on the 20th floor, when the house was thrown up several times, I began to be afraid - then I For a long time it seemed that it had begun again, especially at night! I woke up and covered myself with a blanket (as per the instructions)... Recently I was sitting on the balcony and it also shook a couple of times - in general, we all live in anticipation of the “Big Push” - the question is not whether it will happen, but when it will happen. In principle, it is not clear why the city was built here. Moreover, when it hits us here, all of America will be happy, because Americans hate Los Angeles.

Remember, I complained about Russian crazy kids compared to crazy In Los Angeles! Many people note that there are a lot of hippies in LA and this is true. These people froze in the 70s of the last century and since then have never emerged from a semi-narcotic state. They are not dangerous, but there are a lot of them and they are talkative. Sometimes it seems to me that at least half of the population here uses medical (and not only) marijuana and I envy them, their numbers are growing.

Well, one last thing. Actors. Everyone in Los Angeles is an actor.

Typical picture.
A Russian tourist arrives at the beach. Every day of your vacation counts (and costs hundreds of dollars), and here on the beautiful white beach of Varadero, red flags are waving in the wind. Like, you can't swim.

The tourist, of course, spits on this and climbs into the water. So what, what about waves? Immediately 150 meters ahead waist-deep. On the contrary, it’s great to feel the power of the ocean waves covering you headlong.
But it was not there. From the ocean, Rousseau drags the tourist by force (precisely force, without any figures of speech) back to the river by a local Cuban rescuer. No arguments in Russian or English help. You can't, that's all.

After some time, the tourist learns that a Cuban lifeguard, if a vacationer gets hurt on his section of the beach, will be imprisoned for 3 years without talking and attributes his behavior to fear of prison. Cursing the repressive system, he goes to splash in the pool.

A new day is coming. The sea has calmed down. There are almost no waves. But there are red flags on the beach again! They're dragging me out of the water again!! This doesn't fit into any corners anymore. The tourist swears at the rescuer, and in response he hears only an incomprehensible tongue twister in Spanish, where the word “Portugal” is guessed. Like, next time go for a swim in the Atlantic in Portugal, the tourist decides and in impotent anger he goes to drink another mojito, completely unaware that the lifeguard quite possibly saved him from long days of painful agony.

But lifeguards stand every 100 meters only on the beaches of Varadero. In Guanabo, 30 km from Havana, the beaches are chosen exclusively by the local population. And since Cubans do not swim in the sea in winter (from their point of view it is cold), there are almost no lifeguards around.

We first saw red flags on the beach in Guanabo. We remembered the stories of tourists in Varadero about the atrocities of rescuers. We were glad that here no one would stop us from feeling the power of the waves. And I happily climbed into the water.
There was a clear storm at sea, which is why the usually crystal clear water was a muddy yellow suspension of sand. The bottom was not visible. Either pieces of boards or a bunch of seaweed hit my leg. We also found stones at the bottom.
It became a little alarming. Well, how can the next wave, from the onslaught of which you can hardly stay on your feet, give you such a stone to the head. So, after spending no more than two minutes in the water, I climbed back out, deciding that that was enough for today. He advised his wife not to go into the water at all, but after looking at the muddy waves, she herself didn’t want to.

This is not a jellyfish, as Western guidebooks mistakenly call it (blue jellyfish). This is a siphonophore - an invertebrate organism close to jellyfish.
Its scientific name is physalia, but among the people everyone knows it as the “Portuguese man-of-war”

From the outside, it looks like an inflated fish bladder, blue with a purple stripe, which it floats along the waves. It is along the waves that a bubble inflated with air (scientifically called a pneumatophore) is held above the surface of the water. And under the water the most interesting thing is the long, thick blue tentacles.

The tentacles can reach up to 50 meters, but in adults they are usually 10 meters long. We saw, apparently, young individuals - 5-6 meters was the record, but it was still impressive.

Tentacles are thin strands of stinging cells that burn those who touch them with strong poison.

It is unlikely that you will die on the spot from a Portuguese man-of-war burn. But getting an extremely painful burn is certain. The poison can cause paralysis. If the tentacle passes along the spine, then there is every chance of drowning, because... paralyzes.

But I stood in the waves that covered my head. Accidentally entangle such a creature's head...

The entire coast was littered with Portuguese ships. Sand like laser beams in a bank vault crossed their spread threads.
And it was lucky that they were wet and the wind was not so strong. Sometimes the wind blows these threads through the air - as a result of what was called the "purple wind" in 1974 in Florida, up to 400 people received serious burns.

The next morning the sea calmed. But apparently the storm was so strong that it carried too many ships out of the open ocean. Before our eyes, the already calm waves continued to throw new individuals ashore.

Lifeguards walked along the beach, methodically bursting blue bubbles (we tried it ourselves - if you throw a stone at it, it explodes joyfully like an inflated bag).
But there were too many of them. From large to very tiny - Zhenya still stepped on one of the little ones. The foot instantly became swollen, but... There was very little poison in it, everything went away in 2 days.

Usually the “season” for such ocean gifts is August-September - the time of storms. But even in winter it sometimes happens...

And most importantly, they are beautiful devils. They just move too frighteningly. An incomprehensible gelatinous mass slowly wriggles, rising at one end, as if trying to get a better look at you. (There is a video on the camera, but I don’t know how to put it online :))

It is not surprising that many come specifically to look at them

(count how many individuals are lying around your friend)

In general, I warned you.

Although some crazy Cubans do bathe. Even with children. But they don't go far. However, in a calm sea the boat can be seen from afar...