The arrival of microalgae to the coasts of Anfi del Mar could mean the closure of many beaches in the south of Gran Canaria in the middle of August, when they have the greatest influx.
Microalgae have already arrived in the south of Gran Canaria. The increase in temperatures has caused excessive growth of these microorganisms, which thanks to sea currents are increasing their presence in the archipelago and have already caused the closure of beaches in Tenerife. At the moment, the presence of microalgae has been reported in Patalavaca and Anfi del Mar.
These microorganisms cause spots of a greenish, almost yellowish color on the coasts of the archipelago, something that visually impacts many bathers and inhibits them from entering the sea.
Despite the drop in temperatures with which this week began, the Minister of Ecological Transition and Energy, Mariano Hernández Zapata, has stated that in the coming days large quantities of microalgae are expected on the coasts of the archipelago. Given this situation, the counselor has stated that measures will be taken such as monitoring and analyzing the waters of the Canary Islands coasts and the presence of boats to try to vacuum up the microalgae, although he has stated that this last measure has not been as effective as expected. Was expected.
In principle, if there is no order from the authorities, avoiding areas where stains caused by microalgae are seen would be enough, since it is direct contact with them that could cause skin irritation and hives. Despite this, if you see these microorganisms on the coast, the recommendation is not to bathe.
Coastal monitoring in this situation must be constant, since a higher level of bacteria such as E. coli can pose a serious risk to the health of bathers, as happened a few days ago in Granadilla de Abona, where the analyzes recorded abnormal levels of this bacteria, thus forcing the closure of three beaches in the municipality until the analyzes indicated that the levels were within what was allowed.
