Beach Update

For those of you once again clamoring for news of the beaches, here's the latest.



As I approached the NaBalam side beach, across from the Avalon Reef Club, I knew something was going on. Rocks aren't usually piled up like this here. These things are destined to be returned to the water to help make a breakwater.







The view from the bride over to the Avalon looking back at the NaBalam side beach. Notice all the sandbags already in place to stop the erosion. There are more piled up just waiting to be placed. You can see that the front restaurant has now gained enough sand to walk around the point without getting your feet wet.







Once around the corner and in front of the restaurant, this is your view.




That's an amazing amount of sand deposited in just a few short weeks. As you continue to look down the beach, you can see all of the seawalls made of posts placed into the water.

Moving around to North Beach, this is the view at the end of the road. Buho's Swing Bar is just to the right in this picture.

I was pleased to see a lot of these placed around. Something new and something good.

Just to the left of the Swing Bar, looking towards the bay side, but still North Beach.

Now we are at the western point, otherwise known as Playa Sol. Cancun and Punta Sam are in the distance. Notice the three guys on that black thing. I'll come back to them.

The erosion to the side beach at Sergio's Playa Sol has been rapid and devastating. They have now put up some of the post barricades and it is helping. I am amazed every time I go there. It is just vanishing at this point where the open water currents hit the bay currents.

Back to those three guys. They are installing phase 1 of the beach reclamation project. This is NOT the one we are sharing federal funds with other communities for. This one is totally financed by the local municipal government. The current Mayor recognizes very well what the loss of our beaches will mean to this island and it's people.

They are standing on these giant black bags that they have strategically placed to stop the wave action from eroding more of the beach. I asked them just to be sure and they assured me that, yes, they are pumping sand directly from the bottom to fill these things. Does that strike anybody else as counterproductive?

This shows the start of the one they are working on from the beach. Notice that there are two more waiting to be filled and placed.

They are in effect making the bay side quite deep by sucking up all the bottom sand. Again, I would think that this would also change the way the currents wash away the beach where the umbrellas are in the above picture. I asked Sergio about this and he just poo-pood the idea.

This is the water side of the sand volleyball court in front of Playa Sol.

And this is the shore side view.

Looking back toward town from Playa Sol.

More random shots showing the amount of sand on the bay side in front of Playa Sol.

So there you have it. Where we stand at the moment. I probably won't be doing another beach update until after New Year's.