Swimming is prohibited or not recommended on beaches in four French departments

Poor water quality, bacterial pollution, risk of rip currents… Swimming is not recommended or prohibited for various reasons on Friday in Loire-Atlantique, Calvados, Somme and Charente-Maritime.

Swimming is prohibited on many French beaches on Friday August 23 and the following weekend, either because of the quality of the water or because of the risk of rip currents, strong sea currents.

Loire-Atlantique: poor water quality

In the Loire-Atlantique department, near Nantes, the town halls of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins and Le Croisic issued a ban on swimming on their beaches on Thursday, August 22, due to poor water quality, according to information from France Bleu Loire Océan. In Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, swimming is prohibited until further notice at Les Pins beach, and four sites are affected in Le Croisic: Port-Lin, Castouillet, Saint-Jean de Dieu and Sables-Menus. Fishing on foot is also prohibited in Le Croisic.

Calvados: bacterial pollution

In Calvados, swimming is prohibited on the beaches of five communes of the Côte Fleurie due to bacterial pollution (E.coli and enterococcus), according to information from France Bleu Normandie. These are the beaches of Deauville, Trouville-sur-mer, Bernerville-sur-mer, Blonville-sur-mer and Villers-sur-mer.

Sum: white tablecloth and investigation opened

In the Somme, the departmental prefect issued a decree on Friday August 23 prohibiting swimming and fishing on foot along the entire coast, while a “large white tablecloth” was detected during the night from Thursday to Friday, near the beach of Cayeux-sur-Mer, according to information from France Bleu Picardie.

This white layer finally dissolved in the water on Friday evening, according to the department’s prefecture, which is maintaining the ban on swimming and fishing on foot until new analyses of the water are carried out. “in the name of the precautionary principle”reports France Bleu Picardie. The Somme prefecture indicates that it has received the results of the samples taken from this water table, composed of “fatty body”according to France Bleu Picardie, but she refuses to disclose its contents and announces the opening of a judicial inquiry.

A new flyover of the area will be made on Saturday morning “to confirm the absence of any trace of pollution”explains the prefecture of the Somme in a press release dated this Friday evening, as well as a new “situation point”.

The municipalities concerned are Mers-les-Bains, St-Quentin-La-Motte-Croix-au-Bailly, Ault, Woignarue, Cayeux-sur-mer, Lanchères, Pendé, St-Valery-sur-Somme, Boismont, Noyelles-sur-Mer, Ponthoile, Favières, Le Crotoy, St-Quentin-en-Tourmont, Quend and Fort-Mahon.

Charente-Maritime: risk of rip currents

In Charente-Maritime, swimming is “not recommended” on Saturday August 24 and Sunday August 25 due to a risk “maximum” of the formation of rip currents, sea currents that can be dangerous, according to a press release published on Friday, August 23 by the department’s prefect. Five municipalities are particularly affected: Grand Village Plage, Saint-Georges d’Oléron, Saint-Trojan, La Tremblade and Les Mathes.