The sea along the south east coast has turned an off putting, murky brown colour just over a year after the popular tourism hotspot was named one of the worst-hit areas for sewage dumps.
Sun-worshippers looking to enjoy a dip in the sea at Brighton yesterday on the hottest day of the year so far were instead met with an english channel that wasn’t dazzlingly blue but rather a dirty brown.
Bathers across the region also saw the bizarre phenomenon. However, the reason might not be as disgusting as first thought.
The picture shows swimmers enjoying a leisurely swim in the sea with Brighton’s famous pier in the background. However, it is the colour of the sea that your eyes are drawn to which looks far from picturesque.
Just up the coast from Brighton in neighbouring Saltdean, a similar phenomenon was videoed and posted on X, formerly Twitter, which shows the sea along the vast coastline of the town also turning brown colour with what appears to be a viscous layer on the sea.
Sun-worshippers looking to enjoy a dip in the sea at Brighton yesterday on the hottest day of the year so far were instead met with an english channel that wasn’t dazzlingly blue but rather a dirty brown
Just up the coast from Brighton in neighbouring Saltdean, a similar phenomenon was videoed and posted on X, formerly Twitter , which shows the sea along the vast coastline of the town also turning brown colour with what appears to be a viscous layer on the sea
There might be a natural explanation for why this has occurred. It could be caused by algal bloom which, despite being associated with ponds and rivers, can form in the sea. During warm weather the algal can grow rapidly in hotter temperatures.
Excessive algal bloom is also visible to the naked eye and come in a variety of colours including brown.
While mostly harmless in small quantities, swimming in the sea surrounded by a lot of algal can lead to vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and in extra cases seizures.
In March 2023, Brighton beach was among 83 beaches included in Surfers Against Sewage‘s extensive list of beaches that swimmers should consider avoiding.
As swimming in polluted waterways runs the risk of contracting harmful illnesses from viruses and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.
The marine conservation charity monitors water quality across the nation to alert the public to areas affected by sewage.
Brighton, Blackpool and Whitstable are among the tourist hotspots deemed hazardous.
There might be a natural explanation for why this has occurred. It could be caused by algal bloom which, despite being associated with ponds and rivers, can form in the sea. During warm weather the algal can grow rapidly in hotter temperatures
Excessive algal bloom is also visible to the naked eye and come in a variety of colours including brown- which could explain the strange colouring of the sea. While mostly harmless in small quantities, swimming in the sea surrounded by a lot of algal can lead to vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and in extra cases seizures
Other beaches on the warning list included, Southend Jubilee Beach, Sheerness, Folkestone, Dymchurch, Camber, Bognor Regis and Cowes.
Shockingly, Sewage and agricultural pollution have put the UK at the bottom of the list in Europe for bathing water quality.
Water companies are allowed to release some untreated sewage into rivers and the sea to prevent Britain’s mostly Victorian sewers being overwhelmed by too much rainfall. But critics say too much is released and better infrastructure is needed.
Surfers Against Sewage estimated in 2023 that ‘over 400,000 discharges of untreated sewage into UK rivers’ took place in 2020 and ‘almost 5,500 discharges into UK coastal bathing waters’.
MailOnline have approached Brighton Council and Southern Water for a comment.