SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 18th April. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Public Services and Environmental Sustainability department of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council has announced the reopening of the Valleseco’s Los Charcos bathing area with a yellow flag. This decision comes after the temporary closure due to the presence of sargassum algae (Sargassum vulgare) and jellyfish species like the Portuguese man-of-war (Physalia physalis) and Agalma okeni, which caused skin irritations in five bathers.
Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez stated, “The appearance of these algae and jellyfish is linked to the natural phenomenon of swells, which occurs periodically and cannot be controlled. However, whenever necessary, like in this instance, the area will be closed to prevent harm to swimmers.”
Carlos Tarife, the Councilor for Public Services and Environmental Sustainability, mentioned that the bathing area was closed immediately upon the detection of these organisms.
He added, “We are closely monitoring the situation and aim to upgrade the flag status to green within the next few hours.”
In a reassuring message to the public, the mayor advised, “It is important to heed the signals and instructions provided by the Red Cross, who are responsible for communicating the authorities’ directives regarding sea conditions.”
The City Council emphasized that their technicians continually monitor the coastline’s status and conduct water analyses across the city’s bathing areas to ensure they are safe for public use with minimal health risks.
