Sea-bathers back at MaracasBy ROXANNE STAPLETON-WHYMS Tuesday, March 25 2008
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Life guards at Maracas Bay were yesterday alert as sea bathers came out in large numbers to enjoy the last day of the Easter holiday weekend....
ON THE last day of the Easter holiday weekend, sea bathers yesterday took in what appeared to be glorious Maracas Bay waves and bright sunshine.
Lifeguards were on the alert even as waves seemed to return to normal, with toddlers, children, teenagers and the not so young taking to the sea. There were also a few teens riding waves on their body boards.
Lifeguard, Augustus Sylvester told Newsday that while beaches on the North Coast were “basically back to normal,” there were still some strong currents, buckets (holes) and debris in the water, so bathers should still be very cautious.
Yesterday’s sight was a far cry from last Thursday’s, Friday’s and Saturday’s massive waves, many of which reached as far in as the coconut trees lining the beach.
The conditions were the result of a deep low pressure system in the North Atlantic which caused rough seas and swells, with many waves in excess of three metres, as reported by the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service (TTMET).
Guardian Holdings executive Gerard Pinard who was relaxing on a beach chair told Newsday that there couldn’t be a better day at Maracas, as yesterday’s water and sunshine conditions made his getaway simply heavenly.
Frenchman Zinutti Dominique, his wife and son, said they were at the beach for the past three days, but yesterday was simply the best.
Campers Dion, Christopher and Terrence who hail from San Juan, have camped every year at Maracas for Easter since they were 12 years old — they are now in their 30s. They reached Maracas on Thursday night, but stressed that they got little sleep on the first night, given their jitters from the rough seas bulletin.
“Friday the water was rough, Saturday too, but it started to calm a bit from Sunday and today it is beautiful. The water crawled up just before our tent, so it didn’t get in,” Dion said.
Bake and shark vendors were back in busy business yesterday too, though they lamented that they would not be able to regain lost sales from Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Fishermen at Maracas and Las Cuevas were also carrying their boats back out to sea, with the hope that they would be able to do some fishing, once conditions continue to improve.
The Met Office yesterday said that though wave heights were improving, they were still expected “at times” to increase beyond three metres.
Sheltered areas across TT were still experiencing choppy seas and the conditions were expected to persist yesterday and perhaps today.
