Tourists alarmed as dirty beaches deter swimming in Croatian Istria

Tourists report a difficult situation in Croatian Istria. Although the local beaches are crowded, few people enter the water. The floating sediment in the water is to blame. "The dirt remains on swimsuits; it is hard to remove. Some try to disperse the foam and dirt, but it doesn’t work," says one of the vacationers in an interview with the portal 24sata.hr.

Similar reports come from different areas of Istria. The same problem appears everywhere: foam and slimy clumps floating on the surface of the water. Scientists indicate that a sea bloom has occurred, a natural phenomenon caused by the massive growth of microscopic, invisible organisms.

As engineer Dolores Grilec explains on the Croatian Institute of Public Health website, it occurs when the right weather conditions are present, such as higher sea water temperature, increased spring rainfall, and a greater supply of nitrogen and phosphorus, which are food for phytoplankton.

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Tested samples indicate that the bloom involves species commonly living in the Adriatic Sea, such as Cerataulina pelagica, Pseudo-nitzschia spp., Thalassionema nitzschioides, as well as some representatives of dinoflagellate species from the genera Protoperidinium, Prorocentrum, and Gymnodinium.

Scientists reassure and emphasize that although the water’s changed color does not encourage swimming, it poses no threat to humans.

Croatian authorities inform that the bloom may be the biggest problem for fishermen. They can expect interruptions in the operation of fishing gear along the entire Istria coast until the phenomenon ceases.