Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Jun 21, 2025

Cane Garden Bay beach "closed" due to bacteria

Cane Garden Bay beach "closed" due to bacteria

Government announced Friday that Cane Garden Bay beach was “closed for recreational use” after water quality samples found high levels of harmful bacteria, but beachgoers continued to swim there and as of yesterday morning no major signage had been posted in the village.

The high levels of bacteria followed Tropical Storm Karen, which sent water gushing down and eventually overflowing the ghut leading into the beach, said Joseph Smith Abbott, deputy secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration.

In keeping with standard practice, teams from the MNRL and the Ministry of Health and Social Development monitored the quality of water in Brewers and Cane Garden bays in the days following the storm, and they discovered the bacteria and sent out the notice, the press release stated.

“It was advisable to limit swimming at this time,” Mr.Smith Abbott said. Water quality is being tested daily at the beach, but there is nothing else to be done but waitfor the levels of bacteria to drop back down, according to the deputy secretary.

Mr. Smith Abbott added that the ministry will alert the public as soon as the water is deemed safe for swimming. Once the test results show there are “no adverse impacts that can befall anyone, we wil lact accordingly,” he said.



Beachgoers
While walking along the beach last week, Damian Cooper, who runs a car washing business in Cane Garden Bay, saw government officials wearing a “suit that comes up to their chest” conducting tests in the water, he said.

The government’s warning, however, has not deterred beachgoers from entering the water, according to Mr. Cooper. Over the weekend, cruise ship passengers were ferried to the beach, and several of them went for a swim, he said.

“You still see people in the water,” Mr. Cooper added Wednesday morning.

In addition to the advisory, government was also planning to install some signage at the beach explaining its findings, but when a Beacon reporter visited the bay early Wednesday morning, he saw no such postings.

He also spoke to several people who did not know the beach was closed.



Previous closure
This is not the first time government has closed the beach in Cane Garden. In December 2017, after Hurricane Irma, water samples showed high counts of bad bacteria, potentially the result of excess sediment runoff and the nonfunctioning sewage plant, acting Chief Conservation and Fisheries Officer Kelvin Pennsaid at the time.

In the following month, the beach reopened, then closed, then reopened again

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
×