Record-high amounts of smelly sargassum seaweed are covering Florida's beaches, with researchers warning Louisiana and Texas could be next. The bloom, driven by ocean currents and nutrients, emits a rotten egg smell and can cause skin rashes and respiratory irritation.
Dragon boat races took place across Hong Kong on Friday for the Tuen Ng Festival, drawing thousands of competitors and spectators despite recent unsettled weather. Events were held in Stanley, Aberdeen, Sha Tin, Tai Po, Tai O, and Sai Kung, with participants expressing excitement and enjoying the vibrant atmosphere.
A Coogee woman, Leah Stewart, 35, was attacked by a suspected great white shark while swimming between flags. The incident has heightened the author's fear of sharks, questioning the balance between the euphoria of ocean swimming and its inherent risks, and sparking debate on shark culling versus conservation.
A marine biologist argues shark culling is ineffective due to migration patterns and can stimulate feeding behavior. Following a shark attack at Coogee Beach, NSW Premier Chris Minns is considering a bull shark cull, but experts advocate for enhanced surveillance and education.
Jamaican campaigners are taking the government to court to prevent the privatization of beaches, arguing it benefits tourists and hotel chains over locals who rely on the sea for livelihoods and leisure. The legal battles aim to challenge the 1956 Beach Control Act and a new Narra Act, which activists fear will further restrict public access and concentrate power.
Jamaican activists are fighting against "plantation tourism," where luxury all-inclusive resorts lock locals out of beaches like Mammee Bay. They argue this model, rooted in colonial land ownership, benefits elites while denying communities access to vital social, economic, and spiritual spaces.
Hong Kong's Ham Tin Wan beach was overrun with 500 tents during Labour Day, raising concerns about balancing ecotourism with conservation and sustainable tourism practices.
A Moscow Bar Association vice-president warns Russians that displaying certain tattoos on beaches could lead to fines or administrative arrest. The penalties depend on the nature of the tattoo, ranging from displaying extremist symbols to obscene imagery.
Fiji's government has rejected a proposal by Australian billionaires Ian Malouf and Rob Cromb to build a waste-to-energy plant. The plan faced backlash from landowners and tourism operators due to environmental and health concerns.
Costa Rican nonprofit Costas Verdes has restored deforested Pacific coastlines by planting over 100,000 native trees across 34 beaches since 2011, reviving wildlife habitats and combating deforestation from cattle farming.
Beach prices in Italy have risen by 2.7% and 6% compared to last year, with seaside meals costing 40% more. Italians are divided on the issue of free beaches.
Hundreds of dead sharks and fish, including catsharks (dogfish), have washed up on beaches in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, Wales, believed to be discarded fishing by-catch.
The UK has recorded its hottest-ever May temperature, reaching 33.5C in London on Monday. Heathrow broke the record, while other parts of the UK experienced mid-to-high 20s. BBC Weather noted that UK temperatures could surpass those in Lagos, Cairo, and Ho Chi Minh City.
Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality's beaches have once again received the "Blue Flag" award. A total of 9 beaches, 2 in Karamürsel and 7 in Kandıra, met international environmental, water quality, safety, and service infrastructure standards.
Large swells and hazardous surf are expected along south-east Queensland's coast this weekend, with BOM warning of significant beach erosion, particularly on the Gold Coast. Wave heights up to 4 metres are forecast, with sand pumping scheduled for July.
A 25-tonne whale carcass was towed past more than a dozen South Coast beaches on Friday, attracting sharks in its wake, but local swimmers and surfers say they were given no warning.
Swimmers and surfers say they were given no warning before a 25-tonne whale carcass was towed past more than a dozen South Coast beaches, attracting sharks in its wake.
The sperm whale carcass was towed from Era Beach in the Royal National Park to Bellambi Boat Ramp in Wollongong this afternoon.
The NSW premier says a family's campaigning after their toddler died following treatment at Northern Beaches Hospital helped change public policy.
The NSW premier says a family's campaigning after their toddler died following treatment at Northern Beaches Hospital helped change public policy.
Hong Kong government launches pilot scheme inviting private operators to develop three public beaches - Butterfly Beach in Tuen Mun, Tung Wan Beach in Ma Wan and Big Wave Bay in Southern district. District councillor Chung Kin-fung suggests hosting beer and barbecue festivals, while Director of Leisure and Cultural Services Manda Chan Wing-man says fees must remain affordable and strict KPIs will not be imposed.
Popular beaches along Sydney's Royal National Park will remain closed for days, as authorities face the immense task of moving a large whale carcass that is attracting sharks.
Popular beaches along Sydney's Royal National Park will remain closed for days, as authorities face the immense task of moving a large whale carcass that is attracting sharks.
Several popular beaches in Sydney's Royal National Park are closed due to increased shark activity after a large whale carcass washes up on a rock platform.
