Maqueripe closed, waves batter North Coast, Tobago beaches

WHILE all fishermen have docked their boats far away from the shore at the Maracas Bay fishing village, far too many swimmers have continued to test the currents, despite the TT Meteorological Service (TTMS) issuing an orange-level hazardous seas alert for the long weekend.

Such is the hazard at beaches across the country, the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) has closed Macqueripe Beach until further notice. The orange-level alert went into effect on Friday and is set to expire on Wednesday at noon.

North-facing beaches are experiencing the roughest seas, especially at high tide.

Tobago’s beaches are also seeing choppy and dangerous waters.

Newsday visited Maracas Bay and Tyrico Beach on Friday. The latter was practically impassible to cars since last weekend when the seas were almost as bad as they are this weekend, said one lifeguard.

But Maracas Bay had scores of families, including many children in the rough water, which apart from posing a major risk for drowning, posed other dangers, such as the movement of driftwood and other debris.

Newsday spoke with the lifeguard, Anthony Paul, again on Saturday.

He was off duty but lives close by. While there were fewer people on the beach than the previous day, there were far too many.

“I hope they are (heeding the warnings),” he said.

Still, he said, anyone who finds themselves in the water is putting themselves and lifeguards in danger.

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should go for a swim, he said.

“I don’t want to say stay away from the beach completely,” he said, “because people like the bake-and-shark people have to make a living.

“But,” he said, “if you come to the beach, do not go in the water.”

He stressed that rough seas are indeed normal for this time of year, but on this occasion, the seas are almost as rough as he’s ever seen at Maracas Bay. “It go get worse,” he warned.

The TTMS issued an updated notice on Friday evening which said, “Large breaking waves near 3.5 metres, due to long period swells, have been observed along nearshore, north-exposed coastlines of TT.

“Choppy conditions are also likely especially along northern facing coastlines in the Gulf of Paria. “Conditions will be amplified during high tides and exacerbated at spring tides. Impacts include: large battering waves, dangerous conditions for swimming and small craft operations, very high surf and dangerous rip currents near affected coastlines.”

Newsday made several unsuccessful attempts to reach the Tobago Emergency Management Agency to ascertain whether anyone has been harmed or property damaged from the swells.

However, Diane Hadad, president of the Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, said while she did witness choppy waters from Mount Irvine to Scarborough on Saturday, it was par for the course during this time of year.

“Rough waters is a part of weather patterns of the environment,” she said. When challenged that the seas appear more hazardous this time, Hadad responded, “no, no, no, no, no. This time of the year, as far I know since I am a little child, is always a caution zone for the seas.

“You are always told to be wary of rough waters from December right through the Christmas season.”

She said she heard no reports of damage to business properties.

“I don’t know what is so different this year.”