Here's the NSRI boat patrolling the surf between the swimmers!

Today I want to talk about the danger of Rip Currents. The Western Cape Province of South Africa has wide stretches of lovely beaches that draw tourists from many countries.

Yes indeed the scenery is fantastic and the ocean beckons swimmers with open arms, but beware of just jumping in anywhere. There are normally flagged areas that are manned by life guards for swimmers and it's essential to swim in the flag areas.

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These visitors are all swimming in the flagged areas!

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Just a cool bird shot here for my friend Lady @melinda010100

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One of the many seaside restaurants/pubs!

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This hungry little sparrow inspected the menu!

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Now here's a serious danger. One big wave here and they will be in trouble!

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Too beautiful not to post here!

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I love to watch the birds doing their thing on the beach. Note that there's no swimmers here!

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A flock of Cormorants cruising the deeper waters!

And now to show you what to do when caught in a rip current.

Here is some advice by the NSRI (National Sea Rescue Institute)

Headland rip currents warning.
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"Strong rip currents tend to lure people in because they create a false calm in the surf. When present, these powerful ‘rivers of water’ are a danger to all beach goers because they can easily pull objects, and people, out beyond the breakers…"

"The most important thing is to stay calm. The second thing is don’t swim against the rip. The best thing to do is lie on your back and float. This will allow you to conserve energy. While you’re floating, raise one arm and call out to seek help".

"If you’re a confident swimmer, try swimming parallel to the beach towards breaking waves, and out of the rip".

"Spend time learning about rip currents by following this link": https://www.nsri.org.za/2018/06/beware-of-rip-currents/

I have posted this simply because we care and wish all of our visitors a safe and happy summer holiday season in South Africa.

Thank you for visiting a post by @papilloncharity

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