Great Bay Pollution - What is it like NOW?

Mullet Pond is part of Simpson Bay Lagoon, near, but not linked to Mullet Bay Beach.

 

The areas I mentioned were all that were in the news article.

 

gary

Good to know.

Wow! Thanks for opening my eyes to a potential issue in St. Maartin. We're hoping to spend time in Little Bay, but will probably opt for another beach now.

It's Great Bay with issues, not Little Bay.

I'm not aware of problems at Little Bay.

gary

If someone puts their foot in Great Bay, they could get a bad case of TOE-LIO!

Gary...

Thank you for posting on this subject ... it sounds like you really know your stuff.

Although not everyone may like or agree ... it's always good to have plenty of info ... for EACH of us to make an informed decision on where we'd like to visit ;)

Thanks!

Any updates on this beach since last fall Gary?

I'm not aware of any changes that would get me back into the water now, but a couple of things are happening that should lead to improvements in the future.

A couple of NGO's have gotten together and posted signs along Great Bay and some other beaches urging visitors to be aware of the environment and to not pollute.

Government seems to be making progress in installing and/or replacing sewer and drainage infrastructure in areas that now drain seepage/spillage directly or ultimately into Great Bay. I'll be paying close attention when these projects are reported as complete, probably years from now.

gary

Thanks so much for the update. This is the first hopeful sign in years. I think that this is an important subject and thread and I appreciate and trust the information that you provide on this issue.

http://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/travel/the-50-best-beaches-7893570.html

Great Bay made it into the top 50 best beaches?

Any new news on the pollution? I did a google search but couldn't come up with much.

http://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/travel/the-50-best-beaches-7893570.html

 

Great Bay made it into the top 50 best beaches?

 

Any new news on the pollution? I did a google search but couldn't come up with much.

Sounds like a wonderful beach BUT...

The Great Bay Beach that I found on that list was St. Martin's Great Bay Beach off the Isle's of Scilily.

The Great Bay Beach in St. Maarten (Dutch side) is a far cry from the beautiful beach described in that article.

Here is a link to new article on the pollution concerns at Great Bay Beach.

http://www.todaysxm.com/2012/11/08/great-bay-water-quality-worrisome/

Thanks for all this info. We went to Great Bay beach in January--despite the fact that I was nervous about the location. We did not notice any pollution, but I realize it is not something we would see. We will not be going back there on this trip.

Hello. I will be in St. Maarten on June 24th, 2014 and was wondering if the beach is now safe to swim in. If not, I was considering Maho Beach but don't want to be 'blown away' by planes flying overhead all day. Do you know more or less how often a plane departs/lands? My husband's idea of paradise is a nice pool with tropical drinks, (he does not like the sand), whereas I love the beach and the beautiful turquois waters of the Caribbean. I will also be traveling with my young son, so a 'family friendly' beach would also be best. We were looking at the day pass offered at the Sonesta. Any updated information on the pollution issue or other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I have seen postings from 2012 saying that improvements should happen in the future. I will be in St Martin July 2015 and would love to visit Great Bay..Gary can you give an update please?

Have not seen or read any updates on the pollution issue since December of 2013.

http://www.thedailyherald.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=44784:improvement-in-fresh-pond-but-great-salt-pond-faces-challenges-&catid=1:islands-news&Itemid=54

Not sure why this info is so difficult to get a hold of. It's worrisome to me that they don't just test this beach on an ongoing basis and post the results on the beach for all to see. The problem with the pollution issue at Great Bay has always been worse after it rains and cruisers don't know when the last rain has occurred. Since this beach is frequented almost soley by cruisers it is really unfair not to keep them updated by posting the test results at the beach IMHO.

Not sure why this info is so difficult to get a hold of. It's worrisome to me that they don't just test this beach on an ongoing basis and post the results on the beach for all to see. The problem with the pollution issue at Great Bay has always been worse after it rains and cruisers don't know when the last rain has occurred. Since this beach is frequented almost soley by cruisers it is really unfair not to keep them updated by posting the test results at the beach IMHO.

IMO, I would think if the pollution has gotten better, there would be some current updates. Maybe they don't want us to know that the pollution problem still exist.

Had my mind set on Great Bay until I read this. Looks like we will head to Orient.

Agreed...I want to go to Great Bay for convenience but this is worrisome

St. Maarten along with many other Caribbean Islands lack sufficient sewage disposal systems. If you notice canals, ditches or pipes at or near the beach they just may be polluted.

Agreed...I want to go to Great Bay for convenience but this is worrisome

You can taxi to Litlle Bay in 10 minutes, Dawn in 20 and in 25 you will be at Le Gallion or Orient. It takes about 20 minutes to walk to the umbrellas at Great Bay beach. We always end our day in town shopping and on the boardwalk for a drink before heading back to the ship. This way we get the best of both worlds.:)

"Since this beach is frequented almost soley by cruisers"

There's the answer--when you see a lot of locals in the water you will know that it is getting better.

This seems like a good thread to post Saturday's report from The Daily Herald.

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The Public Health Department (PHD), and the Collective Prevention Services (CPS), both departments within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, are strongly advising against any swimming in Great Bay on Friday morning.

This advisory is in relation to water that is being pumped into Great Bay from the Great Salt Pond. This water can be contaminated, from amongst others, rainwater runoff into the ponds which is then pumped into Great Bay in order to lower the water levels and prevent flooding in the Philipsburg area.

<snip>

gary

If you don't want to go back through this entire thread, at least take a look at my post here.

This seems like a good thread to post Saturday's report from The Daily Herald.

 

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The Public Health Department (PHD), and the Collective Prevention Services (CPS), both departments within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, are strongly advising against any swimming in Great Bay on Friday morning.

 

This advisory is in relation to water that is being pumped into Great Bay from the Great Salt Pond. This water can be contaminated, from amongst others, rainwater runoff into the ponds which is then pumped into Great Bay in order to lower the water levels and prevent flooding in the Philipsburg area.

<snip>

 

gary

 

If you don't want to go back through this entire thread, at least take a look at my post here.

Great information to pass along. Do you happen to know if signs were posted at the beach or if ships were notified in advance so that they could warn passengers of this occurring?

Great information to pass along. Do you happen to know if signs were posted at the beach or if ships were notified in advance so that they could warn passengers of this occurring?

Still very interested in knowing the answer to this question.:)