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Swimming Advice (Sea,
pools, river) |
Introduction:
While on your holidays in Gambia you should never swim
anywhere alone as you could get into trouble with no
one around to help. If a lifeguard is nearby then it
maybe OK. Use your common sense in all situations involving
you going into water. The main rule is that if you are
in doubt, then keep out.
Sea:
You should take a number of factors into consideration
before attempting to swim in the Atlantic Ocean. There
can be certain times when the undercurrents can  be
quite powerful with tall waves, and could take you under.
Beach swimming can sometimes be risky; so you should
try and get advice on safe bathing locations, and when
it's safe to do so.
Look out for the sea condition flags placed on the sand
along the beaches
by the attendant lifeguards, before going into the water.
If there is a red flag then don't enter the water. A
yellow flag means you can swim with caution but stay
near the shoreline, and a green flag means it's permissible
to swim. This system of flags on the beach or areas
roped off using buoys also marks out potentially dangerous
rocky areas in the sand. If in doubt, keep out!
Remember, this is the open sea which can have various
sea creatures close to or on the shore. Jellyfish
such as the Portuguese man-of-war, sometimes make a
presence. However this species is easy to spot, recognise,
and avoid, with its bright blue and pink body with long
trailing, stinging tentacles. Stingrays, though not
common, sometimes make a presence. Think also about
wearing plastic shoes to avoid getting pricked by sea
urchins.
 Keep
to the areas of beach that are well used by people,
and be very careful about swimming along deserted sections
of beach, such as in Gunjur, Sanyang, Kartong and others
strands in south west Gambia.
Swimming Pools:
 Never
dive into a hotel swimming pool without knowing where
the deep-end is, and how deep it is. The first time
you go into any pool always walk in using the steps,
or lower yourself in feet first, irrespective of what
the pool depth indicators say, then examine with your
own where the deep end is. This is because it could
be a new pool, and a mistake has been made with the
depth indicators. Such mistakes are not unknown here.
 If
you are going to stay in a hotel then look for the ones
which have children's section pools, as well as one
with an attendant lifeguard. If your child needs, it
then do bring along a couple of child's inflatable armbands,
and have someone responsible to keep an eye on them
nearby.
Rivers & Creeks:
The River Gambia is known to have crocodiles, which
are common along the length of the river and in tributaries,
and hippos which reside upriver in the central regions.
You should avoid swimming anywhere along the river,
as well as various streams as you could encounter one
of these animals.
 Swimming
in freshwater creeks can hold other risks such as contracting
various diseases. Tiny flukes released by freshwater
snails harbour the disease schistosomiasis, also known
as bilharzia, which can be passed onto you by the parasitic
worms, which enter through your skin. This can show
up as a rash that same day, so if you see this sign
then get it checked by a doctor. Though the chances
of you getting infected on brief contact is fairly low,
you should still be aware of the risks.
Another water borne disease is giardiasis, which is
an infection of the digestive system caused by a tiny
parasite (Giardia intestinalis) in contaminated water.
Symptoms include stomach cramps and bloating but it's
not usually considered dangerous to human health and
can be easily treated. If you feel the need to take
a dip then try to do so at least 250 metres from the
nearest settlement, rub a DEET based insect repellent
all over your body before swimming, stay for less than
15 minutes and towel dry your skin vigorously.
Sometimes
snakes are caught by fishermen
in the creeks (bolongs). |
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