Playa Palenque is Disappearing

[AlterEgo]

Our favorite beach has been experiencing extreme erosion, they’ve lost 25 meters of beach.

Embate del mar causa estragos en popular playa de Palenque, en SC

SAN CRISTOBAL.- Fuertes embates del mar en esta provincia del sur de la República Dominicana han causado estragos en la playa de ...

almomento.net

 

[CristoRey]

Our favorite beach has been experiencing extreme erosion, they’ve lost 25 meters of beach.

Embate del mar causa estragos en popular playa de Palenque, en SC

SAN CRISTOBAL.- Fuertes embates del mar en esta provincia del sur de la República Dominicana han causado estragos en la playa de ...

almomento.net

25 meters is a lot of erosion.

 

[AlterEgo]

25 meters is a lot of erosion.

Sure is. We lived 35 years on a NJ barrier island and from time to time the beach on our corner would experience severe erosion, like 5-8’ cliffs would appear. But the sand usually would come back, or they’d have a replenishment of sand pumped back on.

I’m betting that doesn’t exist in DR. This is so sad.

 

[CristoRey]

Sure is. We lived 35 years on a NJ barrier island and from time to time the beach on our corner would experience severe erosion, like 5-8’ cliffs would appear. But the sand usually would come back, or they’d have a replenishment of sand pumped back on.

I’m betting that doesn’t exist in DR. This is so sad.

If they weren't already stealing the sand, they'd definitely steal the money sent to replenish it.

When I was young kid living in Jacksonville they would bring out tugboats with big pumps to Jax Beach every ten years to pump sand/ counter the drag caused by the Mayport Naval Station dredging for their deep water ports. It worked. Enjoyed many a summer at that beach with family and friends.

 

[MariaRubia]

A similar thing has happened in Playa Bonita in Las Terrenas. Yet we have all these people saying climate change isn't happening and won't affect DR.

 

[BPL888]

What a shame. I have been visiting that beach for 25 years. A very peaceful place and excellent for children. My wife and I used to spend a week at a time at Hotel Playa Palenque before we were married. They actually had a reception for the Vice President there during an election once.
We would spend our days at the Cocolandia section watching the fishermen with their nets. The small restaurants served excellent fresh fish and ice cold beer. The very pleasant vendors would offer sea creature mamajuana and homemade deserts. Never pushy, always pleasant. What a peaceful way spend a day. Midweek it was almost empty.
We visited last April and the erosion was obvious. Slowly taking the beachside tables from the restaurants. There is a condo development that was built there but they seemed to be having problems selling the units.
They have been talking about transplanting sand to save the beach for years but each storm takes it's toll and still no sand. Hopefully the politcos will find a way to save this treasure.

 

[Mariahboater]

I'm surprised DR wouldn't invest in one of those tug boats to go around pump sand around island!

 

[bob saunders]

A similar thing has happened in Playa Bonita in Las Terrenas. Yet we have all these people saying climate change isn't happening and won't affect DR.

What makes you think there is any connection to climate change? What are you basing that statement on? Leatherman cites U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that between 80 and 90 percent of the sandy beaches along America’s coastlines have been eroding for decades. In many of these cases, individual beaches may be losing only a few inches per year, but in some cases the problem is much worse. The outer coast of Louisiana, which Leatherman refers to as “the erosion ‘hot spot’ of the U.S.,” is losing some 50 feet of beach every year.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

Climate change lol. If you want to stop erosion you aggressively mount a jetty system and pump sand. The problem is this is very costly and DR is not sinking $$$ into this for SanCristobal.

 

[Gadfly]

Beach sand migrates in parts of Sosua & Cab when there’s storms. Sandy beach can disappear, and return months later. Maybe happen in palenque?

 

[bob saunders]

Beach sand migrates in parts of Sosua & Cab when there’s storms. Sandy beach can disappear, and return months later. Maybe happen in palenque?

World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal

The Climate Change Knowledge Portal (CCKP) provides global data on historical and future climate, vulnerabilities, and impacts.

climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org

 

[AlterEgo]

What a shame. I have been visiting that beach for 25 years. A very peaceful place and excellent for children. My wife and I used to spend a week at a time at Hotel Playa Palenque before we were married. They actually had a reception for the Vice President there during an election once.
We would spend our days at the Cocolandia section watching the fishermen with their nets. The small restaurants served excellent fresh fish and ice cold beer. The very pleasant vendors would offer sea creature mamajuana and homemade deserts. Never pushy, always pleasant. What a peaceful way spend a day. Midweek it was almost empty.
We visited last April and the erosion was obvious. Slowly taking the beachside tables from the restaurants. There is a condo development that was built there but they seemed to be having problems selling the units.
They have been talking about transplanting sand to save the beach for years but each storm takes it's toll and still no sand. Hopefully the politcos will find a way to save this treasure.

Some are blaming nearby Punta Catalina. They think the many massive pilings did something to the seabed that changed the flow of the sea.

 

[dalethefarmer]

What makes you think there is any connection to climate change? What are you basing that statement on? Leatherman cites U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that between 80 and 90 percent of the sandy beaches along America’s coastlines have been eroding for decades. In many of these cases, individual beaches may be losing only a few inches per year, but in some cases the problem is much worse. The outer coast of Louisiana, which Leatherman refers to as “the erosion ‘hot spot’ of the U.S.,” is losing some 50 feet of beach every year.

As I understand it beaches appearing/disappearing is a normal process, one that usually takes decades if not centuries to complete. All beaches named ensenadas were small alcoves that turned into beaches. There's one next to Playa Grande in Rio San Juan, I think it's called playa bonita, but apparently that beach was not there before hurricane george, from that time until now it has formed. Just a normal process that's hard to perceive in a lifetime.

 

[CristoRey]

As I understand it beaches appearing/disappearing is a normal process, one that usually takes decades if not centuries to complete. All beaches named ensenadas were small alcoves that turned into beaches. There's one next to Playa Grande in Rio San Juan, I think it's called playa bonita, but apparently that beach was not there before hurricane george, from that time until now it has formed. Just a normal process that's hard to perceive in a lifetime.

Playa Alicia, Sosua... same.

 

[aarhus]

I have heard in Las Terrenas Playa Popy is narrower now whereas parts of Playa Ballenas are wider.

 

[Northern Coast Diver]

Some are blaming nearby Punta Catalina. They think the many massive pilings did something to the seabed that changed the flow of the sea.

Were this the case, sand should be building around or on the other side of Punta Catalina. Sand usually moves with the long shore current in addition to the onshore, offshore action of the waves.

 

[JD Jones]

There's a very popular beach near Aguadilla, PR called Jobos beach that is very similar to Sosua Beach. The beach had eroded to the point there was only about a 6 ft. width of sand in front of the shacks.
Years ago a hurricane came through and the next morning there was close to 100 ft of beach that was also close to 5 ft deeper.

 

[dalethefarmer]

As I understand it beaches appearing/disappearing is a normal process, one that usually takes decades if not centuries to complete. All beaches named ensenadas were small alcoves that turned into beaches. There's one next to Playa Grande in Rio San Juan, I think it's called playa bonita, but apparently that beach was not there before hurricane george, from that time until now it has formed. Just a normal process that's hard to perceive in a lifetime.

Correction, new beach next to playa Grande is playa Preciosa, but it will be renamed whatever it is known as by the locals.

 

[NALs]

Plalenque isn't the only beach on its way out.

Much more famous Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii seem to be going the same way. An article about that was published today.

The Battle to Save Waikiki Beach

Hawaii’s most iconic beach is quickly becoming a poster child for why it’s so hard to adapt to a changing climate.

www.politico.com

It seems beaches all over the world are facing the same problem.

 

[2020]

I have heard in Las Terrenas Playa Popy is narrower now whereas parts of Playa Ballenas are wider.

Playa Poppy diminished in size after the last hurricane that skimmed the area several years ago. It's so small and narrow in comparison to its glory days

We noticed the beaches in Las Ballenas - where we live -some areas are a bit steeper/have a steeper slope. Very different than before - in some areas