Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa Message Board - Water quality in the bay

Water quality in the bay (reply)

katherine — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 12:17:47 +0000

There are lots of alarmists in this world. Water quality in Zihua Bay is fine for swimming, other than at Playa Municipal. I do not swim for a few days after a heavy rain, or when it is stormy, but other than that La Ropa is fine for swimming. I last swam there on Monday. Water was beautiful, crystal clear. Come and enjoy!

Water Quality at Barra (reply)

LadyM in Zihua — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 05:27:01 +0000

Things along the beaches and the ocean changes and does so often this time of year. Perhaps you should wait until you are in Zihua and check it our for yourself. You might find things are much different than what you read earlier this year.

Water Quality at Barra (reply)

Sea Swirl Girl — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 00:22:23 +0000

oops sorry it's taken me a while to respond. I am now somewhat confused.
I read an earlier post here this year that said the bay was terribly polluted , one of the worst in Mexico I recall. Now you are saying its fine? Okay I never thought much about that Lagoon being downstream of everyone's toilets etc. so the logic og going to Barra for a cleaner swim isnt really a solution . Too bad it seems a perfect bus ride and compliment to Z and allowed me to overlook the polluted bay , enjoy Z for all the other reasons and just go to Barra for ocean time. Sad to know that maybe there wont be a decent place left for ocean...we humans have royally screwed up

Water Quality at Barra (reply)

norm — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 13:43:58 +0000

Sounds good but when at Ixtapa Island or Las Gatas my stuff is more available

Water Quality at Barra (reply)

Gringo Viejo — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 22:14:02 +0000

recent advice from ENT after fungal infection in ear: mix two parts distelled water with one part white vinegar and one part rubbing alcohol. Place 4 drops in ear to cleanse, restore pH factor and sterilize and dry ear. DO NOT use Q tip, just lay on side and use mixture applied with a dropper. Q tip is OK to cleanse outside of ear up to the entryway.

Water Quality at Barra (reply)

norm — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 21:55:23 +0000

Have used Q tips in ears after coming out of ocean for 60 years,drenching them in either vodka,gin.tequila,mezcal,rubbing alc.,or vinegar,after bad ear infection at age 20.I try hard not to puncture eardrums.

Water Quality at Barra (reply)

ZihuaRob — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 22:39:56 +0000

I was until I almost lost my hearing in St. Croix.

Water Quality at Barra (reply)

Dabuilder — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 21:04:25 +0000

Q-tips in your ears? Now I would have thought you'd be smarter than that.

Water Quality at Barra (reply)

ZihuaRob — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 19:42:19 +0000

I don't know why you would avoid water in Zihuatanejo Bay. Only the Playa Principal is generally not a good place to swim.

From my experience swimming in the mouth of any lagoon has its drawbacks. You are getting the water from everything upstream, and there are no towns upstream from La Barra that have wastewater treatment plants. That said, I wouldn't hesitate to swim there even during the rainy season, and in fact I have many many times over the past two and a half decades. But I also use soap in the shower and clean my ears with Q-tips. The only time I've ever had any problems from swimming in the ocean was two simultaneous ear infections that I got from swimming at the beach of Protestant Key in Christiansted Harbor in St. Croix, USVI in the Caribbean.

Water Quality at Barra

Sea Swirl Girl — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 19:34:08 +0000

Ive been coming to ZIhua for a while , mosly because I love the people, and the warmth however the degree of water pollution has it so that I no longer go into the bay and even limit my barefoot walks along the bay. Since I miss the water I still come to Z but instead enjoy my water time at Barra, usually at the shallow water where ocean meets the mouth of the lagoon/river. Just wondering if the water quality there is actually better ??