Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa Message Board - I’m coming back! How safe is the ocean for swimming?

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It’s been 14 years since I’ve visited Ixtapa but I’m coming back. Looking forward to it. I wanted to know how the water is at El Palmar Beach. My husband and I are looking to purchase a condo and he wanted to know what the jellyfish / shark situation is? (If at all). Thanks for your help guys! ????????????

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No worries. Two web cams on this site show the people on the beach. No a lot of swimmers as the surf tends to be larger than inside the bay at La Ropa or La Madera. No reports of Sharks or Jelly Fish. Not saying they are not there lurking and waiting.

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Hola, I highly suggest swimming Playa Palmar in the morning as the surf picks up throughout the day.

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Shark attacks are spontaneous and sporadic.
About as unpredictable as an earthquake.

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We’ve been coming to Zihua and Ixtapa for almost 30 years. We’ve never run into jelly fish, sharks or crocs. We’ve heard they are there but never run into them when I go I the water. On the other hand we have we seen the little fishes, baby rays sand dollars.

--
☀️ Princess

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The ocean itself is the danger at El Palmar
Black flags are frequent, we love watching the waves but stick to the pool.
We are both accomplished swimmers.

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I'd be more concerned with getting stung buying a piece of real estate in a foreign country. Why not try renting long-term first before taking the buying plunge? Income generated from your principal may more than pay for the rent while protecting and retaining the principal.

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Have been a renter for more than 20 years and never have regret

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We swim in the bay most days.
Yes, there are occasional jelly fish, usually we don't see them, just get stung. If it is a bad one, we get out and skip a day.
Haven't seen any sharks in the bay.
A couple of times a year we pass on our swim when there is a croc passing by.
It's all wonderful!

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We swim in the bay most days.
Yes, there are occasional jelly fish, usually we don't see them, just get stung. If it is a bad one, we get out and skip a day.
Haven't seen any sharks in the bay.
A couple of times a year we pass on our swim when there is a croc passing by.
It's all wonderful!

But Rob recently posted those crocs won't bother you. Is he wrong?

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We swim in the bay most days.
Yes, there are occasional jelly fish, usually we don't see them, just get stung. If it is a bad one, we get out and skip a day.
Haven't seen any sharks in the bay.
A couple of times a year we pass on our swim when there is a croc passing by.
It's all wonderful!

But Rob recently posted those crocs won't bother you. Is he wrong?

Those cocodrilos have been here since long before the first hotel ever opened, long before the first planeload of suntan lotion slathered margarita slurping tourists ever went for their first swim. Hundreds and sometimes thousands of people a day swim in our bay, yet during all that time not once has a cocodrilo bitten, much less eaten, anyone.

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Let’s google just for fun

June 15 2021, British woman attacked in lagoon in Puerto Escondido. Saved by her sister. Was in a medically induced coma in Mexico City, survived.

July 28, 2021, 18 year old from California bitten in Puerto Vallarta. Survived but apparently needs reconstructive surgery to walk.

October. 27, 2021, 24 year old attacked on beach in Neuvo Vallarta

October 27, 2021 12 year old bitten at Lagoon in Club Med, survived.

All of these folks were most likely “trespassing” in the gators home, rather than being spontaneously attacked without reason. That said, even though unprovoked attacks seem to be rare, if and when I see one, he will get a respectful amount of space just in case he doesn’t know he’s supposed to ignore me if I don’t irritate him.

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Let’s google just for fun

June 15 2021, British woman attacked in lagoon in Puerto Escondido. Saved by her sister. Was in a medically induced coma in Mexico City, survived.

July 28, 2021, 18 year old from California bitten in Puerto Vallarta. Survived but apparently needs reconstructive surgery to walk.

October. 27, 2021, 24 year old attacked on beach in Neuvo Vallarta

October 27, 2021 12 year old bitten at Lagoon in Club Med, survived.

All of these folks were most likely “trespassing” in the gators home, rather than being spontaneously attacked without reason. That said, even though unprovoked attacks seem to be rare, if and when I see one, he will get a respectful amount of space just in case he doesn’t know he’s supposed to ignore me if I don’t irritate him.

Can't help but notice at least two of them mention "lagoon". DON'T SWIM IN LAGOONS! Not here. Not in Florida. Not anywhere where saurios live.

I'm still confident any thorough investigation will find one of the 3 basic rules was broken in each instance of an attack. These aren't African or Australian crocs who are much more aggressive than American crocs, themselves less aggressive than the American gators with whom millions of Floridians and other Gulf Coast residents live.

Two on the same day? Sounds like they need signage in Jalisco, too, same as we do here.

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A cull has been proposed in the Boca Tomatlan area
Not the answer

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A cull has been proposed in the Boca Tomatlan area
Not the answer

I agree with you. That's like the stupid shark kills that happen whenever someone gets bit by a shark. Florida has learned to deal with saurios quite well while protecting the species, and I trust in what I've learned there and here.

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My cute husband has gone to the co-op in the lagoon to check on his boat, and surprised a croc sunning himself on the shore there more than once. They scurry into the water fast!

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Generally agree with Rob, but a many years back we witnessed a surfer who literally arrived that day at Troncones lost his leg and died right there. Nothing could be done, very sad and distressing. But the attacks are incredibly rare in these parts

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Didn’t mention but it was a shark attack not a Croc

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