Coinciding with the start of summer, citizens, residents, sea users, and groups interested in coastal conservation have requested that competent authorities create a marine corridor free of jet skis in La Herradura Bay.
This corridor would connect two protected areas within the Natura 2000 network: the Acantilados de Maro-Cerro Gordo and the Zona Especial de Conservación (ZEC) de los Fondos Marinos de Tesorillo-Salobreña.
The proposal seeks to provide ecological and functional continuity to two marine areas where important environmental protection measures already exist and where the use of jet skis is restricted or limited for safety and conservation reasons.
However, the bay located between these two areas remains open to an activity that generates noise, disturbs swimmers and boaters, poses risks to marine life, and frequently invades protected zones.
The promoters of the corridors consider La Herradura Bay to be an exceptional enclave due to its coral reefs and the seasonal presence of cetaceans, as well as its importance for sustainable activities such as swimming, diving, kayaking, paddle surfing, and low-impact recreational boating.
“Protecting the bay would create a continuous corridor of tranquility and conservation between two already protected areas, reinforcing maritime safety and improving the experience for residents and visitors,” states Bahía Tranquila, an independent citizen platform. Citizens point out that other protected natural areas on the Andalusian coast, such as the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, have adopted similar measures to reconcile public use with the conservation of valuable marine habitats.
The initiative requests that the Regional Government of Andalucía (Junta de Andalucía), the Maritime Authority of Motril, the Almuñécar Town Council and other competent administrations study the feasibility of establishing a jet ski-free zone in the bay, thereby creating an effective connection between both protected marine areas.
Bahía Tranquila is an independent citizen platform for marine protection and sustainable tourism in La Herradura Bay. Bahía Tranquila – La Herradura has more than 500 members on Facebook and the latest Change.org petition in 2024 against the use of jet skis in the bay obtained more than 10,000 signatures.
CONTACT:
Teresa Gonzalez or Gráinne Mary Ryder Bahía Tranquila
bahiatranquila.laherradura@gmail.com
(News: Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)
Keywords: Jet-Ski Nuisance, Protected Areas, Corridor, No Jet Skis, Acantilados de Maro-Cerro Gordo, Zona Especial de Conservación (ZEC) de los Fondos Marinos de Tesorillo-Salobreña.
news, andalucia, granada, costa tropical, herradura, jet-ski nuisance, protected areas, corridor, no jet skis, acantilados de maro-cerro gordo, zona especial de conservación (zec) de los fondos marinos de tesorillo-salobreña.
Personally, I have no problem with the planes; you hear them for a moment and then they are gone again, and as far as I know, they do not pose a problem for the biodiversity of the marine population. The jet skis, on the other hand, fly up and down all day, several days a week. The only respect they apparently have is for the Guardia Civil; they have absolutely no respect for nature, nor for the people seeking peace and quiet on the beach or in their expensive first-line beach apartments. They have also been spotted chasing dolphins and sailing towards them. Add to this the noise, and the occasional person being forced to “enjoy” their taste in “music.” It is a shame that Almuñecar does nothing about this. This just goes to show once again that hundreds of people have to conform to the pleasure of the few.
Maybe to cut back the planes by turning the Nature Park Cerro Gordo Maro into a no fly zone or at least impose a minimum flight hight – as done so in may other NaturenParks in Spain.
Or start with a change.org petition.
Sadly a few persons enjoyment in flying and jet skiing does have side effects. Both create noise. The aircraft. No idea how to cut that back. The water motor bike twits. Hit them with fines and the businesses that rent them out. If privately owned. Increase the fine . Until the pips squeak. You’ll not take the ignorant git out of the water and attitude. Until it hurts. Designated areas for said jet bikes maybe.
Dear Readers.
As I totally agree to this motion I want to point out that the constant and increasingly low flying airplanes from the Velez Malaga Flight schools are just as harmful to the Bahía Tranquila.
They cause a constant background humming noise from engine sounds, which now occurs from sunrise to sunset, especially in the coastal area between Nerja and La Herradura.