Tourists disappointed with algae on Boracay beach

Some tourists visiting Boracay expressed dismay at the thick algae found on the shores of the famous island, a report on News To Go on Monday said.

Instead of the crystal-clear waters they expected, the tourists saw the waters turning green due to algae, GMA News' Chino Gaston reported.

"Medyo pangit tingnan kasi hindi na ganoon kalinaw tingnan 'yung beach. Kailangan mo pang lumayo para maging malinaw 'yung tubig, ma-enjoy mo 'yung Boracay. Sana maalagaan nila," a male tourist said.

"First time ko talaga dito sa Boracay. Ine-expect ko talagang makita 'yung green, blue water. Pero nagulat ako nang makita ko 'yung lumot. So first time ko, isang beses lang ako naligo. Hindi na ako bumalik. Personally, tingin ko lang, madumi," a female tourist said.

Residents said the algae could be seen from January to March, but these disappear by summertime.

Residents say the algae eventually disappears during the summer months. pic.twitter.com/c6FbicjKPA

— Chino Gaston (@chinogaston) March 5, 2017

Some experts said the presence of more and more algae each year is a result of the increasing population and the lack of waste treatment facilities on the island.

Untreated water serves as fertilizer for algae, they said.

A report of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2015 said: "Direct discharge of untreated waste water near the shore brings about poor water quality level that consequently results in frequent algal blooms and coral reef deterioration."

The JICA study conducted from 2010 to 2015 revealed that the coral reef ecosystem of Boracay has been destroyed due to tourism-related activities and the release of untreated waste water into the sea.

These are the reasons for the destruction of corals and the algae bloom or "green tide", it said.

In 2014, monitoring by the Environmental Management Bureau 6-B showed that the coliform level was high in some parts of Boracay, although this has not yet reached the critical level at that time.

Coliform are bacteria that usually come from the waste of humans or animals.

It may cause skin disease and other conditions. —KG, GMA News