Let me start first by saying it’s not that I don’t like all beaches, just the ones in Singapore. The thing about Singapore beaches is that they aren’t really beaches. It’s more like the government just dumped a bunch of sand into the sea (which is basically exactly what they did). And that is probably the underlying factor about what makes the beaches in Singapore so ew. Here are some reasons why I don’t like the coast.
Firstly, the sand is coarse. I get that it makes more financial sense to buy large grain sand because it’s less easily eroded. With so many ships around creating so many waves, if you tried buying fine sand it’ll just be like throwing money into the sea (even with coarse grains it’s still throwing away money but less so than fine grains). So while having large grain sand is good for the wallet, it’s not so good for the feet. I don’t like the feeling of the coarse sand on my feet. It feels like salt or sugar. You know the very fine and smooth sand some sandboxes have? I really like that. But unfortunately we only have the big fat grains on our coasts. Also the sand is very annoying to wash off. When I wash my feet and slippers, it’s fine for a while but even when I start walking away from the beach I still feel grains of sand as the water dries. Urgh.
Secondly, insects and stuff. I’m not sure if it’s just me but when I go to the beach I get the nastiest insect bites that can stay for almost a week. It’s just not worth it. And sometimes I see little holes in the sand and don’t know if there’s a snake or crab or something hiding inside. I’m always so scared that something will pop out and bite me. And it’s not just animals on the beach, it’s also the trash. There’s all sorts of weird things that get washed up on the beach and you always have to watch where you step. I don’t want to step on a sharp piece of plastic or something. Ouch.
Moving on from the beach, there’s the sea. The sea is also quite nasty. Have you seen the colour of the Singapore sea? It’s an uncomfortable grey/blueish colour. That’s because it’s probably quite dirty. If you look out to the sea, you can see many ships (another reason why the coasts here are meh - the scenery is meh). Firstly, they create lots of waves which make the sea quite choppy. Secondly, the ships probably release some weird things. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) does patrol waters to ensure that ships don’t release any funny things into the ocean, but I’m still sceptical of their effectiveness. I’m sure that there are other things besides waste, oil, garbage, and sewage (which are regulated) that the ships can release into the sea. Nasty.
But that’s just my opinion. Maybe I’ve just been unlucky and went to the bad areas of our coasts. Don’t take my word for it.
