We’ve titled this page ‘Clear Sea at Blackpool‘ because our usually murky water is the butt of many a joke! But from time to time there is crystal clear sea at Blackpool!
Visit Fylde Coast is based a couple of miles along the coast at Cleveleys. During our daily ‘Walk on the Beach’ videos in the Covid lockdown we captured some of it for you in video and photos. Come and take a look…
Why there’s been Clear Sea at Blackpool
The sea off Blackpool and the Fylde Coast is known for being a murky colour. To be fair, that’s mostly due to the amount of sand it carries, churned up by the constant prevailing winds blowing across the Irish Sea. So when it clears it tends to cause comment!
Generally the sea looks clear when there’s been a few days of no wind, or easterlies. Rather than churning the sand up and chucking it to shore, it allows the sediment to fall out of suspension. But during the pandemic it seemed to go on for weeks. It’s hard to tell exactly why it was so beautifully clear – probably a combination of factors.
We were lucky enough to film the clear sea, it was been amazing. Watch this short video filmed at Cleveleys –
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Easterly weather
Here on the Fylde Coast, the prevailing wind usually blows from roughly the south west. It blows the waves straight against the coastline – usually with some force. The turbulence picks up particles of sand and beach material and holds it in suspension in the sea water.
That’s why it looks so brown most of the time. If you were to collect a bucket of sea water and leave it to stand for long enough, the fine silt would settle out. You’d have a bucket of clear water and a fine layer of sand at the bottom.
For some weeks during April/May 2020, the prevailing weather was coming from the east. The east coast of the UK caught the wind first. By the time the breeze had blown over the UK landmass and reached the Fylde it had blown out of puff. The unusually still conditions calm the sea and allow the fine sand to settle to the bottom – just like that bucket of sea water. Result: clear sea at Blackpool!
Did you know? You can access information from weather buoys far out at sea and see what the weather’s doing out there?
Lack of Rain
Two river estuaries top and tail the Fylde Coast – the Ribble in the south and the Wyre in the north.
There was barely any rain to speak of for about five or six weeks. As a consequence little silt will have washed down from these two rivers to muddy the waters.
Look how clear the water was at Fleetwood, against the new sea wall at Rossall –
Improvements to water treatment
The hugely improved sewage system is undoubtedly one of the reasons for such clear sea at Blackpool.
You can see the seafront at Anchorsholme at the end of the next clip, where this work has been done. We’re looking down into the clear water at Blackpool, against the new sea wall.
United Utilities has invested hundreds of millions of pounds. Extensive works have taken place at Anchorsholme Park near Cleveleys, along with works at South Shore too. Including new underground facilities store waste for treatment. And new, longer overflow pipes have been installed.
If you’re old enough, you’ll remember paddling past sewage on the shoreline in Blackpool. Now, the sea is cleaner than it’s ever been, thanks to these improvements.
Lack of human activity
During the coronavirus crisis of spring 2020, human activity was curtailed right across the planet. Space satellites tracked the reduction in pollution levels as global transport and industry has ground to a halt.
There’s quite a lot of manufacturing industry along the banks of the Rivers Ribble and Wyre, and further along the shore around Barrow. Has the sea water improved while these plants have been mothballed?
Have a look at this video, also filmed at Cleveleys. It’s one of our ‘Sounds of the Sea’ series. The sea water is crystal clear!
A greeny blue view
Because the Fylde Coast is quite flat, there aren’t many high points where you can get up above the sea to look down on it.
But if you can, wow, it looks amazing during these conditions! You can see stripes of deep blue and aqua where the light penetrates the water. Plus paler strips with the golden sandbanks reflected through the water.
What do you think?
Have you been lucky enough (near enough!) to see the sea while it’s been so clear? Why do you think it’s been so clear in Blackpool and along the Fylde Coast? Leave your thoughts in a comment below.
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