Beaches have always been a major tourist attraction especially in summers. Youngsters, families and thrill-seekers head to beaches in summer vacations to beat the heat and to enjoy activities such as beach parties, sports and sun bathing. In recent years, beaches have become popular for destination weddings. Here are top ten mind-blowing and amazing beach facts that you probably didn’t knew before. So let’s get to know some amazing and fun beach facts!

Top 12 awesome and exciting Beach Facts!!

1. Why beach is called as “beach”?

The word 'beach' is derived from old English term "bæce" (meaning stream). Beaches became popular as vacation and tourist sites in 18^th century. Beaches are of many types depending on type of sediments that make up the sand. Sandy beaches consist of silica (SiO₂) in the form of the mineral quartz. Moreover, the color and the texture of beach sands vary. It can be white, gray, gold-yellow, brown, red and black colored sand.

2. This Is Why Beach Sands Are Colorful!

The shape of the sand crystal and its chemical nature determines the sand color. For instance, white sand is basically composed of dead corals. As the coral skeleton contains calcium carbonate, it appears white and so is the white sand. Darker sand colors are because of high density of certain minerals. Red or brown sand contains high density of iron. The iron when reacts with oxygen, gives rise to iron –oxides that are brownish-red in color.

3. World’s Longest and Shortest Beach!!

World’s longest beach is “Cox's Bazar Beach” that is approximately 150 kilometers in length. Its location is Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. World’s shortest beach is “Gulpiyuri beach”, located in Naves - a small town in Llanes Council. This beach is just 40 meters long.

4. And There Is A Beach Without Sea!!

Gulpiyuri beach is well known as “the beach without sea”. Apparently, the sea waves were creating a cave inward, and the roof of the cave collapse, resulting in a small hole. It is named as “beach without sea” because it is located almost 50-100 meters away from main coast. When the tides rise, this small beach looks like a saltwater pool.

5. Playa Del Amor Beach – The Veiled Beauty!!

“Playa Del Amor” beach of Mexico, also known as “the Hidden Beach of Puerto Vallarta” is situated in Marietas Islands of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The island cavern covers the beach so as that it only opens up to the sky above.

6. World’s Largest Sand Castle is made up of 11,000 Tons of Sand!!

Creating a sand castle is another favorite beach activity of tourists. You may not know that the world’s tallest sand castle has been built in Duisburg, Germany in 2019. This sandcastle is the new Guinness record as the previous one was 14.8 m tall created on India’s east coast in Puri. Created magnificently by a team of international sculptors, this sand castle is 54.5 ft high (16.68m) and made with 11,000 tons of sand. It was presented in ‘sand sculptor festival’ in Binz, Germany. What’s more interesting about this sand castle is that it is not even built on a beach. Yes, you read it right. World’s tallest sandcastle has been made in German industrial city of Duisburg.

7. Seagulls Are Actually Not Seagulls!!

Seagulls are not actually any certain bird species. The term “seagull” is generally used to refer to gulls – the sea birds. These gulls are usually big in size, white and grey in color and belong to the family Laridae.

8. Anse Source d'Argent Beach - A Sight To Behold!!

Nature’s masterpiece, Anse Source d'Argent beach is probably the world’s most photographed beach. Anse Source d'Argent is situated in Seychelles – an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. The crystal clear turquoise colored water and shimmery pink sand make it a perfect vacation spot for tourists.    

9. Nature’s Marvel - The Glowing Beaches of Mudhdhoo Island!!

Another of amazing beach facts is that some beaches literally glow at night. There is a beach in Mudhdhoo Island Maldives that glows at night. The phenomenon of glowing at night is termed as “bioluminescence”. Bioluminescence described the emission of light in some species of living organisms, mainly marine vertebrates and invertebrates. These are some microbial species that exhibit this marvelous phenomenon. The bioluminescent organism contains a chemical molecule “Lucifer” in its body. The molecule when react with oxygen, generates light. Due to darkness, this glowing effect of beaches is more prominent at night.  

10. London Had A Beach!!

It was in 1934 that King George V “arranged” a beach for the citizens of London as there is no natural beach. For the purpose, the king ordered for 1500 tons of sand to be hauled from Essex. The sand was dumped in the Thames between St Katherine’s Steps and The Tower of London, transforming it into a beach. Wow!  This man-made beach was in use till 1971.

11. Want To Visit A New Beach Daily? – Here Is The Solution!!

Australia has approximately 10,000 beaches. It means that you can visit a new beach every day if you want to. Still it will take you 27 years to visit all these beaches.    

12. Wear A White Shirt To Prevent Sunburn!!

People who visit beaches love to take sun baths. However, excessive exposure to sun light (that contains harmful ultraviolet rays) causes sun burn. Interestingly, a white cotton shirt can be as much effective as the SPF seven. Stay tuned with us. And get to know something new and exciting everyday!! . . Pictures courtesy:

• https://www.pexels.com/
• https://unsplash.com/