What does a purple flag on a beach mean?
dangerous marine life spotted
Red flag is high hazard meaning high surf and/or strong currents. Yellow flag is medium hazard meaning moderate surf and/or currents. Green flag is low hazard meaning calm conditions, exercise caution. Purple flag means dangerous marine life spotted.
Can you swim in the ocean with a purple flag?
If you see a blue or purple flag, but the water is not closed to swimming, use extreme caution and keep a close watch for dangerous animals.
What does it mean when the lifeguard flies a purple flag on the beach?
If a purple flag is present, there could be some very dangerous jellyfish in the waters. We always recommend talking to your lifeguard before entering, as the type of marine pest could vary from bioluminescent algae all the way up to a Box Jellyfish.
What are the warning flags on the beach?
Flag Chart
| Color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Red over Yellow | Recommended swimming area with lifeguard supervision |
| Black and White (Quartered) | Watercraft area |
| Yellow flag with Black | Watercraft use prohibited (e.g. no surfboards) |
| Orange windsock | Offshore winds present, inflatables should not be used |
What causes a purple flag?
A purple flag is flown when dangerous marine life has been spotted. Dangerous marine life could mean anything from jellyfish to sharks and swimmers should use extreme caution keeping a close watch on their surroundings.
What do the different color lifeguard flags mean?
Yellow – caution, potential dangers. Green – waters are safe for swimming, no potential dangers spotted. Orange – no lifeguard on duty. Blue – dangers and hazards.
What does a yellow and purple flag mean at the beach?
Information on each flag color and its meaning is below: Green Flag: Low hazard- calm conditions, exercise caution. Yellow Flag: Medium hazard- moderate surf and or currents. Purple Flag: Dangerous marine life present.
What color is a shark flag at the beach?
A white flag with a black shark diagram means that a shark is currently near the beach, and beach users must get out of the water. A siren is sounded and the white flag is raised.
Does a purple flag mean sharks?
Purple Flag – Dangerous Marine Life Finally, a purple flag means that there is dangerous marine life out on the water or beach. This could mean jellyfish, stingrays, sea snakes, or other marine life except sharks. If a shark is in the water, then a red flag or double red flag will be hoisted.
What flag means sharks?
The red flag is used as a warning that a shark has recently been seen, that there is higher than usual shark activity or that there are known conditions for high shark activity. The red flag will be flown every time after a shark has been seen, for one hour.
What is a white flag at the beach?
Specifically, the white flag generally indicates that the rescue service is present and active on the beach and that the weather conditions do not involve possible problems or restrictions on entering the water.
What does black flag at beach mean?
Black means the conditions of the sea are extremely dangerous—do not swim or enter the water. If you’d like to avoid the possibility of an incident occurring, please, do not swim. If you’re ever unsure of the condition of a beach, go to the lifeguard stand and ask. The sea and the weather are unpredictable.
What does a purple flag mean at the beach?
The Purple Flag. Meaning: Marine pests present. Jellyfish, stingrays, sea snakes or other marine life are present in the water, and can cause minor injuries. This flag is not intended to indicate the presence of sharks. In this latter case the red flag or double red flag may be hoisted.
What does a beach warning flag mean?
While the ocean can be unpredictable on any given day, this beach warning flag shows us that hazardous conditions are lower than normal. You can think of a green flag as an “all clear” flag, indicating to beachgoers that it is safe to enter the water. A yellow flag means that the surf conditions are moderate and rip currents are present.
What is considered dangerous marine life for a purple flag?
So, what is considered dangerous marine life for a purple flag? Some types of dangerous marine life for a purple flag are: Sharks – A number of sharks are known to visit the inland areas of the Gulf, including Bull Sharks and Hammerhead sharks A high concentration of Jellyfish of many different types.
Can you surf when red flags are flying on the beach?
With the exception of surfers tethered to a board, no one is allowed to be in the water when double reds are flying. Look for educational materials on these warning flags in your hotel, condo or vacation rental, as well as at every public beach access point.