Shallow, calm and warm Sea of Azov. It would seem, what could threaten those who decided to rest here? It turns out that there are enough dangers, including deadly ones.
Insidious faults
Not so long ago, a tragedy struck in the seaside village of Yuryevka, located fifty kilometers from Mariupol. Twenty meters from the shore, where the depth does not exceed one meter, a twelve-year-old boy began to drown. Two strong men came to his aid in time - they pushed the teenager out of the water, but they themselves could not get out. What happened? The surviving boy told that he was playing with a ball in the sea, when suddenly sand began to leave from under his feet and drag him down. Experts suggested that the collision of two currents manifested itself in this way, which caused a whirlpool - this is not uncommon here.
However, the head of the department of nature of the Mariupol Museum of Local Lore, geologist Olga Shakula believes that the reason is different. There is a global geological rift between the bedrock plates in the area, she said. In the course of geological shifts, the plates creep on top of each other, shifting the upper soil layers - this is how cracks appear in the sand, where the outgoing water masses can draw an unwary bather.
Radioactive sands
After each storm on the coast of the Sea of Azov, in the regions of Mariupol and Taganrog, black stripes are exposed - this is radioactive thorium. So that it does not frighten vacationers, it is often mixed with sand on the beaches. There is usually little thorium and the dosimeter will be silent, but there are places where the background radiation exceeds the norm by three times and reaches 100 microroentgens per hour.
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True, SES doctors calm down - moderate radiation is even good for health. After all, there are specialized hospitals where thorium is added to radon baths. Trample on thorium sand and chronic leg pain will go away forever, local doctors advise.
However, you need to keep in mind that the same radon baths are not prescribed for everyone, so if you decide to sunbathe on the beaches of the Azov Sea, you should seriously consider choosing a place. At the very least, pay attention to warning signs.
Sliding shores
It has long been noticed that every year the Sea of Azov reclaims several meters from land. First of all, we are talking about high banks, which, as a result of erosion and heavy rains, gradually slide down, often dragging houses and people along with them. But if there are not so many residential buildings at the top, then tourists like to stop for the night under the cliff. If you do not want several tens of tons of sand and clay to fall on you at night, do not pitch tents near the wall of a steep and high bank.
Azov settling tank
The Sea of Azov is often called a big puddle. Warm and shallow (no deeper than 15 meters), it creates all the conditions for the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria. A particular danger for vacationers is represented by sewage and industrial waste, which flow in a continuous stream into the Sea of Azov.
Particularly unfavorable should be called the region of Donbass, which is replete with many coastal cities and towns, where treatment facilities have not only used up their working potential - they are being destroyed.
According to local residents, the Kalmius River poses a special threat to the ecology of the region, throwing an infernal mixture of sewage and household chemicals into the waters of the Azov Sea. The Seversky Donets is in a slightly better position, however, together with Kalmius, every year more and more poison the coastal waters of the once popular Soviet resorts.
Not visible at all
Despite its small size, the Sea of Azov is full of marine life. There are over 100 species of fish alone. Given its shallow depth, this is the most productive sea in terms of the number of inhabitants per unit area. There are very few dangerous creatures here. One of them is a stingray stingray: although its poisonous thorn does not pose a threat to human life, it can cause very painful sensations. Another unpleasant inhabitant of these places is the eared jellyfish. Direct contact with it does not bear any serious consequences if the jellyfish has not touched the mucous membranes of a person.
Meetings with these inhabitants are quite rare, however, the weak transparency of the waters of the Sea of Azov - visibility, often not exceeding a meter - increases the likelihood of unwanted contact. In addition, in the turbid Azov waters, you can easily run into a sharp object - a broken bottle or a rusty piece of iron. Entering the Sea of Azov - be always vigilant!
Scaring moisture
There is another feature of the Sea of Azov that scares away lovers of sea recreation from it - a humid climate. In the summer months, the humidity level can reach 75%, in the winter - 87%, which is unfavorable for people suffering from heart and respiratory diseases. In August, ragweed blooms here, causing a lot of problems for allergy sufferers.
Taras Repin