Are Myrtle Beach waters clearer than usual? Facebook, TikTok users have opinions. Do you agree?
Beachgoers have taken to social media, showing what they believe to be exceptionally clear and blue water in Myrtle Beach this Fourth of July weekend.
“It was like an emerald blue and you could pretty much see the bottom in like 4 feet of water,” said Phil Jackson, owner of Good Vibes Surf Shop, in a phone interview.
Jackson noticed clearer than usual water two weeks ago, though the majority of TikTok videos were from this weekend.
Two days ago, TikTok user Kayla Brown shared the view of the beach from a hotel.
“I promise to you this is dirty Myrtle, it just ain’t dirty no more,” she said in a voiceover. Brown’s three videos on Myrtle Beach’s waters have almost 2 million views combined.
Another TikTok with almost 500,000 views showed the Grand Strand water with the text, “been here 50 times, never seen it like this.”
Not everyone believes the water is clearer and bluer than usual right now.
National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Bacon said he’s been watching the beach cams and “it looks the same, it just looks more crowded than normal.”
Bacon said water clearness is not something the agency monitors, and they haven’t received reports of unusual appearance from their lifeguard partners.
However, WPDE meteorologist Ed Piotrowski posted on Facebook, saying the water “that beautiful blue look to it again today.” He explained in the comments, “Often the water is blue depending on wind, storms offshore, and sediment.”
Oceanographers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had not responded at the time of publication.
This story was originally published July 4, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
