Murky-oily tar balls, jellyfish, stray dogs and touts plague Goa’s beaches, disappoint tourists

PANAJI: The increased presence of deadly jellyfish in the sea and on the beaches of Goa are a big disappointment for tourists visiting the coastal state during the summer vacations, particularly due to their venomous bites which can severely sting and hurt.

Not just the jellyfish bites, murky, thick and oily tar balls are seen on the shores making the situation more ugly for those wanting to take a dip in the sea water.

Tar balls, or oily globules of thick weathered machine oil that wash ashore are due to ships dumping off their waste oil and lubricants in the sea near the western coast.

Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte claims it is an annually recurring phenomenon and the government is doing its best to get rid of the menace, but the tourists are not happy.

The tar balls are seen both in North as well as on South Goa beaches and media reports said locals in Mandrem in North Goa were particularly vocal about the problem.

Dead jellyfish can be seen splattered on the shores, along with tar balls and garbage. Then there is the stray dog menace. In some places, aggressive stray dogs have formed packs and even attack tourists or kids playing on the shore.

Several such issues plague the beaches, including touts on the roads, making the beaches and roads leading to the beaches a tourist nightmare.