The Myrtle Beach Area
About Myrtle Beach Water Color and Clarity
A pattern of churning currents and settling can alter the Myrtle Beach water color from an olive green to a piercing blue shade and back again. Though the view from your oceanfront hotel’s balcony always looks like a shimmering blue, there’s more to the nuanced hues than you might realize. Like any oceanic environment, the water in Myrtle Beach is rich with life, which makes Grand Strand deep-sea fishing and sightseeing charters so fascinating.
Myrtle Beach Water Color
The ocean habitat that comprises Myrtle Beach waters also contains sand, sediment, and microscopic organisms, which can make the water appear cloudy and dark rather than blue. In Myrtle Beach, clear water is an anomaly because of ocean activity and inland storms, but with a long enough lull in inclement weather the water sediments settle and the clarity improves, giving the ocean a translucent appearance.
Myrtle Beach Water Quality
Hazy Myrtle Beach water does not necessarily mean the surf is unsafe. All oceans, including the waters of Myrtle Beach, contain bacteria because microbes are a natural phenomenon in sea habitats. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) tests and monitors more than 100 areas along the Grand Strand. Waters that fail state guidelines—usually due to heavy rains and runoff—are temporarily closed until levels return to normal.
Most water quality beach closures in Myrtle Beach are fleeting, and visitors may still wade in the water, fish, and collect seashells, because the ban is related to swimming only. With 60 miles of shoreline and many of the top beaches in South Carolina at your fingertips, you can easily walk to a new spot that’s open and ready for swimming and surfing.
Whether storms have stirred the ocean, or calm and clear Myrtle Beach water is prevailing, you’re bound to enjoy a great vacation in the Grand Strand. Book your stay at a luxury Myrtle Beach hotel or at any kid-friendly resort to enjoy day after day of gorgeous views and salty sea breezes. Your itinerary practically plans itself thanks to all the entertainment the ocean affords, from Myrtle Beach watersports to relaxing beach days and fishing excursions.
