Ukraine is still unable to recover from the destruction of the Kakhovskaya HPP, a tragedy that directly affected the quality of the Black Sea. However, tourists still want to relax in Odessa and other holiday destinations and are already actively preparing for the beach season. Find out what you need to know about the state of the Black Sea and what dangers remain for beach holidaymakers

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Summer has already begun in Ukraine, both meteorologically and in fact. The heat is breaking records, and more and more people are drawn to the beach - closer to the cool water. As usual, the most active beach holiday is expected to be on the Black Sea coast, particularly in Odesa. However, the state of the sea is not entirely safe, according to the National Research University "Ukrainian Scientific Centre of Marine Ecology".

According to UNIAN, citing a roundtable discussion on the impact of hostilities on Ukraine's marine ecosystems, the university warned that the Black Sea is not entirely safe even a year after the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station dam by russia.

According to environmentalists, the consequences of the dam's destruction will be long-lasting, as after its destruction, the flows from the damaged dam were not only on the sea surface but also at a depth of up to 20 metres. As a result, local ecosystems were damaged.

Scientists took water samples at certain points to test the water for heavy metals, etc., and managed to take a sample at a distance of 500 metres from the coast. According to Viktor Komorin, acting director of the scientific centre, some indicators were exceeded hundreds of times, and the toxin content in mussels was exceeded thousands of times.

Experts believe that the Black Sea near Odesa has recovered and there are fewer toxins, but their composition has changed.

The danger still exists

"What is the danger now... Under certain weather conditions, the amount of toxins increases," Komorin said. He added that this happens, in particular, during storms that raise silt saturated with toxic substances from the seabed. This means a kind of migration of pollutants.

It is better not to swim on the coast of most city beaches in Odesa (between Lanzheron and 16th station of the Big Fountain) if the wind is blowing from the sea. This means that waves from the Dnipro-Bug estuary carry some dirt. If the wind is at your back, you can swim, but it is still advisable to take a fresh shower after sea baths.

It is also not recommended to go into the sea if a person has any skin damage.

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Will the beaches in Odesa be officially opened?

Last year, at the end of the holiday season, local authorities officially allowed swimming on some of Odesa's beaches. This was made possible by the installation of special nets and constant monitoring of the coast. So, at the last meeting, the issue of the recreational season in the coastal zone was also discussed.

Following the example of last year, it was proposed to provide several beaches in Odesa where the seabed will be surveyed and cleaned of debris, and the sea area will be constantly monitored for mine safety. However, the final decision has not yet been made.

If you want to have a holiday in the south of Ukraine, but are worried about the safety of swimming in the sea, we recommend that you consider an alternative type of recreation. Moreover, there are many interesting places in Odesa that you can visit on weekends or during your vacation without risking your own safety. 

So, if you are looking for leisure options in Odesa for children and adults, we suggest you check out the selection of tours of the Odesa region from Visit Ukraine. In our database of tours, you can find everything from exclusive oyster tasting on a farm to walks around the sights of criminal Odesa with a professional guide who will tell you what you didn't know about the city. Follow the link and choose a tour of Odesa to your liking.

We remind you! Ukrzaliznytsia is bringing back the Intercity+ high-speed train from Kyiv to Odesa. You can find the detailed train schedule here.

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