Certified Healthy 2018: Congratulations to Guayabitos Beach
Tara A. Spears
It takes a lot of time, effort, and money to protect and maintain the natural beauty of the Jaltemba Bay beaches. Spearheaded by the local businesses, the Guayabitos Hotel Association, the Compostela Hotel Association and various government agencies, these groups work continually to monitor the ocean water quality and keep the beaches clean. This means that Guayabitos beach is more than a pretty face, it’s safe for visitors to enjoy a refreshing dip in the Pacific Ocean.
“The certification of Mexican beaches guarantees the health of users, increases the competitiveness of tourist destinations and improves the environmental quality of these ecosystems,” said the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), Rafael Pacchiano Alamán at a recent meeting.
According to the government website for Semarnat, “The hazardous concentrations that may constitute a public health risk have been determined based on scientific studies conducted in our country (Mexico). The limits are set in units of microorganisms per 100 milliliters.” Since these pathogenic organisms are colony-forming, they are indicated by MLN or CFU). Of particular concern is Enterococci. Enterococci are spherical bacteria that form colonies in groups or chains. This bacteria is found naturally in many organisms, including humans, as part of their intestinal flora. Independent laboratories test beach water samples and file the analysis results with the government. 
Due to vigorous beach monitoring that includes picking up trash, monitoring runoff, and machine sweeping the Guayabitos beach daily, the beach of Rincon de Guayabitos and Isla del Coral not only met the standards to qualify for the environmental award during the XIII National Meeting of Clean Beaches committee, our beaches exceeded the criteria to earn the White Flag/ certified Clean Beach award for 2018! More important that the award is that the community values and supports the wonderful natural resources.
The following photo shows the leaders of the various involved groups receiving the award in mid-July, 2018. The certificate is for two years and can be re-qualified for with meeting the stringent criteria again.
It should be noted that the Hotel Association of the Municipality of Compostela has been working for the fourth consecutive year on the issue of beach cleaning in Rincon de Guayabitos, Los Ayala and La Peñita de Jaltemba. These area groups sought the support of the state government through its Tourism Promotion Trust. By striving to improve oceanic environmental quality it helps the sustainability of beach quality for both recreational use and wildlife conservation. It’s a win/win situation for humans and ocean life.
Come enjoy the warm ocean and the certified clean beaches in Jaltemba Bay-refreshing!