Asia Pacific Apr 13, 2018
Environment under threat as tourism surge lashes Southeast Asian nations, beaches
Hordes of tourists clamber across the white sand with selfie sticks as Thai park rangers wade into turquoise waters to direct boats charging into the cliff-ringed cove. Made famous by the 2000 movie "The Beach," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Maya Bay on the western Thai island ...
Travel Aug 4, 2016
by Chinatsu Yajima
The summer is here. You've kept your New Year's resolution and stuck with that diet or new exercise regimen ... right? It doesn't matter. These beaches are so beautiful, nobody will be looking at the people. Usu Beach in Date, Hokkaido Usu doesn't get much ...
National Aug 18, 2015
Shark sightings keep tourists away after authorities impose swimming bans
An increasing number of shark sightings at beaches across Japan this month is affecting tourism, with visitors shunning popular summer destinations where authorities have imposed swimming bans. Sharks have recently been spotted at several beaches in Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Shizuoka and Kagoshima prefectures. In Ibaraki, about ...
National Aug 11, 2015
High waves and strong tides following the passage of a typhoon pulled four family members who were visiting Irabu Island in Okinawa Prefecture away from the shore and three of them drowned. The accident happened Monday while they were snorkeling near Toguchi-no-Hama Beach in the ...
National Aug 11, 2015
Swimming safety alert raised after hammerheads are spotted off Ibaraki, Shizuoka
Recent sightings of sharks off beaches in Ibaraki Prefecture have put local authorities on alert, but they have also been spotted in Shizuoka as well, raising safety concerns in the midst of the swimming season. The most recent sharks spotted are all believed to be ...
National Jun 26, 2015
Zushi opens with eye on reviving summer buzz
by Andrew McKirdy
Zushi Beach in Kanagawa Prefecture opened for the summer on Friday as it battles to attract visitors following a clampdown on rowdy partygoers that saw numbers drop by more than half last year. Cloudy skies greeted participants in an opening ceremony featuring around 400 children ...
Environment Jun 18, 2015
Warm currents washing swarms of red crabs up on Southern California beaches
Hundreds of thousands of tiny crabs have been washing up on Southern California beaches, marring the sandy coastline with streaks of red, as warm ocean currents carry them farther north and closer to shore than usual, officials said on Wednesday. The red tuna crabs have ...
Travel Jun 6, 2015
Oahu's Waimanalo Beach tops U.S. ranking
by Caleb Jones
As the sun rises over the Pacific Ocean, Waimanalo Bay's powdery white coral sand glows in the morning light. A few people lounge in the sand as a fisherman casts his line into the turquoise water. On May 21, Waimanalo Bay Beach Park was named ...
World / Science & Health May 29, 2015
Los Angeles-area beaches closed to swimming as tar globs wash up
Popular beaches along nearly 7 miles (11 km) of Los Angeles-area coastline were off-limits to surfing and swimming Thursday as scientists looked for the source of globs of tar that washed ashore. The sand and surf on south Santa Monica Bay appeared virtually free of ...