Sunbathers in Key Biscayne, east of Miami, Florida Alfonso Duran/The New York Times
The water temperature near Key Biscayne, the barrier island east of Miami, had only touched 90 degrees Fahrenheit once this week. And while the sea in the South Florida region was a little cooler than recent records that scared scientists and threatened marine life, it was still exceptionally warm.
Even so, it was still a summer’s day on this tranquil stretch of the Atlantic coast, when nothing is more pleasant than a dip even if it feels like falling into a thick, bubbling, almost sticky syrup.
“I like it so hot,” said Niki Candela, 20, who was born and raised in Miami, minutes after the loud siren warned of lightning.
Of the few people who were on the beach, practically deserted, already a little dizzy from the heat, almost nobody reacted.
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The patch, normally covered in halfrotting seagrass, was clean and no longer threatened by the giant seagrass mat that unexpectedly shrank in the Gulf of Mexico in June. The shallow, crystalclear water was a bluegreen color and swayed gently, not a single swell could be seen.
So the stalwart beach rats—the same ones who love being hot and hate the cold—came to have fun.
“There’s nothing quite like paradise in America,” said Lauren Humphreys, 40, who is English but divides her time between Miami and Los Angeles. There she prefers hiking to diving in the Pacific Ocean, which reached 22°C at the Santa Monica Pier on Tuesday (18). “Today is the second time I’ve been to the beach; I’ve been here before to meditate. Here is something very special; it is very peaceful.”
Near the shore of neighboring Virginia Key, measurements by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed that the sea temperature reached 32.5 degrees Celsius and the air 30.8 degrees Celsius on Monday (17); This Saturday (22) the sea mark reached 33.6°C, confirming the record.
The water in South Florida is always warmer this time of year, but this year was a long exception, with six historic landmarks visible around Virginia Key in July alone. Last week the sea surface exceeded 36°C in some areas of Florida Bay; The average sea temperature in Miami in July is 30°C.
According to Brian McNoldy, a researcher at the University of Miami, the intense and constant heat in the city led to 16 consecutive record days of temperatures exceeding 40°C.
The National Weather Service forecast 43°C for Sunday, already issuing the first extreme heat warning for MiamiDade County.
The next day at the beach, the scorching sand was avoided at all costs. “Come talk to me here so I don’t burn my feet,” Eduardo Valades, 51, urged the reporter, waving to the shallow end.
“The water is super hot, but only when you come in. If you go about 50 meters further, it gets cooler,” he assured. “I love it so!” added his wife Jennifer Valades, 50.
Three years ago, the couple left California to settle in Key Biscayne, an exclusive village of 14,000 people. “Here you can spend hours in the water although in winter it tastes even better and even more perfect with temperatures between 22 and 23 °C. In fact, it’s usually cooler here than inland.”
She finished the process and announced that she had seen six or seven manatees not long ago. He used the cue and pulled out his phone to show the video he’d taken the previous month of a giant shark feeding just off shore. “You see one every three or four days,” he said unconcernedly.
This week, bathers don’t even bother to take a towel with them as there is no feeling of cold when exiting the water. “The sea is like a whirlpool!” Sascha Mischenina announced after a short swim to the two friends who were with her and had refused to enter.
Despite all this, a dip in the sea is still refreshing, because every now and then colder water currents pass underneath and small fish swim between people’s feet.
“I am very happy because they said there was algae! But it’s been a while since I’ve seen the beach this clean, ten years I think,” Adriana Campuzano commented on the summer forecast while packing up to leave because of the threatening storm.
Nick Candela went to the beach with three friends. “The water is great, but so hot you even wonder if it’s because someone’s peeing nearby,” he philosophized.
The four spread their towels out on the loungers under the umbrella, put on some music and stayed there enjoying the day. “Doesn’t it feel a bit chilly?” proclaimed Taylor Dutil, 20, also from Florida. “It’s good for a change,” replied Benny Perez, 22, of Chicago, where Lake Michigan was much colder that day.
The siren sounded three more times, signaling the end of the lightning threat. Not a drop fell. The quartet stayed in the water, chatting and laughing.
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