Beaches are great places to enjoy night stays with friends and family. Swimming is hands down the best activity to do at the beach, quite obviously. However, many people question the most suitable time to swim in the ocean. Swimming in the sea in the day is, of course, a popular choice but what about swimming at night? Should you be going for a swim in the ocean at night?
No, you should not swim in the ocean at night because it is simply not safe. Swimming at night imposes a greater risk than swimming in the day, especially if the swimmer is not experienced. The reason behind, at night, it is much harder to see the water condition, there are almost no people around, and particular sea creatures may be lurking in the water like jellyfishes.
In this article, we neither encourage nor dissuade you from swimming in the sea at night. We only intend to raise some safety concerns that people might have regarding swimming at night. Keep reading below.
What are the dangers involved with swimming at night?
Swimming in the ocean at night usually has the same safety risks as those involved during the day. Some of these risks include:
- Rip currents: These are water currents pulling you away from the seashore. If you try to swim against the currents, you may get exhausted and eventually drown.
- Lightning: A lethal charge can penetrate 3 meters deep when lightning strikes the sea, spreading out as far as 6 meters wide.
- Sea Creatures: Sea creatures such as jellyfish also include the risks for swimming in the ocean. Though less than four percent of these species are poisonous, still regardless of fatality, a jellyfish’s sting can be excruciating.
Meanwhile, watch this video for some safety tips for swimming in the ocean in the dark:
Is swimming at night as safe as swimming in the daylight?
While similar risk factors are present at night and just as in the day, swimming at night increases the danger. This happens because of the following reason.
Low Visibility
Swimming in the sea at night means doing it under complete darkness. It means that you will find it more difficult than daylight swimming to keep track of where you are. The darkness also makes rip currents less visible. Therefore, if you get caught in a rip current, you may not make your way out of it due to the inability to identify the starting spot.
What about the ocean predators at night?
Many sea predators get more active at night than during the day. For example, stingrays tend to hunt more at night. Bumping into such sea creatures may get you stung by one if you go swimming in the dark. This can be painful and, in extreme cases, lethal.
What about the sharks?
Sea predators, primarily sharks, are the most active sea animals at night and twilight. These species swim closer to the ocean in the dark to scavenge. As a night swimmer, being in the sea at this time can be dangerous as the sharks may confuse you with their prey.
Final words
The night is a much more dangerous time to swim in the ocean than during the day. For that reason, anyone thinking of going for a swim at night must be cautious with safety precautions. We recommend you be aware of the low visibility, a lack of people inland, and the potential for aggressive sea creatures’ behavior.
