Disbelief in Greece as terrified tourists are told to disembark from ferry into the SEA and wade through neck-deep water to reach beauty spot after officials banned use of floating platform Hundreds of tourists have had to wade through the sea at Balos beach in Crete The lagoon is renowned on the Greek island as an area of outstanding beauty Have YOU been a passenger on these boats? Email [email protected].
uk By Taryn Pedler and Francine Wolfisz Published: 20:12, 12 July 2024 | Updated: 22:36, 12 July 2024 e-mail 11 View comments Terrified tourists were told to disembark a ferry into the open sea and wade through neck-deep water to reach a Greek beauty spot after officials banned the use of a floating platform. Footage of the bizarre moment shows dozens of tourists holding their bags above their heads as they make their way through the dazzling blue waters to reach a beach in Crete. But instead of using a floating platform in Balos, which would allow the passengers to disembark the ferry far more safely - they were forced to dive into the water and wade through it after authorities banned the use of the platforms due to fears of overtourism, according to local reports.
The floating platform, which is expected to be in place by next week, would have helped the passengers disembark more simply - but instead, tourists of all ages found themselves having to swim to get off the ferry and back onto land. With the help of a rope and ferry crew, the passengers were forced out of the hatch and into the crystal waters to reach the beach. Hundreds of terrified tourists are being forced to disembark from their ferry into the sea and wade slowly through neck-deep water to reach a natural beauty spot in Balos, Crete Passengers can be seen disembarking from the ferry hatch and making their way through water According to local reports, the small children and the elderly were forced to stay on the ships as they were deemed unable to reach the shore.
In shock footage of the incident, some passengers in the water can be heard nervously laughing, and according to witnesses many were too frightened to even attempt the jump. Read More 'Rabid' seals foaming at the mouth with 'cherry-red, evil eyes' spark terror among beachgoers A report by zarpanews stated one American tourist said it was an 'unacceptable situation' for the passengers on board the ferry - which can carry up to 900 people. 'People have to walk through neck-deep water to reach the edge of the sea.
Elderly people are unable to walk,' they said. The tourist added: 'Most people stayed on the ship out of fear. 'Only about 40 people got off and everyone came back angry and disappointed.
' According to Greek news outlet in.gr , the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy imposed the ban of the floating device to protect the beach from overtourism. They have now however reversed this decision since seeing the shocking footage, with a floating platform due to reopen again shortly, according to the report.
A floating platform is a large structure structure that is designed to float on water, rather than being anchored to the ground. The lagoon is renowned in Crete for its pristine white sand and exotic turquoise waters and boasts rare animals and plants that have protected status, including Eleanora falcons, monk seals and loggerhead sea turtles. According to research site Statista , there were more than 800,000 visitors to Crete from the UK in 2023, the second highest after Germany, which sent 1.
2million tourists to the Greek island. On the footage, some people can be heard nervously laughing at the situation but according to witnesses many passengers are too frightened to even attempt the task The lagoon at Balos is renowned in Crete for its pristine white sand and exotic turquoise waters and boasts rare animals and plants that have protected status Greece Share or comment on this article: Disbelief in Greece as terrified tourists are told to disembark from ferry into the SEA and wade through neck-deep water to reach beauty spot after officials banned use of floating platform e-mail Add comment.
