The best beach in the United States is Hawaii's Hanauma Bay, says Dr. Beach's "top 10" list of beaches for 2016.
Dr. Beach is coastal scientist Stephen Leatherman of Florida International University. He has been reviewing beaches since 1991. He considers 50 conditions in preparing his list. They include including water and sand quality as well as "safety and management.”
Hanauma Bay Beach Park is in the eastern end of Oahu, about 20 kilometers from Honolulu, Hawaii's capital. Dr. Beach says the bay has the best accessible snorkeling in the area. Dr. Beach says it has "thousands of beautifully colored tropical fish which span the rainbow.”
Among others on his "top 10" list: Siesta Beach, in Sarasota, Florida; Ocracoke on North Carolina's Outer Banks; Coast Guard Beach on Cape Cod in Massachusetts and San Diego's Coronado Beach in California.
Dr. Beach also gives “bonus points” for beaches that ban smoking, like Hanauma Bay. The website notes that, in recent years, “more emphasis is being placed on environmental management and beach safety.”
The yearly list is released at the start of Memorial Day weekend in the United States. The holiday signals the unofficial start of summer recreational activities.
Monday is Memorial Day. The federal holiday that honors the memory of all the nation's war dead.
I'm Caty Weaver.
Words in This Story
beach - n. an area covered with sand or small rocks that is next to an ocean or lake
management - n. the act or process of controlling and dealing with something
accessible - adj. able to be reached or approached
snorkeling - v. to swim underwater while using a snorkel
bonus - n. something good that is more than what was expected or required
emphasis - n. special importance or attention given to something
