February 8, 2022. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Beach Flags.

The flag pole is 4 feet high, stuck in the sand infront of the beach restaurant at my resort. The flags tell you about the water. A green flag tells you that the water is safe to get in. It is an all clear flag. I have never seen the green flag on the pole. They yellow flag is a danger flag. You are free to get into the water but the water might be dangerous so be careful. The yellow flag flies most of the time. The red flat means danger so a person going into the water needs to be careful. Either the waves are high or the current is swift. The red flag flies many days. But today, a black flag was flying. We went to the beach restaurant for lunch and the black flag was flying. It reminded us of a pirate flag. Kenny looked up the flag and found that the black flag means to stay out of the water. In other words, do not get into the water at all. We five could not figure out what had happened because the waves were not high. So we asked the waiter and he gave us the scoop. A crocodile had come onto the beach. Now the flaf is difficult to see but the message must have gotten around the beach because no one was in the water. After dinner, Wendy and I went to speak to the man at the front desk to find out the scoop. Two crocodiles were on the beach and in the water, diving and jumping. Thus the need for the black flag. They were spotted in front of the Riu hotel,which is several hundred yards along the shore. Our front desk man has a wife who gives beach masages on the beach in front of the Riu and he told us that the security man was trying to keep people out of the water but his wife said that as soon as the security officer walked away, the people went back into the water. Heavy rains fell in the mountains, bringing fresh water down the steams and rivers, thus bringing fresh water into the Bay. Our crodiles are fresh water crocs and about two feet of water stays on the top of the salt water Bay. Soon the crocodiles will return to their own stream but for the moment, the black flag will fly. And we will stay out of the ocean.