Smelly Kuta Beach: Bali

Kuta Beach in Bali is one of the most beautiful places to witness a sunset, but, as of late Bali’s most popular beachfront has been the victim of two incidents of malodorous attacks. In other words, smells!.

According to the latest Bali Discovery newsletter the first set of bad smells were due to a continuing “red tide” that caused thousands of fish to die off and wash ashore; while the second, more recent, “smelly beach” incident were traced to unusual globs of foul-smelling, meatball-like organic matter.

Despite the best efforts of local communities to bury the offensive “globs” and dead fish, the “stink” has proven persistent causing the Bali Fisheries and Sea Service to take the additional step of spraying the beach with Effective Microorganism 4 (EM4) – a micro-organic compound designed to hasten the decomposition of organic waste.

The spraying of the non-toxic compounds along the beach commenced on Thursday, March 1, 2007, with almost instantaneously positive results reported by tourists visiting the beach who have noted a significant improvement in air quality.

Local officials plan to continue with routine spraying of EM4 along the beach until the smell of the globs – thought to emanate from algae or chunks of Bali sardinella that have washed ashore in Kuta – disappear completely.

Laboratory tests to determine the exact origins of the globules of organic waste causing the latest smell are ongoing. Meanwhile, the “red tide” causing the intermittent wash up of dead fish is a natural, cyclical phenomenon that is expected to continue until April.