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Chinese vacationers hoping for blue seas and white sands in the coastal city of Qingdao are out of luck. Instead, they've been confronted with something else - bright green sea and sand.
Beachgoers in China's northeastern Qingdao City were greeted by a sea of green on Monday, with algae covering the beach and part of the sea.
Some vacationers are still swimming despite the algae, although the foul smelling green blanket is creating problems.
"It definitely impacts [my swimming]. When you go down you can't come back up, and when you come up, you can't go back down."
This man is a regular to Qingdao, and remembers better times.
"I've been coming to Qingdao to swim every year since I was small. I would always swim in the sea, but after these past two years, it's no longer good."
Though green algae is not believed to be poisonous, it can consume large amounts of oxygen and threaten marine life.
Beach workers, volunteers, and visitors helped clean a carpet of algae about 1,300 feet long and 98 feet wide, China's state-run media reported.
Local maritime agencies believe that rising water temperatures have supported the algae's rapid growth, according to state media.
This isn't the first time the green algae has plagued the coastal city. In 2008, tens of thousands of tons of algae were removed before the sailing events for the Olympics.
