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Ponta Delgada, a long and perfect left
big-wave point break on Madeira, has
recently been destroyed by the construction
of a new jetty which completely bisects
the line-up. The construction of the
jetty occurred so quickly that environmental
organizations had no time to react. The
jetty was apparently built to protect
a newly constructed salt-water swimming
pool, which was rebuilt from a previously
surf-damaged pool at that location. The
government gave no public warning about
the project, and in typical fashion,
suppressed news about it from the public
in order to subdue opposition. The wave,
a fickle spot that broke only a few times
each year, was nonetheless a world-class
point when conditions were right. In
1995 during an unusually large succession
of west swells, the point did an accurate
impression of Mundaka Bay, with 200-yard
walls racing like freight trains down
the point. The wave was also the site
of numerous inter-island surf competitions,
and was a huge asset to the North Coast’s
beauty. The government, however, saw
more value in a swimming pool for tourists,
and carelessly destroyed a beautiful
natural wave in the process.
Save the Waves is a non-profit organization
dedicated to the protection of the
world's greatest coastal resources. Please
become a member by signing up HERE.
It's FREE, and by signing up you
will receive news on all of the latest
developments in our fight against harmful
development projects. Please help Save
the Waves campaign to undo the damage
done to the Madeiran coastline by sending
a donation. If you wish to make a tax-deductible
donation, please go to our Donation
Station. The staff and volunteers at
Save the Waves thank you for your support!
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