Gran Canaria
Tourists love sex in the dunes of Maspalomas – and thus destroy nature
The dunes of Maspalomas on Gran Canaria have been a nature reserve since 1987
© Emmanuele Contini / Picture Alliance
The dunes of Maspalomas on Gran Canaria are a popular sex spot. But nature suffers badly, researchers are now sounding the alarm.
The Maspalomas Dunes are considered one of the most popular places for tourists in Gran Canaria. The fantastically beautiful sand area on the south coast of the island is 404 hectares in size, and the landscape is reminiscent of a desert. But many visitors don’t just come there to enjoy nature. Apparently there are also many couples who have sex in the shifting dunes. And that is considered a big problem in Gran Canaria.
The lovers are said to be the reason that the ecosystem in the dunes is being destroyed more and more. This is the conclusion of a scientific study that appeared in the “Journal of Environmental Management” – under the telling title “Sand, Sun, Sex, Sea and Strangers”. In German: “Sand, sun, sex, sea and strangers.” During a gay pride festival on the island in May 2018, researchers investigated the effects of love acts on nature.
Lovers trample plants and leave their trash
They made a total of 298 “sex spots”. During sex and on the way to the popular spots and back again, both the wind-piled dunes, so-called nabkas, and eight plant species are “directly” affected, the scientists explain.
Many tourists inside would be very careless with the dunes: they leave their rubbish there, trample the vegetation, some even use the nature reserve as a toilet. This also applies to the areas in which access to the public is actually prohibited. This can have devastating consequences for the animals and plants in the area. The authors of the study report, for example, that specimens of the Gran Canaria giant lizard died after eating condoms that were left behind.
Sex in public can cause harm
Patrick Hesp from Flinders University in Australia, one of the authors of the study, makes it clear that the scientists are not interested in denouncing sex in public. But he also explains: “Unfortunately, what is fun for people can be bad for nature.” His appeal: “We are not calling for a ban on sex in public – but we want people to be aware of the damage they can do with it.”
Sources: CNN / “Journal of Environmental Management”