Strolling on the beach with the sparkling azure waters of the Caribbean lapping over your feet is the sort of holiday many can only dream of.
But now it’s possible much closer to home – in Norfolk.
Visitors to the resort of Cromer have been struck by the dazzling pale blue colour of the sea and compared it to the tropical paradise.
Officials have revealed the extraordinary transformation from the usual drab, grey colour of the North Sea is due to work on the area’s coastal defences.
Workers excavating into the seabed below the beach have exposed a layer of chalk sediment which is mixing with the water above and changing its hue.
Visitors to the resort of Cromer have been struck by the dazzling pale blue colour of the sea
Officials have revealed the extraordinary transformation from the usual drab, grey colour of the North Sea is due to work on the area’s coastal defences
Visitors marvelling at the sight included Suzanne Allsopp-Franklin, who was on a day trip to the resort with her family and said: ‘The water looked amazing… so beautiful and nothing like how I have seen it before.’
Another tourist, Joanna Durdell, added: ‘I spent a lot of time there with my grandparents as a child and have never seen the sea such a rare shade of blue.’
Contractors are building a revetment, or retaining wall, to reinforce the coastline between Cromer and Mundesley a few miles away.
The sloping structure is made of boulders that have been brought by barge from a Scottish quarry and will absorb the impact of the waves and protect the seawall behind it.
The workers are digging a hole up to 15ft deep to create a secure base for the revetment, which happens to be in an area known as the Cromer Shoal Chalk Beds – the world’s longest chalk reef which stretches more than 20 miles along the coast, from Weybourne to Happisburgh.
Pictured, a general view of the seaside in Cromer, Norfolk. Visitors and locals have been struck by the blue waters
Workers excavating into the seabed below the beach have exposed a layer of chalk sediment which is mixing with the water above and changing its hue
The rugged bed – designated a Marine Conservation Zone in 2016 – creates the perfect habitat for Cromer’s famous crabs, providing a livelihood for local fishermen and hours of fun for excited children armed with buckets and lines.
However, while the Caribbean feel of the sea will be complemented by blue skies over the weekend and 25C temperatures on Monday, it will not last, unfortunately.
A North Norfolk District Council spokeswoman said: ‘The change in the colour of the sea at Cromer is due to the chalk below the beach.
‘The rock is being founded in the chalk layer, which requires excavations as deep as 4.5m for the rock to be placed.
Cromer became a fashionable resort in the early 19th century with visitors including Edward VII
‘This is natural sediment, which does not adversely affect water quality. It merely makes the water a lighter colour, particularly notable in the recent sunshine.’
Cromer became a fashionable resort in the early 19th century with visitors including Edward VII.
It features in novels such as Jane Austen’s Emma and North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell, and notable people from the area include inventor Sir James Dyson, who was born there.
Attractions include the late-Victorian pier, which is 495ft long and home to the Pavilion Theatre.