Submitted by Rachel Meier on the 2018 winter session program in Barbados sponsored by the Department of Geography…
There is a spot on the South/West coast of Barbados called the “Hot Pot.” This is essentially a section of beach behind a powerplant, where the hot water from the cooling tanks flows into the Caribbean. Locals like to swim in this water because it’s warm and some people seem to think that it has medicinal properties. Unfortunately, the hot pot is very dangerous and multiple people have died here. For one, the pipe where the water flows out is just about the size of a small human and children dare each other to swim into it. Of course, there is nowhere to go in the pipe and a few children have gotten stuck and drowned. Also, the water flows out very quickly and people swimming in the hot pot have been washed out to sea. Visiting this spot, I was scared to even dip my toe in the water (but it was pretty warm.) Nonetheless, this area remains open to the public and probably will indefinitely.