With the scholastic year coming to an end, and with temperatures rising, more and more people will be flocking to the seaside for a swim and for, hopefully, a breeze.

It is that time of the year when many people enter into holiday mode. Many, including people working for the government, will start working half-days; others will have a summer shutdown, while some will use most of their vacation leave between now and September.

It is to be expected that beaches will be a popular place to be, both during the day and also in the evenings. Many enjoy a swim even when it gets dark.

An NGO, Nature Trust, recently issued a statement to appeal to beach users to use these public areas in a responsible manner.

Many do so, it said, but then there are “small irresponsible groups” who tend to flood beaches with noise and light pollution, and at times fireworks too. This could be a nuisance to other beach-goers but, most of all, scare marine turtles. While other countries are experiencing turtle nestling, no such thing has happened in Malta this year so far.

The NGO is correct in its appeal. Over the past years we have seen a number of occasions in which turtles come ashore to lay their eggs, with the area then being protected by volunteers until the nestlings hatch. We do hope that there will be other such occasions this summer too.

But behaving responsibly on the beach is not only important for the course of nature. It is a sign of respect towards others who want to enjoy themselves without being annoyed, sometimes harassed, by others who believe that public places belong to them only.

Too often one comes across groups with loud music blaring at a high volume, for example. Others, then, are too “loud” in whatever they do. They seem to want to tell everyone what subject they are discussing. Many also challenge the law by holding barbecues in areas where it is not recommended, or even prohibited. Not to mention the mess they leave behind in terms of empty cartons and bottles, used tissues, cigarette butts and whatnot.

Public places, including beaches, are there for everyone’s enjoyment, not for the few who seem to think they have some sacrosanct right above everyone else. One can enjoy a day or evening out at the beach without annoying others through excessive shouting, wrongful disposal of unwanted items and general misbehaviour.

This goes for children too – parents or guardians should see that they do not irritate other people enjoying some free time. It happens too often that children playing with water guns and running on the sand are an irritation to other patrons trying to have some hours of peace.

And, as Covid-19 restrictions continue to be eased, it is still pertinent to point out that one should still be careful. The pandemic is not over yet, and other countries where it seemed under control are now experiencing a surge.

We should all enjoy our summer – but without annoying others, and being careful not to see Covid-19 numbers shoot up again.