Like many beach lovers, I always paid attention to the familiar warning flags before heading into the water. Green meant conditions were calm, yellow reminded swimmers to be cautious, and red signaled dangerous surf. But for years, one flag left me completely puzzled—the purple flag.
I had seen it fluttering on a few beaches but never knew what it meant. Assuming it was just another part of the beach’s color system, I didn’t give it much thought. That changed when I finally discovered its true purpose.
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