Seeking Healing on Marunda Beach: Between Local Beliefs and Medical Explanations

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Several residents believe that bathing in the sea at Marunda Beach, Cilincing, North Jakarta, can cure various diseases.

However, doctors warn that the benefits of seawater are scientifically limited and cannot replace medical treatment.

One resident, Mardwi (56), claims to have experienced benefits after regularly bathing at Marunda Beach. He says that his skin condition improved after undergoing this therapy.

“Often, my wife and I were sick because we had an itchy skin condition, but here, thank God, we recovered,” said Mardwi when interviewed at the location on Wednesday (25/2/2026).

The health therapy guide at Marunda Beach, Abdullah (52), also claims that many people with various diseases have experienced improvement after bathing regularly.

“Many people have been cured, with various illnesses. It’s impossible to say how many times, it depends on each individual’s body. With this kind of treatment, some people need it once, three times, seven times, it all depends,” he said.

He said that most visitors come with complaints such as stroke, pinched nerves, shortness of breath, and other diseases.

A General Practitioner from Pondok Indah - Bintaro Jaya Hospital, Muliadi Limanjaya, refuted the claim that bathing in seawater can cure various diseases.

“It is not accurate to say that it cures various diseases,” said Muliadi in a written statement received by Kompas.com on Wednesday.

He explained that bathing or swimming in the sea is more appropriately described as complementary therapy that can help relieve certain symptoms, especially for skin problems and muscle or joint complaints.

Seawater has not been proven to cure internal diseases such as diabetes, cancer, infections, or coronary heart disease.

According to him, the benefits of bathing can be more noticeable if accompanied by other factors such as measured exposure to sunlight (UV), relaxation, light physical activity, sea air (aerosol), and better sleep patterns.

Muliadi explained that several studies show that bathing in seawater can help reduce the severity of atopic dermatitis or eczema.