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Loading ...On June 13 I traveled to Laguna Beach, Florida, which sits on the Gulf of Mexico coast 2.5 miles north of Panama City Beach. With the exception of lime-colored algae that swallowed the sandbars and coastlines primarily in the afternoon, the water was clear and warm. Sea creatures including crabs, sting rays, a variety of fish, and an occasional baby shark busied themselves as normal along the shallows. Sea gulls and pelicans were noticeably not as present as usual for this time of year. People were in heavy tow, however, and I wondered if that many had revised their travel plans based on media reports that oil had reached Florida’s panhandle. By the week’s end though, the first of a few scattered tar balls and patches were spotted there, but no beaches in this particular area are closed to swimming or other water recreation such as sailing, kayaking, or parascending.
In mid June, most beaches in Florida’s panhandle including the Laguna Beach area were free of oil.
Current Florida closures as enforced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) include a portion of the 33% of Gulf of Mexico economic zone including 23 miles of Florida’s coastline and waters 9 nautical miles from the beaches of the Alabama state line to the Pensacola Beach water tower.
Since the spill began on April 20, an estimated 70.8 million to 137.6 million gallons have leaked into the Gulf of Mexico and currently in Florida, only Pensacola Beach is under closures and advisories. Here, catch-and-release fishing is allowed pending saltwater fish are not harvested. Swimming is also still allowed, but not advised. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection recommends not coming into contact with any products of the oil spill.
NOAA’s map shows federal fisheries closures beginning an estimated 9 nautical miles out from beaches.
Although NOAA states no oil is moving toward the area of warm water that comes up from the Caribbean, the loop current, hurricane season makes it impossible to know how the leaking oil will behave as the summer progresses. However, about 90% of Florida beaches remain open for recreation and water sports. For the southeastern part of the country, most of Florida as well as the Atlantic coast beaches continue to welcome beachgoers. Visit http://www.floridabeachesguide.com/ to see lists of the state’s best beaches for eco-tourism; family; and scuba, snorkel, and surfing.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection recommends visiting their website, www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon for updates before planning a trip, and the state’s beach cities encourage vacationers to visit and continue to contribute to the areas’ livelihoods that have been so poorly affected by the tragic oil spill.
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I'm in the Tampa area and we are suffering even though we have not experienced any oil effects. It is just when you here Florida people think all of Florida is effected, which it is not.