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June Grass Update for Walton County 6/15/13:PM

June grass update for Walton County 6/15/13:PM

0-1 on the June Grass Grossness Index.

Where is everybody? I’ve been watching the beach cameras all day. I don’t usually go to the beach in the middle of the day because I have very very pale skin, so I was watching and waiting. The beaches were nearly empty, despite the nice weather today, so I thought maybe the June Grass was really bad. I felt compelled to go look and post a report. All I found was a few random bits of June Grass and some sargassum!

I decided to go out with my boogie board and discovered that there is a good longshore current going parallel to the beach as the wind and waves are coming from ESE. Novice swimmers and small children should NOT go in the water right now. Not only is the longshore current quite strong, but there is a good potential for rip currents to form. If you don’t know what you’re looking for/at don’t go in! The water was a nice temperature, a bit turbid due to the surf, the surf is about chest-high on me in waist deep water, there were lots of small bait fish and nothing stung me despite the purple flag. I was pleased to note that the trash was in the trash cans and not on the beach! I overheard two small children talking with their parents:

Kid: Whoever made the beach…

Parent: That would be God…

Kid: IS AWESOME!

At the time this report was made the beach flags were yellow and purple, but check them again before you head to the beach.

I would love it if you would share your personal June Grass and beach condition reports on the Most Recent June Grass Sightings & Beach Conditions page, to further improve the June Grass Report. It would also be great if you left a comment to tell me where you’re traveling from to visit the beach!

If there isn’t a current June Grass report up on this site I suggest checking the link to local beach cams on the left side of this page. They can often give you an idea of what the water is like. It is also important to “Know Before You Go” and check local beach flags. They are updated twice daily at 9:30am and 1:30pm.

PLEASE ENJOY THE BEACH RESPONSIBLY!

Posted in Beach Activities, Beach Conditions, June Grass, Weather

2 Comments

Tags: 30-A, beach, beach flags, beach update, beaches of south walton, big sand holes, bird watching, boogie board, Caribbean Sea, Choctawhatchee Bay, cladophora algae, clement taylor park destin, coffeen preserve, crab island, destin, dive skins, dune lakes, Emerald Coast, fishing, fl panhandle, florida panhandle, free diving, frigate birds, ghost crabs, gulf islands national seashore, Gulf of Mexico, jellies, june grass forecast, june grass update, kayaking, larvaceans, longshore current, marine, metal detecting, northwest florida, ocean, okaloosa island, olive shells, paddle boarding, rip tide, salt water, san destin, sand, sandestin, sandestin florida, santa rosa beach florida, sargassum, scenic highway 30-A, SCUBA, SCUBA diving, sea, sea kayaking, sea lice, shells, shore bird nesting, shore birds, skin diving, snorkeling, south walton florida, sowal, sport fish, stallworth, stand up paddle boarding, stingray, SUP, surf, surf fishing, surfing, swimming, terns, Topsail Hill State Park, Topsail Hill State Park Preserve, trash, underwater photography, underwater videography, uv protective swimwear, visibility, walton county florida, waves, wind

June Grass Update for Walton County 6/12/13:AM

Jun 12

Posted by June Grass

June grass update for Four Mile Village/Coffeen,THPSP, and Stallworth Blvd./S. Bishop Public Access-Walton County 6/12/13:AM

0 on the June Grass Grossness Index.

The water is still a bit murky but looks nice otherwise. I got to see a track from a nesting sea turtle on the beach and a few shorebirds. There were a couple of stingrays in the water close to shore, so mind your feet. Apparently there are jellies around too. Most of the sargassum is off the beach too. It’s supposed to stay nice for the weekend according to the latest weather forecast, but that might change in five minutes.

I PICKED UP ABOUT 9 MILLION PIECES OF TRASH, MOSTLY BEER CONTAINERS AND CUPS, AND I STILL DIDN’T GET ALL OF IT! PLEASE PICK UP YOUR OWN TRASH AND DON’T THROW IT IN THE GULF! IF THE TRASH CAN IS OVERFLOWING PACK YOUR TRASH OUT WITH YOU, SINCE YOU CARRIED IT DOWN TO THE BEACH ANYWAY!

I also found a second dead baby corn snake on the bike path for the week. DO NOT KILL SNAKES ON PUBLIC LAND! IT IS ILLEGAL! CORN SNAKES ARE HARMLESS EVEN IF THEY LOOK SLIGHTLY LIKE CORAL SNAKES, WHICH WE DON’T HAVE AROUND HERE! Leave the snakes alone, they aren’t interested in biting you. Snakes eat rodents. Rodents carry diseases like Hanta virus, which we do have around here. Rodents are attracted to trash, so pick up your trash and don’t kill snakes!

Sorry for all the caps, since I am pretty sure June Grass Report aficionados would never do any of the aforementioned stuff, but I bet folks wouldn’t like me doing the aforementioned stuff in their backyards and might even feel a bit screechy about it.

It was really neat to get to see the turtle track and nest this morning. I also saw a lot of big holes in the sand on the beach, which apparently kids dug yesterday. It’s fine for kids to dig holes and I heartily encourage it, but they need to be filled in when you leave the for two reasons: they can catch and harm nesting turtles and hatchlings and they present a hazard to public safety and conservation personnel who drive on the beach as part of their duties. Also be sure to watch your little ones when they dig big holes so the sand doesn’t collapse on them, which can be very dangerous.

At the time this report was made the beach flags were yellow and purple, but check them again before you head to the beach.

I would love it if you would share your personal June Grass and beach condition reports in the comments section. It would also be great if you left a comment to tell me where you’re traveling from to visit the beach!

PLEASE ENJOY THE BEACH RESPONSIBLY!

Posted in Beach Activities, Beach Conditions, June Grass, Weather

2 Comments

Tags: 30-A, beach, beach flags, beach update, beaches of south walton, big sand holes, bird watching, Caribbean Sea, Choctawhatchee Bay, cladophora algae, clement taylor park destin, coffeen preserve, crab island, destin, dive skins, dune lakes, Emerald Coast, fishing, fl panhandle, florida panhandle, free diving, frigate birds, ghost crabs, gulf islands national seashore, Gulf of Mexico, jellies, june grass forecast, june grass update, kayaking, larvaceans, marine, metal detecting, northwest florida, ocean, okaloosa island, olive shells, paddle boarding, rip tide, salt water, san destin, sand, sandestin, sandestin florida, santa rosa beach florida, sargassum, scenic highway 30-A, SCUBA, SCUBA diving, sea, sea kayaking, sea lice, shells, shore bird nesting, shore birds, skin diving, snorkeling, south walton florida, sowal, sport fish, stallworth, stand up paddle boarding, stingray, SUP, surf fishing, surfing, swimming, terns, Topsail Hill State Park, Topsail Hill State Park Preserve, trash, underwater photography, underwater videography, uv protective swimwear, visibility, walton county florida, waves, wind

June Grass Update for Walton County & Okaloosa 6/10/13:AM

Jun 10

Posted by June Grass

June grass update for THPSP-Walton County, Clement Taylor Park (bayside), Crab Island and Gulf Shores National Seashore Okaloosa Island(bayside)-Okaloosa County 6/10/13:AM

0 on the June Grass Grossness Index.

I stopped at the beach during my workout and there was no sign of June grass despite yesterday’s storm. It was quite a strong storm since some frigate birds were patrolling near the beach. Normally they stay way offshore in the Gulf and I’ve only seen them come to shore when we have tropical storms. The waves are still pretty big and there is another series of thunderstorms coming from the west so strongly I recommend skipping the beach today.

On the way to work I stopped at Clement Taylor Park in Destin and had a look around. Choctawhatchee Bay seems pretty calm but that is no reason to be complacent. Crab Island and the National Seashore also appeared June grass free. The water was as flat as a pancake on the bay side of Okaloosa Island but I’d stay out of it with the thunderstorm approaching. Getting struck by lightening is more common than you’d think.

Two more people drowned yesterday, so I really recommend staying out of the water until we get the yellow flags back.

At the time this report was made the beach flags were red, but check them again before you head to the beach.

PLEASE ENJOY THE BEACH RESPONSIBLY!

Posted in Beach Activities, Beach Conditions, June Grass, Weather

1 Comment

Tags: 30-A, beach, beach flags, beach update, beaches of south walton, bird watching, Caribbean Sea, Choctawhatchee Bay, cladophora algae, clement taylor park destin, coffeen preserve, crab island, destin, dive skins, dune lakes, Emerald Coast, fishing, fl panhandle, florida panhandle, free diving, frigate birds, ghost crabs, gulf islands national seashore, Gulf of Mexico, jellies, june grass forecast, june grass update, kayaking, larvaceans, marine, metal detecting, northwest florida, ocean, okaloosa island, olive shells, paddle boarding, rip tide, salt water, san destin, sand, sandestin, sandestin florida, santa rosa beach florida, sargassum, scenic highway 30-A, SCUBA, SCUBA diving, sea, sea kayaking, sea lice, shells, shore bird nesting, shore birds, skin diving, snorkeling, south walton florida, sowal, sport fish, stallworth, stand up paddle boarding, stingray, SUP, surf fishing, surfing, swimming, terns, Topsail Hill State Park, Topsail Hill State Park Preserve, underwater photography, underwater videography, uv protective swimwear, visibility, walton county florida, waves, wind

June Grass Update for Walton County 6/8/13:AM

Jun 8

Posted by June Grass

June grass update for Walton County 6/8/13:AM

0 on the June Grass Grossness Index.

I went down to the beach just now, even though the Gulf sounded angry. Actually the waves weren’t especially big. Perhaps the cool still air amplified the sound of the surf breaking on the beach. The water is still murky from the storm but no sign of June grass. The waves are about the right size for boogie boarding right now. I stuck my feet in the water and it’s currently warmer than the air. I saw a flock of ibises, a squirrel, and a (harmless) corn snake crossing the path on the way down to the beach. Keep in mind that it is illegal to kill snakes on public lands in Florida!

At the time this report was made the beach flags were yellow, but check them again before you head to the beach.

PLEASE ENJOY THE BEACH RESPONSIBLY!

Posted in Beach Activities, Beach Conditions, June Grass, Weather

1 Comment

Tags: 30-A, beach, beach flags, beach update, beaches of south walton, bird watching, Caribbean Sea, Choctawhatchee Bay, cladophora algae, coffeen preserve, destin, dive skins, dune lakes, Emerald Coast, fishing, fl panhandle, florida panhandle, free diving, ghost crabs, Gulf of Mexico, jellies, june grass forecast, june grass update, kayaking, larvaceans, marine, metal detecting, northwest florida, ocean, olive shells, paddle boarding, rip tide, salt water, san destin, sand, sandestin, sandestin florida, santa rosa beach florida, sargassum, scenic highway 30-A, SCUBA, SCUBA diving, sea, sea kayaking, sea lice, shells, shore bird nesting, shore birds, skin diving, snorkeling, south walton florida, sowal, sport fish, stallworth, stand up paddle boarding, stingray, SUP, surf fishing, surfing, swimming, terns, Topsail Hill State Park, Topsail Hill State Park Preserve, underwater photography, underwater videography, uv protective swimwear, visibility, walton county florida, waves, wind

June Grass Update for Walton County 6/7/13:AM

Jun 7

Posted by June Grass

June grass update for Walton County: Stallworth Public Access to Coffeen Preserve 6/7/13:AM

0 on the June Grass Grossness Index.

The Gulf was much calmer this morning than it has been all week and the water was reopened on a yellow flag. The water was murky from the storm surge but I didn’t spot any june grass. The storm surge brought a lot of sargassum onto the beach, all the way up to the dune line, and it is a bit stinky. It will probably only get stinkier as the hot weather persists. Baby shorebirds are hatching so be careful where you step! I saw a lot of ghost crabs this morning along with least terns and a bunch of gulls.

At the time this report was made the beach flags were yellow, but check them again before you head to the beach.

PLEASE ENJOY THE BEACH RESPONSIBLY!

Posted in Beach Activities, Beach Conditions, June Grass, Weather

June Grass Update for Walton County 6/3/13:AM

Jun 3

Posted by June Grass

June grass update for Walton County 6/3/13:AM

0 on the June Grass Grossness Index.

I wanted to go swimming this morning but the anticipated north wind was actually a west wind, so I opted to walk the beach between the Stallworth public access and the THPSP main access. I could have gone swimming but the water was murky, from the surf, and I usually swim to see fish. There was quite a lot of sargassum in the water and a bit on the beach. There were also a ton of small jelly-bodied organisms, which I think were larvaceans, washed up on the sand. Don’t worry: these organisms don’t sting. There were a couple of surf fishers in the water and three boats offshore. The were a pair of ruddy turnstones on the beach and the usual assortment of gulls.

At the time this report was made the beach flags were yellow and purple, but check them again before you head to the beach.

PLEASE ENJOY THE BEACH RESPONSIBLY!

Posted in Beach Activities, Beach Conditions, June Grass, Weather

1 Comment

Tags: 30-A, beach, beach flags, beach update, beaches of south walton, bird watching, Caribbean Sea, Choctawhatchee Bay, cladophora algae, destin, dive skins, dune lakes, Emerald Coast, fishing, fl panhandle, florida panhandle, free diving, Gulf of Mexico, jellies, june grass forecast, june grass update, kayaking, larvaceans, marine, metal detecting, northwest florida, ocean, olive shells, paddle boarding, rip tide, salt water, san destin, sand, sandestin, sandestin florida, santa rosa beach florida, sargassum, scenic highway 30-A, SCUBA, SCUBA diving, sea, sea kayaking, sea lice, shells, skin diving, snorkeling, south walton florida, sowal, sport fish, stallworth, stand up paddle boarding, stingray, SUP, surf fishing, surfing, swimming, Topsail Hill State Park, Topsail Hill State Park Preserve, underwater photography, underwater videography, uv protective swimwear, visibility, walton county florida, waves, wind

June Grass Update for Walton County 5/30/13:AM

May 30

Posted by June Grass

June grass update for Walton County 5/30/13:AM

0 on the June Grass Grossness Index.

While I was out exercising this morning I stopped by the beach just to check. I had absolutely no intention of swimming because the synergistic effects of the shift in winds Monday, the new weather front that just moved in, and our soft ever-shifting sand bars have resulted in a Rip Current Statement for the area.

DON’T BE STUPID. I’m a moderately good swimmer, I SCUBA and freedive, and I’ve gone island-hopping ocean kayaking in the past. I don’t get in the water when there is a red flag. If it is really hot (which it is not right now, in fact the Panhandle is downright balmy for this time of year), I may stick my feet in to cool off, but otherwise I find something else to do. Your life, and your kids’ lives, are worth more than whatever you paid to vacation or buy a house here. I’m working on a list, to be posted later this summer, of alternative things to do in the area in case of red and double red flags.

The yellow flies are still ATROCIOUS within a mile of the beach but they don’t appear to be biting on the beach. By “atrocious” I mean I was riding my bike and still getting attacked. There is some sargassum on the beach, but don’t let it bother you. I don’t know why the purple flag is up. I did see a stingray the other day and I got stung by the broken bits of jellies called “sea lice” around here.

At the time this report was made the beach flags were red and purple, but check them again before you head to the beach.

PLEASE ENJOY THE BEACH RESPONSIBLY!

Posted in Beach Activities, Beach Conditions, June Grass, Weather

2 Comments

Tags: 30-A, beach, beach flags, beach update, beaches of south walton, bird watching, Caribbean Sea, Choctawhatchee Bay, cladophora algae, destin, dive skins, dune lakes, Emerald Coast, fishing, fl panhandle, florida panhandle, free diving, Gulf of Mexico, jellies, june grass forecast, june grass update, kayaking, marine, metal detecting, northwest florida, ocean, olive shells, paddle boarding, rip tide, salt water, san destin, sand, sandestin, sandestin florida, santa rosa beach florida, sargassum, scenic highway 30-A, SCUBA, SCUBA diving, sea, sea kayaking, sea lice, shells, skin diving, snorkeling, south walton florida, sowal, sport fish, stand up paddle boarding, stingray, SUP, surf fishing, surfing, swimming, Topsail Hill State Park, Topsail Hill State Park Preserve, underwater photography, underwater videography, uv protective swimwear, visibility, walton county florida, waves, wind

June Grass Update Memorial Day

May 27

Posted by June Grass

June grass update for Walton County 5/27/13:AM

0-1 on the June Grass Grossness Index.

I went down to the beach early thinking the water would be flat. It wasn’t. I didn’t feel like swimming. I did stick my feet in though and the temperature was nice. The waves were making the water very turbid and I saw quite a bit of sargassum but no june grass. I am giving a tentative 1 on the report and going kayaking in the bay instead. The fishermen were up on the beach in their chairs today, instead of in the water, but they seemed to be having a good time. There were two ruddy turnstones and a TON OF TRASH on the beach as well! Please pick up after yourself! The waning moon was pretty in the sky over the beach if you get out there early enough to see it. If you are on the beach this evening about half an hour after sunset you should be able to see a conjunction of Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter low in the Western sky.

If you don’t get up early, you’re stuck in traffic, it’s hot, and your kids are squawking before you lose your temper STOP and REMEMBER that men and women have died to protect your freedom, including your beach-going lifestyle. Beach, barbecues, and fun are all well and good but they aren’t the reason for this holiday. Happy Memorial Day!

At the time this report was made the beach flags were yellow, but check them again before you head to the beach.

PLEASE ENJOY THE BEACH RESPONSIBLY!

Posted in Beach Activities, Beach Conditions, June Grass, Weather

1 Comment

Tags: 30-A, beach, beach update, beaches of south walton, bird watching, Caribbean Sea, Choctawhatchee Bay, cladophora algae, destin, dive skins, dune lakes, Emerald Coast, fishing, fl panhandle, florida panhandle, free diving, Gulf of Mexico, jellies, june grass forecast, june grass update, kayaking, marine, metal detecting, northwest florida, ocean, olive shells, paddle boarding, salt water, san destin, sand, sandestin, sandestin florida, santa rosa beach florida, sargassum, scenic highway 30-A, SCUBA, SCUBA diving, sea, sea kayaking, sea lice, shells, skin diving, snorkeling, south walton florida, sowal, sport fish, stand up paddle boarding, stingray, SUP, surf fishing, surfing, swimming, Topsail Hill State Park, Topsail Hill State Park Preserve, underwater photography, underwater videography, uv protective swimwear, visibility, walton county florida, waves, wind

June Grass Update Sunday Afternoon

May 26

Posted by June Grass

June grass update for Walton County 5/26/13:PM

0.5-3.5 on the June Grass Grossness Index.

My husband and I went for an evening swim. The wind had shifted to the Southeast and there were some moderate waves. Nice for some gentle body surfing, not so nice because they brought the June Grass back in. Fortunately it was only very concentrated in patches. The water was still a nice temperature, although I did find a few cold spots as we swam. We saw a school of ladyfish and some sort of jacks. I also noticed some live olive shells on the bottom, something I’ve never seen here before. We stayed in about 6-7′ of water in between the two sandbars. I have two new swimsuits from Ecostinger and unfortunately I chose to wear the shorty (instead of the full skin) and got stung on the calf by “sea lice”, so keep that in mind. I also got stung on the lip and hubby got several stings as well. Hubby saw a turtle and we both saw a small stingray.

At the time this report was made the beach flags were yellow, but check them again before you head to the beach.

PLEASE ENJOY THE BEACH RESPONSIBLY!

Concentrated patches of june grass but not too bad…Photo by Hubby

Clearer water further away from the beach…Photo by Hubby

Posted in Beach Activities, Beach Conditions, June Grass, Weather

June Grass Update Middle of Memorial Day Weekend

May 26

Posted by June Grass

June grass update for Walton County 5/26/13:AM

0 on the June Grass Grossness Index.

While I was having my morning bike ride I stopped at the beach to have a look around. The water looks great! Small waves with a North wind and very clear. There were a lot of surf fishermen, in about chest deep water around the first sandbar, who seemed to be having a good time. I didn’t stick my feet in but the water must be nice if they were out in it so early, especially since the air was nice and cool last night. For the birdwatchers: I saw a ruddy turnstone at the beach. There was also a gentleman enjoying some early morning metal detecting on the sand. I also stopped by one of the dune lakes on my ride and the fishermen there were catching 1-2.5 pound bass, so if you don’t feel like fighting the crowds at the beach today the dune lakes could be a fun option.

At the time this report was made the beach flags were yellow, but check them again before you head to the beach.

PLEASE ENJOY THE BEACH RESPONSIBLY!