Blog Archives
Happy 4th of July from the Beach
Happy Independence Day everyone! I’m at THPSP in Santa Rosa Beach right now. The Gulf is rough but the wind feels nice. I think the flags will be red today but the official word isn’t out yet. Anyway if it does stay yellow I would say keep kiddos out of the water and adults be very cautious. I’m not going in. The weird red blob of seaweed is still here but otherwise pretty clear 1-2 on the Grossness Index.
I really need beach pics from all over the Panhandle and AL today, so I can give the best beach updates possible. Please send pics to junegrasspics AT g mail DOT com Thanks and have a wonderful holiday!
The Water Looks Nice in Miramar Beach
Thank you Trish for these photos from Sandestin. It looks like nice boogie boarding conditions. I hope it stays that way until I’m done with work!
The Calm After the Storm
I had a swim at THPSP. The water was nice, although a bit stirred up from the storm last night. There were a few random pieces of June grass that I’d rate a 1 or less. Sorry: no pics I was too busy swimming! There is presently a cool current running right along the beach but I waded out up to my neck and the water warmed up. I hope it stays nice for the weekend! The yellow flies and mosquitoes are biting but they’re not on the beach.
Quick Update
I went to the beach at THPSP last night. Flags were yellow and purple, but I didn’t see any jellies and I haven’t heard anything about more sharks than usual in the area. I have no idea what the purple flag was for. I tried boogie boarding but it was a bit too rough for me. If the waves are still coming in I recommend that adults use good judgment in the water but keep the kiddos at less than knee deep. I saw absolutely no June grass so let’s hope it stays that way for the weekend! There’s a bit of sargassum but nothing gross or annoying. Have a fun beach weekend!
THPSP
I had a quick look around the beach at sunset and soaked my feet for a bit. There are no dead fish here. The Gulf is very warm. The wind has shifted to the south and kicked up the waves a bit but there actually seems to be less June grass than yesterday midday. I’m rating it a 2-3 on the Grossness Index, down from up to a 4 yesterday. There are TONS of mole crabs in the surf, so don’t bother buying bait if you come to fish. I heard a man say he caught a couple of whiting Saturday.
Live from Destin
Thank you Clay for sending in this report and pic:
“I have been here at El Matador at the end of Okaloosa Island since Saturday. A little algae and some grass out in the water but nothing to complain about. In my opinion you would have to go too far to be safe to get to the bulk of it. My grossness scale would be “0”. As far as the fish kill, there are dead fish. At first i thought it was some left over bait a fisherman discarded but soon realized i was wrong. Its not like they are all over the place but they are here. Nothing too bad though.”
Fish Kill on Okaloosa Island
I keep getting reports that there is June grass and a fish kill on Okaloosa Island. If anybody has pics (just for confirmation, dead fish are gross) please send them in. I haven’t been to the Sowal beaches today. Yesterday there was a bit of June grass but not a day ruiner. There are green flags again today, so hopefully somebody will confirm that it’s still fairly nice here. I also keep getting reports that Pensacola is nice and grass-free. Please check the POST BEACH CONDITIONS HERE! link for the most current reports from the beach.
THPSP Friday Afternoon
0 on the Grossness Index! It’s a beautiful day at the beach. The flags are yellow and wind is from the southwest. There are small waves coming in but it’s nice for swimming. I’ve been swimming with the baby pompano for a long time! I had more than 50 around me at one point! I don’t remember ever seeing this many before, so hopefully in a few years there will be a nice population built up. The water is warm and pretty clear even with the wind and waves. Remember that day use entry, parking and tram are free this summer.
The June Grass Report 