Blog Archives
June Grass Update for Walton County & Okaloosa 6/10/13:AM
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.
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!
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!
June Grass Update for Walton County 6/3/13:AM
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.
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!
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!
June Grass Update for Walton County 5/30/13:AM
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.
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!
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!
June Grass Update Sunday Afternoon
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.
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!
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!
Concentrated patches of june grass but not too bad…Photo by Hubby
Clearer water further away from the beach…Photo by Hubby
June Grass Update Middle of Memorial Day Weekend
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.
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!
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!
June Grass Update Beginning of Memorial Day Weekend
June grass update for Walton County 5/24/13:PM
0.5-2 on the June Grass Grossness Index.
I had my inaugural Gulf of Mexico swim on Monday and the water was warm and crystal clear so I was hoping to be able to deliver a June Grass Report of ZERO for Memorial Day weekend, but alas that is not to be the case. June Grass is fickle and when I went for a swim at about 6:30 this evening there was some sargassum up on the beach and some June Grass. Most of the June grass was pushed up in the shallows and as I waded out to the first sandbar it pretty much disappeared. The moon is full tonight so the tide was WAY out and I could walk out to the first sandbar without getting wet much above my knees. The water was also a bit cooler today, but still nice, and the wind was coming from the North.
I had my diving mask with me so I looked around underwater for awhile. I saw a tiny flounder about 3″ long and then as I was getting out to leave I saw a big fish jump in the air three times way out past the second sandbar. There were also a number of shorebirds around. Speaking of wildlife: shore birds and sea turtles are currently nesting on our beaches! Please respect them and follow any regulations pertaining to wildlife. The beach is for everybody! Also please use your common sense and best judgement while having fun at the beach this weekend!
I was out on Okaloosa Island Monday morning and saw a few rafts of sargassum in the East Pass, but it looked nice otherwise. When I was out there this morning it looked like Crab Island was getting ready for the weekend.
At the time this report was made the beach flags were yellow, 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!
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!
June Grass Update
June grass update for Walton County 7/17/12:AM
0 on the June Grass Grossness Index.
Ok, maybe I should rename it the sargassum report because we have loads of that and it is getting a bit whiffy down on the beach, but not awful. Yesterday, while stuck in traffic on the Destin bridge I saw an enormous raft of sargassum in the pass. I am curious to see what an afternoon of thunderstorms from the North does to the sargassum and June Grass situations.
At the time this report was made the beach flags were yellow and purple, but check them again before you head to 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!
The June Grass Report 