June grass update for Walton County 7/14/12:AM

0 on the June Grass Grossness Index. 

However, there is a lot of sargassum in the water. I imagine it was dragged in by the fairly strong storms we had yesterday afternoon. Sargassum won’t keep me from swimming since it isn’t slimy but you may feel otherwise. I personally like sargassum because if you look at it closely with a dive mask you can often find tiny triggerfish and even pipefish if you are really lucky.

Fishermen: there are a lot of coquina in the intertidal zone right now. I didn’t see any sand fleas but the sun was already pretty high in the sky and I don’t usually see them unless it is very early or later in the evening.

The water is a little cooler than it was in my last report, probably from the rain, but still a lovely temperature. There is a stiff breeze and the water is a bit choppy. There are also a number of thunderheads off shore, so do be mindful of them and the weather forecast for rain. Do NOT remain on the beach if you hear thunder. If you can hear thunder the storm is close enough that you can be struck by lightening. Lightening strikes are very common in this area. Don’t take any chances!

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!

June grass update for Walton County 7/11/12:PM

0 on the June Grass Grossness Index. 

We’ve had a LOT of thunderstorms moving through lately and I think they may be keeping the June Grass at bay. The water was really lovely this evening, nice and warm and a beautiful color with very small waves. I wish I’d gone swimming.

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!

June grass update for Walton County 7/6/12:PM

0 on the June Grass Grossness Index. 

I apologize for the lack of reports. I have not been well, which put me a little behind at work, plus I was taking a fishing workshop three evenings a week for two weeks, then Tropical Storm Debby and other bad weather have kept me off the beach.

However, I have just popped down to the beach for a few minutes and it is shaping up to be a lovely day. The storm this morning seems to have swept the June Grass away…for now. The water is a bit cool, but very nice, and a little choppy. The UV Index is 9, so use caution in that regard.

This photo nicely illustrates how the ocean “renourishes” the beach all by itself, naturally, without any interference. Have a look at past, even recent, photos of this bench.

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!

June grass update for Dune Allen Public Access 6/18/12:AM

0-2 on the June Grass Grossness Index. 

Weather is much the same as the last few days but with less wind and the waves seem to have died down a bit. I am cautiously optimistic about the water clarity.

At the time this report was made the beach flags were yellow, 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!

June grass update for Stallworth Public Access & Main THPSP Beach Access 6/17/12:AM

6-10 on the June Grass Grossness Index. 

Wind and water conditions are much the same as yesterday, but perhaps the waves are a bit bigger.

Flies are starting to congregate at the beach but they aren’t biting yellow flies, they look more like small barnyard flies and are a bit annoying.

There is a lot of trash on the beach, being tossed up from the waves, so a beach clean up might be a nice family activity today. Picnicing, frisbee/any other beach sport, or building sandcastles could also be fun. Take Dad to the beach! Happy Father’s Day to all the great dads out there!

I saw 5 least terns and 1 Forster’s tern on the beach, a few brown pelicans, and a flock of snowy egrets. Please remember that dogs are not allowed on state beaches and must be properly leashed and permitted on beaches where they are allowed.

Shorebird nesting season is starting and sea turtle nesting season has already begun. Please don’t let your pet, or children, harass wildlife but rather enjoy them from a distance.

Today’s suggested beach reading: “The Sea Brings Forth” by Jack Rudloe, a Florida Panhandle author.

At the time this report was made the beach flags were yellow, 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!

June grass update for Walton County 6/16/12:AM

5-8 on the June Grass Grossness Index. 

The wind is coming from the northeast and the waves are coming from the southeast (don’t ask me how that works). The June Grass is pretty concentrated in some areas and not as much in others.

The water is warm and it’s nice and sunny. It might be a good day for a little surfing or boogie boarding, but probably not SUP or kayaking, due to the wind pushing offshore, which can make it easy to capsize and hard to return to the beach. There was quite a lot of fish activity just off the beach including bait balls and larger fish jumping.

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!

June grass update for Walton County 6/13/12:AM

6 on the June Grass Grossness Index. 

Well it looks like the storms brought the June Grass in.

Speaking of storms: here is the high tide line for the surge from last weekend’s storms. Please don’t disregard the beach safety flags.

Finally: a deer enjoying the bounty of the dunes.

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 6/2/12:AM

2 on the June Grass Grossness Index. 

We’re back from another beach snorkel. Despite the surf forecast there are actually some pretty decent swells down there, so grab your boogie board, surf board, or SUP but mind the wind that could push you offshore. The June Grass isn’t at all bad and is still mostly on the bottom out in the surf, the swells have the vis down though, so not the best weekend for snorkelers and divers. The water is nice at about 79F. We saw two small pods of dolphins, a small flounder, and a lot of baitfish. If you are diving be sure you have your diver down flag (as required by state law), since we saw a fishing boat come VERY close to the beach. There is still a bit of sargassum around but no sea lice or jellies that I saw this morning. That may change when the wind shifts this afternoon. Have fun at 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.

PLEASE ENJOY THE BEACH RESPONSIBLY!

June grass update for Walton County May 27, PM:

1 on the June Grass Grossness Index. 

My husband and I went snorkeling at the beach around 5pm. The water visibility was decent and we swam out about 50 yards from the beach into about ten feet of water. I noticed a few dribs and drabs of June Grass along the bottom but none really in the water column. We saw a small southern stingray, a huge school of ladyfish, a couple of jellies, and a lot of gelatinous egg cases in the water. Close to the beach there was a distinctly cooler, somewhat murky, current of water but further out there was a very warm, clear current. This was where the eggs were and I ran into some sea lice, but nothing major, just annoying little stings. The water is probably 78-80F depending on which beach you’re at.

Please be SAFE, SMART, and CONSIDERATE this Memorial Day weekend at 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.

PLEASE ENJOY THE BEACH RESPONSIBLY!

June grass update for Walton County May 26, PM:

0 on the June Grass Grossness Index. 

This is technically a guest post. The UV Index is at 11, so I opted to stay indoors while my husband went for a  swim. He says there is no June Grass, most of the sargassum is gone, there are a few fish around, not many boats, and the water is nice.

Please be SAFE, SMART, and CONSIDERATE this Memorial Day weekend at 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.

PLEASE ENJOY THE BEACH RESPONSIBLY!