Beach Archive

This weekend, Pensacola Beach will be buzzing with excitement as swimmers and firefighters from across the country gather to compete in two premier events on the island.

Two teenage swimmers were in distress March 31 around 4 p.m. when Navarre Beach lifeguards responded.

The lifeguards rescued the teenagers, who had been caught in a rip current.

Seashell collecting is a popular pastime for beachgoers across Florida.

Along the Emerald Coast, common finds include alphabet cones, Venus shells, lightning whelks, scallop shells, clam shells and Florida fighting conches. While the names may be unfamiliar to some, the appearance of these shells is recognizable to many Floridians.

A series of dolphin deaths in the Florida Panhandle has raised concerns and prompted an investigation by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

As of March 23, 44 dolphins have washed ashore in the Florida Panhandle this year. Since March 1, 23 dolphins have stranded from Escambia to Gulf counties, with most occurring between March 6 and 11 in Bay and Gulf counties. Many of the dolphins have died.

Spring is upon us, and that means warmer temperatures both above and below the waves of Navarre Beach.

The increased temperatures will more than likely mean more sea turtles. While sea turtles are a welcome sight for beachgoers, their presence near the fishing pier can spell trouble.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is investigating potential munitions and other military-related hazards across a 138,465-acre area that includes Pensacola Bay, Fort Pickens and parts of the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the area is underwater.

The Navarre Beach Lifeguards returned to a foggy Navarre Beach Saturday, March 7.

The lifeguards will be looking to follow up a successful 2025, which saw over 1.9 million visitors, 1.5 million preventative actions, 6,337 assists and zero drownings.

Most days, jumping off the Navarre Beach Fishing Pier isn’t a welcomed sight. Monday, Feb. 16, wasn’t one of those days.

The Navarre Beach Lifeguards hosted a lifeguard development course, which is meant to help foster water safety, rescue skills and beach safety knowledge in current lifeguards. The Emerald Coast Lifesaving Association, a nonprofit focused on lifeguard training in Northwest Florida, is the organization behind the event.

Plans for a Navarre Beach Boardwalk are slated to be complete by March.

Last July, the Santa Rosa County Commission heard design plans for a boardwalk along the Gulf side of the beach and requested revisions.

Last summer, Paul Taylor, a science teacher at Navarre High School, reached out to the community seeking donations to create a fishing section within his marine biology class.

The response, he said, was overwhelming.