Beach Archive

Living shorelines are gaining popularity in Florida as residents seek sustainable solutions capable of calming waves and restoring habitats.

Every day visitors at Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center are greeted by a sea turtle named Sweet Pea when they walk in the door. Sweet Pea, a non-releasable green sea turtle, lives inside a 15,000-gallon saltwater pool at NBSTCC.

June 20 marked International Horseshoe Crab Day. While that day has passed, horseshoe crabs remain one of the most important creatures along the Florida Gulf Coast.

Described as ‘living fossils,’ horseshoe crabs were around before the dinosaurs and haven’t evolved much in the last 445 million years. They are unmistakably recognizable with their horseshoe-shaped prosoma (the front shell), opisthosoma (back shell) and a spike-like tail called a telson.

Despite rain clouds in the distance, weather wasn’t a deterrent for the Emerald Coast Amateur Radio Association’s annual American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Field Day. ECARA was joined by the Santa Rosa County Citizens Corps’ Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) group.

Navarre residents and visitors flocked to Navarre Beach to catch a large scale fireworks display Friday night, July 4. The Independence Day celebration is put on by Navarre Beach Fishing Pier and Santa Rosa County. 

June was a busy month on Navarre Beach in more than one way. On top of the sugar-white sand, visitors play and lifeguards patrol. Beneath the sand, sea turtle eggs lay in nests across the beachfront, incubating.

Shane Reynolds, better known by his professional moniker, “Shane O,” has spent the past 25 years documenting the world through the lens of a video camera.

He has videotaped whale sharks up close, surfed waves in The Maldives and El Salvador, hiked through the jungles of Guyana, explored ancient relics in Egypt and stood mere feet from grizzlies in Alaska. To date, he has filmed in over 30 countries.

As a strong line of severe weather made its way through the Navarre area Monday evening, June 23, emergency crews from across south Santa Rosa County had their hands full. At approximately 6:30 p.m., there were at least five calls for service answered by first responders, namely Holley Navarre-Fire District and Navarre Beach Fire Rescue District. Midway Fire District also ran a call in HNFD’s district at the time.

Navarre Beach Fire Rescue District quickly acted June 21 to save a male kayaker during a near drowning off Navarre Beach.

Over 500 people were on hand to witness the return of eight sea turtles to the Gulf of America.