Visitors and residents are encouraged to stay out of Gulf waters when red flags are flying. Red flags indicate high surf conditions and a high possibility of rip currents. Even the strongest swimmer can be swept out to sea by a rip current and beach goers are reminded to never underestimate the power of the Gulf of Mexico. On red flag days, knee deep is too deep, according to a release sent by the county last week.
Renovations continue on the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center and Director Cathy Holmes hopes to see the project finished by the end of the month.
Starting June 14, Gulf Islands National Seashore will increase entrance fees in order to fund maintenance and improvement projects that directly serve and benefit visitors within the park. Eighty percent of fees collected stay in the park, according to a release from the Seashore.
Last week, Navarre Beach Fishing Pier staff attended training through the Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC) on how to respond when sea turtles get caught on fishing lines.
The recreational red snapper season for Gulf state waters opens to harvest Memorial Day weekend. Red snapper is a popular species that has a strong economic impact for many coastal communities throughout Florida.
Ahead of the busy summer tourist season, Audubon Florida staff and about a dozen local volunteers began installing temporary fencing between the bridges on the eastern side of Navarre Beach Causeway last week. They plan to return this week to finish the job.
Gov. Rick Scott announced May 15 that Florida set another record in tourism numbers by welcoming the highest amount of visitors of any quarter in the state’s history according to VISIT FLORIDA.
Gov. Rick Scott announced Thursday that according to the revised preliminary 2014 visitation figure released by VISIT FLORIDA, 98.9 million people visited Florida last year, a 5.1 percent increase over the previous high of 93.7 million in 2013.
