The other day, I told my husband we should go to the beach here in Jacksonville, N.C. He agreed, saying that we should go before the oil gets here. Sadly, he was only half joking.
Many Gulf tourist destinations are seeing oil in the water and on the beaches. Florida’s Emerald Coast seems to be holding up to its name, at least for now. While the Emerald Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau said that some small pieces of tar turned up on the Henderson Beach State Park last weekend, they were easily removed and no more oil has been seen.
Destin Mayor Sarah “Sam” Seevers said a few small pieces of tar showed up on her city’s beach, but it is nothing unusual. So, if you are planning on visiting, Destin, Fort Walton Beach, or Okaloosa Island, the beaches are clean and the fishing is great.
My family used to love to visit Pensacola and Perdido Key, Florida in the summer. Ball of tar ranging from small (2-3 inches) to large (18 inches) turned up last week on Pensacola Beach, but it is still open for both swimming and fishing. However, the visitor’s bureau has advised tourists to not pick up any tar balls they find.
The news for Perdido Key is not good. Balls of tar were found on Johnson Beach, but were cleaned up. A health advisory has been issued for the beaches from Alabama to Johnson Beach in Perdido Key, so swimming and fishing is not advised.
The Gulf Islands National Seashore has seen light to moderate oil at Horn and Petit Bois islands, Fort Pickens, and Santa Rosa. Cleanup crews are on the scene, but officials in both Mississippi and Florida are advising tourists to avoid swimming in areas where oil was found.
Also hard hit was Gulf Shores, a favorite tourist destination of many. The Department of Public Health has advised against swimming in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Fort Morgan, although the beaches are still open. The pier in Gulf Shores and Gulf waters are closed to fishing.
Grand Isle, Louisiana had closed its public beach as 45 miles of coast are affected by the oil spill. Cleanup crews, including the military are wearing hazmat suits and piling bags of oil along the beach.