Beaches

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The seaweed along the shoreline is teeming with life

Beach wrack full of curiosities When walking the beach this summer, pause and ponder the virtues of stranded seaweed. Those scattered clumps along the high-tide line actually have a name – beach wrack – and are a pivotal part of the beach ecosystem. “Many might think sand makes a beach, but it’s the wrack that truly brings a beach to life,” said Blair Witherington, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologist who studies beach life. “It sponsors some...

South Walton sea turtle nesting season May 1 – October 31

 Sea turtles are among the oldest creatures on earth, and have remained essentially unchanged for 110 million years. However, they face an uncertain future. Illegal harvesting, habitat encroachment, and pollution (physical and light) are only some of the issues sea turtles face as the beautiful creatures struggle to survive. Each year from May – October, there are four species of Florida sea turtles that nest along the beach in South Walton County – Loggerhead, Green, Leatherback and Kemps Ridley. Each...

Gulf coast lupine blooms along South Walton area beaches

Beautiful blue shrub a welcome sight In the springtime, sand dunes along the beaches in South Walton are dolloped with beautiful blue lupine. The gulf coast lupine (Lupinus westianus) is a native plant and endemic to Northwest Florida. Lupine habitats are sand hills, scrubs and coastal dunes. This particluar perennial shrub is only found in a few counties with Walton fortunate enough to be one of them. The beautiful blue flowers provide a delicate lavender-like scent. Early settlers to the...

Wheelchairs available at five South Walton beach accesses

High tech chairs offer beach enjoyment for mobility challenged Being mobility challenged can be frustrating, especially when one wants to enjoy our beautiful beaches in South Walton. However, five South Walton Fire District Lifeguard Stations offer beach wheelchairs for public use, making access much easier. This service is offered at no charge through a partnership between South Walton Fire District (SWFD) and the Walton County Tourist Development Council. The beach wheelchairs are located at the following accesses from west to...