Beach Treasures
Look what was found with a metal detector right on our beach. These were in the sand that was dredged up by the renourishment in 2009. What a find! From left to right; 1921 Silver Dollar, 1861 Sitting Liberty Half Dollar, 1968 Kennedy Half Dollar.
Eagle on Beach
Snapped this shot today of a bald eagle snatching a dead fish that had washed up on the shore.
Dolphins Feeding
Dolphins feeding just beyond the surf line. Looks like its got a Crevalle Jack.
Barley Goes Dolphin Spotting
Barley, the second mate, gets to go spot dolphins.
Scalloping in St. Josephs Bay
Scalloping in St. Josephs Bay during the first week of August 2013.
Sea Turtle Release on July 10, 2013
Press release from Gulf World Marine Institute;
Gulf World Marine Institute (GWMI) will be releasing an endangered juvenile green sea turtle back to the Gulf of Mexico on the morning of July 10, 2013 at 10:00a.m. (central time). The release site will be at the Bay and Gulf County line, also known as Beacon Hill.
In May of this year a local fisherman in the Apalachicola Bay area aided in rescue of a lethargic green sea turtle. This endangered sea turtle was brought to GWMI for rehabilitation. The animal was diagnosed and treated for pneumonia and shell abscesses due to heavy growth of marine debris.
Gulf World Marine Institute would like to invite the public to view this sea turtle being released back to the Gulf of Mexico. We are inviting the media to this event with the understanding that we will establish an area where the media can film and photograph the release.
New Airline to Serve Panama City Beach
From the Panama City News Herald:
A new Memphis, Tenn.-based airline has announced plans to offer direct flights between the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) and cities around the Southeast.
Southern Airways Express will launch service to ECP, Destin and other destinations in the Southeast at the end of the month. Instead of large passenger jets, Southern Airways Express will operate three nine-seat turbo prop engine caravans with luxury, executive-style seating.
The new startup airline hopes to bring a sense of fun and luxury back to the aviation business.
“This is very much like what executives travel in and it’s very much like what people who are used to traveling in nice corporate aircraft travel in,” said Keith Sisson, chief operating officer for Southern Airways Express. “We’re just taking that experience and transferring it to the general public, and we’re doing so at very affordable rates.
“We’re trying to make flying fun again,” Sisson added. “Flying hasn’t been fun in quite a while. This is a fun flight. These planes, they’re like sight-seeing tours that have a destination. There’s not a TSA security hassle. You don’t have to wait two hours at the airport. We’re telling people to show up 15 minutes before the flight takes off, check in at the airport and we’ll get you to where you want to go and we’ll make it fun.”
Southern Airways Express announced its summer route during an event Monday in Memphis. By late June, Sisson said he anticipates the airline will have up to 106 flights a week.
The airline will offer flights between ECP and Memphis; Oxford, Miss.; Birmingham, Ala.; Destin and New Orleans.
“They’re very important locations,” Sisson said. “You can’t turn a corner in the Mid-South area of Memphis and not see somebody who either has a condo or has access to a condo down in that area.
“There’s such a need for people in Memphis to have easy access to the Florida Gulf Coast,” he added.
The airline is designed to be year-round, but Sisson said they may back off on the frequency of flights in the off-peak months. During the fall, he said they plan to offer special college football packages to allow people to fly to Oxford, home of the University of Mississippi, or maybe even Tallahassee for games.
One-way ticket prices will range $129 to $249. According to Southern’s Facebook page, tickets will be on sale soon.
New Fireplace
The new fireplace is installed. It can either be stoked with firewood or charcoal and can be used for cooking.
River Otter Spotted
This river otter was spotted in the dunes today. He wandered in from the bay side and paralleled the beach for a while before disappearing in the brush.
BZ, A Green Turtle Released
BZ, a green turtle, rescued near the Ovation development on Cape San Blas was released today at the dock behind Scallop Cove BP, after being rehabilitated by Gulf World Marine Institute.
BZ had injested some discarded monofilament line and had line wrapped around its flipper, and was kept at Marine World until it could pass.
Once in the water he took off quickly and popped up for one last good-bye nod.
Sea Turtle Scheduled For Release
Gulf World Marine Institute (GWMI) will be releasing a juvenile Green Sea Turtle back to the St Joe Bay on Sunday, August 5, 2012 at 10amEST. The release team will meet at the Scallop Cove BP store on 4310 Cape San Blas Rd Road.
The Green Sea Turtle came to GWMI on June 27, 2012 there was monofilament line ingested and wrapped around both front flippers. Radiographs (x-rays) confirmed there was no other fishing gear internally. Flipper wounds caused from the fishing line were treated with antibiotics.
Secret Douglas-Holmes Director of GWMI will be organizing the release and will be available for interviews.
# # #
For more information, please contact:
Pamela George
Gulf World Marine Institute
pam@gulfworldmarinepark.com 850.258.4654 cell
Basa, the Loggerhead, Released
WMBB News 13 - The Panhandle's News Leader. Basa, a juvenile loggerhead turtle was released this morning after being rehabilitated at Gulf World Marine Institute.
Sea Turtle Scheduled For Release
Gulf World Marine Institute (GWMI) will be releasing a sub adult Loggerhead Sea Turtle back to the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, July 8, 2012 at 10:30 EST at Money Bayou. Location is the first public beach access to Money Bayou, N29.68323, W-85.30392
The loggerhead sea turtle, Basa, has a very unique story. On March 30th, The St. Vincent’s Wildlife Refuge was participating in their annual open house. Within all the festivities, a bystander spotted an object in the water floating. This “object” was actually a distressed loggerhead sea turtle listing to one side in the water. It was Basa’s lucky day; help was on the way! Staff from the wildlife refuge was able to retrieve the injured turtle to shore where it was then taken to GWMI. Basa was diagnosed with pneumonia and gastrointestinal impaction. After 3 months of extensive rehabilitation at the Institute, Basa is now ready to return back home.
We would like to thank the St. Vincent Wildlife Refuge for all the help and support provided to us and Basa.
Secret Douglas-Holmes Director of GWMI will be organizing the release and will be available for interviews. We are inviting the media to this event with the understanding that we will establish an area were the media can film and photograph the release.
This is a link on the first story on him when he was found http://www.starfl.com/articles/numbers-24691-open-added.html
Bike Path is Complete!!
Workers just put the final touches on the last segment of the bike path. The path is now complete starting at the foot of the Cape, all the way to the State Park, about 9 miles.
Fishing Report from the News Herald - 2/29/12
Freshwater: Last week was a bad week on the Forgotten Coast. Strong winds and rain kept most anglers off the water. There are great fishing conditions this week. There have been good reports from Lake Wimico of bass and catfish with the rising water.
Inshore/piers: Redfish are being caught in the I.C.W. canal on live shrimp and D.O.A. lures, but not much to talk about on trout this week. Whiting are still biting pretty good in the surf and at Cape San Blas and at Indian Pass. The sea wall at the St. Joe marina has had mixed reports of redfish, Spanish mackerel, and a few big bull reds. In St. Andrew Bay bull reds were found in the pass and deeper channels along with trout and flounder in canals and creeks. Redfish were present at Panama City Beach piers and in the surf as well as bonito, sheepshead, some pompano and whiting and Spanish.
Offshore: There were reports last week of good trips for AJs and keeper jacks off Panama City Beach from as close as 4 miles out. Beeliners and triggerfish were found on live bottom and around large structure. Black sea bass made some trips worthwhile.
http://www.newsherald.com/articles/week-100793-good-redfish.html#ixzz1noRP3H9j
Gulf Fliterary Butterfly
A Gulf Fliterary butterfly on a flower. Their migration is winding down, but the Monarch's are peaking as well as the Cloudless Sulfurs.
Box Turtles
Spotted a couple of box turtles. The smaller one had the larger one's hind leg in its mouth and closed its shell up. There was a third turtle nearby, so this could have been a couple of males fighting over a female.
Scallop Season is Over
Sunday ended a fantastic Scallop season
Mexican Fan Palm in Bloom
Our largest Mexican Fan Palm bloomed this week. The first time ever. The bees sure like the flowers. I've read that the fruit is edible, which means a new beach cocktail will soon be in the making.
Interesting Vessel
This passed by about two miles off-shore early today. It is a Navy LCAC (Landing Craft Air Cushion), from the Panama City Naval Base. It was so loud, I could hear it from inside. It must be extremely loud on-board.
Pre-Fourth Fireworks
We had a spectacular fireworks show last night from a squall line passing to the south of us. Time to get a wider angled lens so I can catch all the bolts racing across the clouds.
Local Wildlife
Spotted this wild turkey and dear just 50 yards apart today near the lighthouse.
New Photos of the Area
People ask how close we are to the beach. Does this help? View more photos of the area here.
Spring has Sprung
What a beautiful day on the beach. People are in the crystal clear water and the sun is shining. What a wonderful time to be down here.
Bald Eagle
Saw this bald eagle today (12/5) flying over the road down by the Air Force facility. He landed on a branch and I could only get this one picture before he had enough of me and flew off.
Baby Sea Turtles
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The turtle nest in front of the Aqua Essence hatched Tuesday night at about the time the first Chilean minor emerged from the earth. They (the turtles) left all these tracks as they scurried around looking for the water. A few headed the wrong way, but eventually found their way seaward.
Florida Seafood Festival
The Florida Seafood Festival is a two day event starting on November 5th which will dra thousands of visitors to the historic town of Apalachicola in scenic Franklin County .The Festival is held at the mouth of the Apalachicola river under the shady oaks of Apalachicola's Battery Park. The festival features delicious seafood, arts and crafts exhibits, seafood related events and musical entertainment. Some of the notable events include Oyster Eating and Oyster Shucking contest, Blue Crab Races, Cooking Contest, Parade, 5k Redfish Run and The Blessing of the Fleet. This years headline entertainer is country music star John Michael Montgomery.
Full Rainbow
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Shot of a full rainbow as Tropical Depression 5 skirted us. There is still no oil on our beaches, and the turtles continue to lay eggs. There are over 100 nests now on the cape, including one that appeared on August 9.
Scallop Frestival
Scallop Festival is going on now.
More information from the Gulf County Chamber of Commerce site.
Oil Drift Bouys
Three buoys have been deployed near the Cape, to help monitor the water currents in the Big Bend area. A fourth buoy was deployed to monitor waters north of the Eddy Franklin. As you can see from the results so far, the currents are not driving the oil spill towards the cape. The full map is here.
Shrimpers
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I'm glad to see some shrimpers out. At least I hope they are shrimping. So many of our fishermen are now working for BP monitoring for oil, that nobody is catching fish anymore, even though the oil spill has not affected the fishing here.
Beach Reports
Dr. Stephen Leatherman has a site that pulls in beach reports from the area here. So far, the closest oil is in the form of small globules spotted on Panama City Beach, but that beach is still open.
Scallop Season Opens Early
Governor Crist has opened scallop season early this year. It starts July 19, this weekend. Also, this is a free fishing weekend, no saltwater license is needed to fish.
Beautiful Day at the Beach
Three days in a row of smooth clear waters.
Turtle Nest
A turtle came up and laid her eggs on our beach last night. The nest was marked as the 12th one, but the first I have seen this year. I guess I need to take longer beach walks.
I'm glad, that despite the oil spill, she made it.
Oil Report 6/7/10
Went out on the bay yesterday to fish. Did not see any oil. However, we saw a couple of miles of boom. Not sure if that was staged to pull across the mouth of the bay, or to protect the east side of the state park, should the oil come. The Coast Guard Admiral mentioned Port St. Joe today on CNN, but I have heard of no reports of oil in our area yet. The family is out on the beach right now, enjoying the surf.
Beach Report 6/5/10
The sun is shining, 90 degrees, winds out of the south-southwest at 10 mph. No oil.
Help Track the Oil Spill
Click here to learn about and download and Android/iPhone application to help officials determine the location and effects of the oil spill.
The Number 1 Dog Beach....again
Cape San Blas was picked as the #1 dog beach by Petside.com, the popular online destination for pet owners and pet enthusiasts. Click here for the article.