Current Beach Conditions (2023)

FAQs

What color is the flag at the beach today? ›

Today's flag color: Yellow Flags.

UPDATED Aug. 1, 2022 – ANNA MARIA ISLAND – No-swim advisories remain in effect today for north Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach, north Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach, north Bayfront Park in Anna Maria and south Palma Sola Causeway in Bradenton.

Today's flag color is yellow, we are medium hazard. Enjoy your day.

Yellow flag indicates medium hazard and means moderate surf and/or currents. Red flag indicates high hazard and means high surf and/or currents. An additional red flag means the water is closed to the public. Purple flag indicates dangerous marine life.

If sharks are present, red flags will be hoisted or a shark sighted sign will be posted. If you see a flag or sign at the beach and you're not sure of its meaning, ask a lifeguard for an explanation or look for an indicator key nearby.

Black flags? Well, those are a no go. Black means the conditions of the sea are extremely dangerous—do not swim or enter the water. If you'd like to avoid the possibility of an incident occurring, please, do not swim. If you're ever unsure of the condition of a beach, go to the lifeguard stand and ask.

Medium and heavy concentrations of red tide are being found along the beaches in Manatee and Sarasota counties, from Anna Maria Island south to Manasota Beach.

Anna Maria, FL Weather

The current weather report for Anna Maria FL, as of 6:00 AM EST, has a sky condition of Fair with the visibility of 10.00 miles. It is 63 degrees fahrenheit, or 17 degrees celsius and feels like 62 degrees fahrenheit.

Beaches Open to Residents and Guests! Holmes Beach: "At this time, the City of Holmes Beach is allowing residents & renters to still use the beach but are reminding all that they must practice social distancing!

High 73F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Considerable cloudiness. Low around 70F.

How is Destin Florida right now? ›

The current weather report for Destin FL, as of 10:15 AM CST, has a sky condition of Partly Cloudy with the visibility of 9.00 miles. It is 75 degrees fahrenheit, or 24 degrees celsius and feels like 76 degrees fahrenheit.

April through September are the best months for swimming in Destin. In October, the water starts getting too cold to be enjoyable, especially if you want to splash in the waves all day. Many of the snorkeling and scuba tours halt their adventures until the water warms back up, too.

However, higher numbers of jellyfish tend to show up in the Destin area around mid-summer (July), and can be seen there until the waters start to cool in September/November. Even during the colder winter months you may happen to see one, but they're not as plentiful here during the colder months.

Can you swim with a purple flag at the beach? What is this? If you see a purple flag at the beach, this generally means that you are allowed to go swimming, but you might want to proceed with caution! A purple flag at the beach means that there is a risk that you'll encounter dangerous marine life.

Once again with purple flags, it's swim at your own risk. If a purple flag is present, there could be some very dangerous jellyfish in the waters. We always recommend talking to your lifeguard before entering, as the type of marine pest could vary from bioluminescent algae all the way up to a Box Jellyfish.

A white flag with a black shark diagram means that a shark is currently near the beach, and beach users must get out of the water. A siren is sounded and the white flag is raised.

A blue flag indicates dangerous marine life, such as a high number of jellyfish. Pay attention to the beach flags and be safe!

Specifically, the white flag generally indicates that the rescue service is present and active on the beach and that the weather conditions do not involve possible problems or restrictions on entering the water.

Q: What did the black pirate flag and the red pirate flag mean? The black flag of the pirates meant that if the enemies surrendered, their lives would be spared. On the other hand, the red flag of the pirates was much more dangerous, conveying the message that lives would not be spared.

Purple flag means dangerous marine life spotted.

Does red flag mean no swimming? ›

The most serious of all beach warning flags, red flags warn swimmers of serious hazards in the water. One red flag means that the surf is high or there are dangerous currents, or both. Though you can still swim if there is a red flag, you should use extreme caution and go in the water only if you're a strong swimmer.

Officials advise that you don't swim in or around red tide because the toxin can also cause skin irritation, rashes, burning and sore eyes. Pets can also be affected by red tide.

Current Conditions

Bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/liter) were present in 89 samples: two in and offshore of Pasco County, 24 in and offshore of Pinellas County, eight in Manatee County, 32 in and offshore of Sarasota County, six in Charlotte County, nine in Lee County, and eight in Collier County.

Anna Maria Island has calm water great for swimming the majority of the time. The beaches also don't get too deep too fast, giving your littles plenty of room to swim and play.

Anna Maria Island is a prime location to find shark's teeth, shells, and much more on a day at the beach. With several top spots right on the island to find these fascinating ocean treasures, you won't have to travel very far from your vacation rental for some exciting shell and shark tooth hunting trips.

Updates | November 7, 2022. On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida. While there was some damage here on Anna Maria Island, we were fortunate enough to avoid the damage the storm caused in other places.

Hours: 6 a.m. - 12 a.m.

Siesta Beach no-swim advisory has been lifted.

The waters surrounding Anna Maria Island are remarkably safe. Anna Maria Island Swimmers Safety Recap: Don't go into the Gulf or the Bay with open wounds (even fresh tattoos) especially if you are immune compromised, or have chronic liver or kidney disease.

North of Siesta Key and West of Bradenton, Anna Maria Island is another gorgeous beach with clear water and emerald green hues. You'll find it much quieter than Siesta Key and it also neighbors Bradenton (another small town).

Can I swim in Miramar Beach? ›

Miramar Beach is one of the numerous sandy beaches on Half Moon Bay, a Pacific Ocean embayment noted for its surfing and extensive visitation. Adjacent to the Harbor, this beach is a great spot for strolling, wading, picnicking and swimming. It is clean and tends not to get crowded.

MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - The Florida Department of Health in Walton has lifted the health alert for red tide near Miramar Beach. The alert was put out about red tide in the area on September 24, 2021, reminding everyone to stay out of the water.

Nine absolutely gorgeous beaches to visit. It's super clean, hardly any seaweed, clear blue water and white soft sand!

Destin. Situated on the Florida Panhandle if you are looking for a beach that looks like it's straight out of a tropical paradise you can't get much better than Destin. The sand is pure white, and the water is the clearest ocean water in Florida.

The water is almost always free of seaweed from Fall through Spring. In the Summer it can be hit or miss depending on the water temps and currents. Onshore winds blow seaweed towards the beach, especially after a big storm.

The overall best time to visit Destin Florida is from April to June, which covers spring and summer months. You'll get perfect weather, warm water temperatures for swimming, and the most options for activities on and off the water at this time of year.

Of all the beaches in Destin, the one with the clearest water is probably Norriego Point. The clear, emerald water of Norriego Point is reminiscent of the Caribbean. It's no wonder that Norriego Point is one of the most popular public beaches in Destin.

1. Navarre Beach: Less Crowded but a Bit of a Drive. If you're on the quest for a largely undiscovered beach town that allows you to linger on pristine beaches without crowds but no qualms with the drive, then Navarre beach is right up your alley.

Destin is just bigger and nicer than the other two and whatever your expectations are for accommodations, dining, or shopping, you'll find what you want.

Swimmers in August and September generally suffer the most jellyfish stings, but the warmer the water the more likely jellyfish will occur. The summer of 2010 had an early jellyfish due to the extreme temperatures that summer which raised the water temperature.

Are there sharks in Destin beaches? ›

Destin's Sensational Shark Community

Two common sharks of our inshore waters are a case in point: the Atlantic sharpnose shark and the bonnethead, both enthusiastic hunters of small fish and crustaceans, and both typically reaching a modest two to four feet long as adults.

Another strange jelly-like glob you might find on the beach are salps. Salps are semi-transparent barrel-shaped marine animals that form chains with each other. But salps are not jellyfish, they're tunicates (a type of zooplankton also known as sea squirts). They're fast growers.

Product Description. Internationally, black flags are also used as warning flags at beaches. A black flag is the highest warning level, indicating real danger.

Yellow Flag with Black Dot. Some beaches use a yellow flag featuring a black dot in the center. The flag indicates that surfing is prohibited in that particular area to ensure that swimmers will not have to deal with surfers in the water.

A blackball is a flag on a lifeguard tower or other highly visible area to show surfers that they must clear the water. A blackball flag is represented with a black circle in the center of a yellow or red flag; a yellow background being the most common.

Professor Q explains to his class why purple was omitted on country flags. The real reason was that for thousands of years purple dye was far too expensive. It was possible the most expensive product available being worth more than gold, jewels, castles, ships, silk, spices, and silver.

But a particular color is very rarely seen on flags-purple. The reason behind this is strange. In the early days, purple was an expensive colour, due to the fact that it was made from a special kind of snail found only in the Mediterranean.

The red flag with a black square indicates a tropical storm warning and winds of 55-73 mph.

Today's Weather - Panama City Beach, FL

East winds 5 to 10 mph. Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s.

Flag Status Update March 5, 2023 – Panama City Beach Flags Are Now Single Red.

What does the yellow flag mean at Panama City Beach? ›

YELLOW FLAG: Medium Hazard with moderate surf and/or strong currents. GREEN FLAG: Low Hazard with calm conditions, but caution still advised. PURPLE FLAG: Dangerous marine life.

Just east of Destin on Hwy 98, Panama City Beach marks the end of the beaches of South Walton. These beaches are widely considered to be the clearest and pure in the country. There is nearly no river runoff in the area and the St. Andrew Bay filters much of the sediment out.

The eight-mile stretch of Panama City Beach is one of the most active and popular oceanfront scenes in the city. It is located on the Gulf of Mexico, so the water is clear and blue, with ocean breezes coming in as often as the tide.

The purple flag flying over Panama City Beach beaches means that dangerous marine wildlife has been spotted in the water.

Jellyfish season in Panama City Beach is March through September but the peak months are July and August. Jellyfish you need to watch out for when you go in July are Man-o-wars(extremely dangerous) Cannonball Jellies(harmless), Moon Jellies(Minor sting), Sea Nettles(painful sting), and Mauve jellyfish(painful sting).

East winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet with a dominant period of 4 seconds.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — Visitors come to the Panhandle usually with one thing in mind, the beach. However, recent waters tested as part of the Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program have noted high amounts of enterococcus bacteria, which can be an indication of fecal pollution.

Come and visit and see our turquoise waters and white sandy beaches for yourself! If you're interested in being out on the water, then we are also the place to be. Sure, the water is warm and inviting with its turquoise glow, but Panama City Beach is also home to one of the largest sportfishing fleets.

You can swim in Panama City Beach from May through October. The water temperature is usually warm enough for swimming during this time, with temperatures ranging from the mid-70s to the low 80s Fahrenheit.

Is Panama City Beach water safe? ›

The water is still safe to drink. The water merely contains sediments due to sudden changes in pressure in the system.

A: Panama City Beach and Bay County offer many great swimming and snorkeling spots other than the Gulf of Mexico.