Category: Local Wildlife

We are continuing to have calls about the status of the beach here locally.  I can tell you what it is like today and what we expect through the next 72 hours.  As of right now it is warm in the mid to high 80’s during the days and 60’s at night.  There is hardly a cloud in the sky but we have had a few overnight showers here and there.  The beach is as beautiful as it has always been, and we expect it to stay that way for the next 72 hours.  Beyond that we really do not have a forecast.  The winds seem to moving everything a little closer but we still have no definitive information that it will be hitting our beach at all, and as the currents and winds change daily everything changes with the shape of the spill.  Right now there are orange protective booms just off of our beach and actually covering basically the entire coastline of Alabama.  I will continue to post photos, videos, and blogs daily to keep everyone informed.  We are looking forward to a full house Memorial Day Weekend.  The information from our local convention and visitors bureau is below.  Let us know if you have any questions or concerns, we are happy to help!!!            

To date, no oil has reached the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, and according to NOAA, none is expected for at least the next 72 hours. See the current NOAA map and forecast here.

There have been no reports of odor along the beaches of Gulf Shores, Orange Beach or Fort Morgan. At its closest point, the slick is approximately 50-60 miles away from the western tip of our island.

The Alabama Department of Public Health and Alabama Department of Environmental Management have stated that there is no foreseeable need to close beaches and, short of a drastic change, they have no plans to do so.

An erroneous e-mail has been circulated stating that Governor Riley had ordered the beaches closed. That e-mail is false. A press release from the Governor’s office verifying that the beaches ARE open was issued Monday, May 17th. Click here to read the release.

Although NOAA has closed commercial fishing in a limited area of the gulf between the Mississippi River and Pensacola Bay, there is a large area of the gulf still open. Charter boats are leaving Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Fort Morgan every day to fish areas up to 25-30 miles out and in our inshore waters. To view a map of the closed area, go to https://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/.

A few dozen tarballs were found washed up on the beach last week in areas between Lagoon Pass in Gulf Shores west to Fort Morgan. This was an isolated incident and contracted crews immediately cleaned the affected areas. According to NOAA, tarballs DO NOT pose a health risk to the average person. However, beachgoers are advised not to pick them up and asked to report any sightings by calling 866-448-5816. To read NOAA’s information about tarballs, click here.

All appropriate protective measures, including oil-absorbing booms, are being placed along beaches, bays, inlets, and sensitive areas in an effort to keep oil from reaching Alabama’s shoreline. National, state and local response teams are deployed at sites along the coast to deal with local effects.

We will continue to monitor the situation and post information pertinent to our local area at gulfshores.com and orangebeach.com as they become available. (Click the yellow link at the top of the page.)

For detailed information about the entire incident, visit the NOAA (https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/) or Deepwater Horizon (www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com) response sites.

Another beautiful week at the beach.  We are still offering some great deals to come in this week.  We just have a couple of spots left for the Memorial Day weekend so book today if you are planing to come down coast.  We look forward to seeing you all soon.

To date, no oil has reached the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, and according to NOAA, none is expected for at least the next 72 hours. See the current NOAA map and forecast here.

There have been no reports of odor along the beaches of Gulf Shores, Orange Beach or Fort Morgan. At its closest point, the slick is approximately 50-60 miles away from the western tip of our island.

The Alabama Department of Public Health and Alabama Department of Environmental Management have stated that there is no foreseeable need to close beaches and, short of a drastic change, they have no plans to do so.

An erroneous e-mail has been circulated stating that Governor Riley had ordered the beaches closed. That e-mail is false. A press release from the Governor’s office verifying that the beaches ARE open was issued today. Click here to read the release.

Although NOAA has closed commercial fishing in a limited area of the gulf between the Mississippi River and Pensacola Bay, there is a large area of the gulf still open. Charter boats are leaving Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Fort Morgan every day to fish areas up to 25-30 miles out and in our inshore waters. To view a map of the closed area, go to https://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/.

A few dozen tarballs were found washed up on the beach last week in areas between Lagoon Pass in Gulf Shores west to Fort Morgan. This was an isolated incident and contracted crews immediately cleaned the affected areas. According to NOAA, tarballs DO NOT pose a health risk to the average person. However, beachgoers are advised not to pick them up and asked to report any sightings by calling 866-448-5816. To read NOAA’s information about tarballs, click here.

All appropriate protective measures, including oil-absorbing booms, are being placed along beaches, bays, inlets, and sensitive areas in an effort to keep oil from reaching Alabama’s shoreline. National, state and local response teams are deployed at sites along the coast to deal with local effects.

We will continue to monitor the situation and post information pertinent to our local area at gulfshores.com and orangebeach.com as they become available. (Click the yellow link at the top of the page.)

For detailed information about the entire incident, visit the NOAA (https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/) or Deepwater Horizon (www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com) response sites.

After a rainy Sunday the beaches are again beautiful and ready for you to visit!  Don’t forget your sunscreen!  This week is going to be really sunny and in the mid to high 80’s.  Below is the most recent update from the Gulf Shores.com website.   

To date, no oil has reached the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, and according to NOAA, none is expected for at least the next 72 hours. See the current NOAA map and forecast here.

There have been no reports of odor along the beaches of Gulf Shores, Orange Beach or Fort Morgan. At its closest point, the slick is approximately 50-60 miles away from the western tip of our island.

The Alabama Department of Public Health and Alabama Department of Environmental Management have stated that there is no foreseeable need to close beaches and, short of a drastic change, they have no plans to do so.

An erroneous e-mail has been circulated stating that Governor Riley had ordered the beaches closed. That e-mail is false. A press release from the Governor’s office verifying that the beaches ARE open was issued today. Click here to read the release.

Imagine it with me friends.  A cool breeze blowing from the southeast off of the water.  The salty mist blowing in on it with the clean ocean smell.  Blues sky for as far as you can see, and that same breeze is keeping you at the perfect temperature while you enjoy the sunny day on the sand.  Can you hear the waves, and see the clear water with that hint of aqua.  You go and stick your feet in  the surf and the cool water surprises you as it washes over your feet and ankles. The water is always a little higher on your leg that you predict and you watch  the wave pulls the sand from under your feet, as it goes back out to join the rest of the gulf.  In the sand you notice every color of coquina clam digging themselves back in the sand to continue on with their quiet life on the shore.  This is what the beach is like today!!!  Hope you can come down soon and enjoy these lovely Spring days in Ft. Morgan. 

There have been no reports of oil odor along the beaches of Gulf Shores, Orange Beach or Fort Morgan. At its closest point, the slick is approximately 50-60 miles away from the most western tip of our island.

The Alabama Department of Public Health and Alabama Department of Environmental Management stated that there is no foreseeable need to close beaches and, short of a drastic change, they have no plans to do so.

Tarballs travel independently of an oil slick and are not an indication that the slick itself will travel in the same direction or to the same area. The oil slick still has not reached the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and, according to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) forecasts, is not expected to for at least 72 hours. Forecasts beyond 72 hours are not available.

It’s going to be a beautiful weekend everyone!  Great weather is in the forecast and as you can see below we are clear of oil for the weekend as well!  Tara and I made a video this morning with the dogs on the beach.  It is pretty cheesy but so am I!!! 

 

Thank you to everyone for the encouragement and for waiting this out with us.  We know it’s a little scary, it is to us too.  We have faith it will all be great in the end and our beautiful beaches will still be here for all to enjoy.   

The oil slick still has not reached the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and, according to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) forecasts, is not expected to for at least 72 hours. Forecasts beyond 72 hours are not available.

 

Everything is still amazingly beautiful friends.  We feel blessed to be here each day able to enjoy this serene place.  We are looking forward to seeing all of our friends this summer.  Our maintenance staff is busy making everything beautiful and ready for the busy summer season.  We can’t wait for everyone to return to their beach home for some rest and fun in the sun.  Below is the daily update from the Gulf Shores.com website, all good new still for Gulf Shores and Ft. Morgan.

• Sporadic quantities of tarballs were found washed up on the beach Tuesday in areas between Lagoon Pass in Gulf Shores west to Fort Morgan. Contracted crews immediately went to work to clean the affected areas. Currently beaches across the island are clear.
• There have been no reports of oil odor along the beaches of Gulf Shores, Orange Beach or Fort Morgan. At its closest point, the slick is approximately 50-60 miles away from the most western tip of our island.
• The Alabama Department of Public Health and Alabama Department of Environmental Management stated that there is no foreseeable need to close beaches and, short of a drastic change, they have no plans to do so.
• Tarballs travel independently of an oil slick and are not an indication that the slick itself will travel in the same direction or to the same area. The oil slick still has not reached the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and, according to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) forecasts, is not expected to for at least 72 hours. Forecasts beyond 72 hours are not available.
• According to NOAA, tarballs DO NOTpose a health risk to the average person. However, beachgoers are advised not to pick them up if they encounter any on the beach. Click hereto read NOAA’s information about tarballs.
• NOAA is providing daily updates to the closed fishing area, based on changes in the size or direction of the oil slick. To view the most recent map, visit https://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/.
• Although NOAA has closed commercial and recreational fishing in a limited area between the mouth of the Mississippi River and Florida’s Pensacola Bay, there is a large area of the gulf still open. Charter boats are leaving Orange Beach, Gulf Shores & Fort Morgan every day to fish areas up to 25-30 miles out and in our inshore waters.
• All appropriate preventative measures, including oil-absorbing booms, are being used along Alabama’s beaches, bays, inlets and sensitive areas in an effort to prevent oil from reaching our shores. Researchers and scientists have indicated that any impact directly on the beaches can potentially be cleaned effectively and fairly quickly.
• National, state and local response teams are deployed at sites along the coast to deal with local effects.
• Official information pertinent to our local area is being posted here. This is confirmedinformation provided by the Unified Command response team (Coast Guard, Homeland Security, NOAA, Department of the Interior, BP and Transocean) and local emergency management officials. For detailed information about forecasts, visit the NOAA response site. To learn about the entire incident, visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com.

Sorry for the lag in postings everyone.  I wanted to take this opportunity to catch you up on  our local beaches in Ft. Morgan.  Below is the update from the Gulfshores.com website.  The weather has been A-MAZ-ING,   not to warm, great breeze, blue sky’s and amber sunshine!  It is rare that the beach gets more beautiful than this.  We had a gorgeous wedding this weekend for Tracy and Jeff Fox.  Everyone we spoke to had a wonderful time, so much so that they want to come back next year.  In fact I just got a call they want to come back today.  So they are coming back for another night of peace and quiet on the beautiful beach.  YAY!!!!

The forecast from our local news station showed the oil continuing to move west away from our beaches.  I am posting some pictures below.  So you can see how beautiful everything is.  The first one is of our beach but you can see the protective booms being placed in the water, just in case!  The second one is of my friend Mr. Hockman, as you can see he is having a WONDERFUL time!!!  We hope to see you soon!!!!

• There are currently no effects of the oil spill in the water or on the beaches of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach and, according to NOAA forecasts, no shoreline impact is expected for at least 72 hours. Forecasts beyond 72 hours are not possible. At this point, the extent of any potential impact is unclear, but officials are increasingly optimistic that any impact we might receive will be minor.
• While there have been reports of tar balls on Dauphin Island, on the west side of Mobile Bay, none have been seen or reported on the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.
• The Alabama Department of Public Health and Alabama Department of Environmental Management stated last Wednesday that there is no foreseeable need to close beaches and, short of a drastic change, they have no plans to do so.

Gulf Oil Spill Update, Friday, May 7, 11:00 a.m.

• There are currently no effects of the oil spill in the water or on the beaches of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach and, according to NOAA forecasts, no shoreline impact is expected for at least 72 hours. Forecasts beyond 72 hours are not possible. At this point, the extent of any potential impact is unclear, but officials are increasingly optimistic that any impact we might receive will be minor.
• The Alabama Department of Public Health and Alabama Department of Environmental Management stated Wednesday that there is no foreseeable need to close beaches and, short of a drastic change, they have no plans to do so.
• Although NOAA has closed commercial and recreational fishing in a limited area between the mouth of the Mississippi River and Florida’s Pensacola Bay, there is large area of the gulf still open. Charter boats are leaving Orange Beach, Gulf Shores & Fort Morgan every day to fish areas up to 20 miles out and in our very plentiful inshore waters.
• All appropriate preventative measures, including oil-absorbing booms, are being used along Alabama’s beaches, bays, inlets and sensitive areas in an effort to prevent oil from reaching our shores. Researchers and scientists have indicated that any impact directly on the beaches can potentially be cleaned effectively and fairly quickly.
• National, state and local response teams are deployed at sites along the coast to deal with local effects.
• Official information pertinent to our local area is being posted here. This is confirmed information provided by the Unified Command response team (Coast Guard, Homeland Security, NOAA, Department of the Interior, BP and Transocean) and local emergency management officials. For detailed information about the entire incident visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com and response.restoration.noaa.gov.