Local Wildlife – Page 11 – Sunset Properties Blog

May 6, 2010

Gulf Oil Spill Update, Thursday, May 6, 9:00 a.m.

I want to reassure everyone the beaches are still the beautiful white sandy beaches you have always known. Our amazing wildlife is flourishing all around and the little ones are starting to peek their heads out, everywhere we turn! It is a great time to be at the beach, small, to no crowds and perfect weather! Below are some answers to some of our most often asked questions, lately. I have also included the daily update for the Gulf Shores.com website about our local area.

Lance LeFleur, Director of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management:

There is an Area Contingency Plan (ACP)(https://ocean.floridamarine.org/acp/mobacp/) created for these kinds of situations that has been vetted by all agencies involved (which is now being followed).

At the wellhead, they are injecting dispersants at depth, causing the oil slick to break up into small oil droplets that are rapidly diluted and subsequently biodegraded by micro-organisms occurring naturally in the marine environment. Exposure to air, sunlight, & wave action also degrades the oil. They are also restarting the in situ burning today.

There is a two-stage protective process planned for the shorelines – shallow water skimmers & booms to catch what they miss. The booms are being tended and repositioned as needed – the placement is determined by the ACP. The highest priority at this moment is to close off Mobile & Perdido Bay entrances. The port of Mobile will remain open, using a decontamination process for ships entering the area (there will also be a decontamination station at Weeks Bay).

Once the bays are protected, all resources will be focused on the beaches. So far, 7,000 volunteers have called the 1-866 number & BP will donate hourly wages for those volunteers to their chosen volunteer organizations.

Below is the update from the Convention and Visitor’s Breaue

There are currently no effects of the oil spill 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.
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 preventive 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 the shores. Officials are optimistic 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 the entire incident visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com and response.restoration.noaa.gov.

May 3, 2010

Latest local Oil Spill Information 05/03

May 2, 2010, 3:00 p.m.

There are currently no effects of the oil spill on the beaches in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. According to NOAA forecasts, shoreline impact along Alabama’s coast may occur early in the week. At this point, the extent of that impact is unclear.
NOAA is closing commercial and recreational fishing in federal waters between the mouth of the Mississippi River to Florida’s Pensacola Bay. The closure begins immediately and is in effect for at least 10 days while researchers take water samples to determine the safety of seafood taken from the affected area.
Teams of responders have placed oil-absorbing booms at the mouths of bays, inlets and in sensitive areas all along the coast. These areas receive priority protection because they are the most vulnerable.
Governor Bob Riley has committed to placing preventive measures including booms along Alabama’s beaches in an effort to prevent oil from reaching the shores. Officials are optimistic 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.
We appreciate the tremendous outpouring of concern for Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Volunteers are asked not to self-deploy at this time. Those with an interest in volunteering should the need arise, are asked to contact volunteer banks by dialing 2-1-1 or 888-421-1266. They can also contact the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program at 251-431-6409 or mbnep@mobilebaynep.com with the following information: name, address, phone, email and resources (boat, kayak, etc.). Please be patient while volunteer needs and training opportunities are determined.
We will continue to monitor the incident and post information updates as they become available.

April 29, 2010

Oil Spill Update 4-29-10

Oil Spill Update 4-29-10, 9:30 a.m.

Like everyone along the Gulf Coast, the CVB is monitoring the clean-up of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. We are relying on official updates from the on-site incident team as our source of information. .

According to local officials there is no shoreline impact forecast for Gulf Shores and Orange Beach for at least the next 72 hours. There is no official forecast beyond 72 hours.
BP is proactively placing booms at the mouths of bays, inlets and in sensitive areas all along the coast. This is a precautionary measure in the event that our area is affected directly by the spill.
State-of-the-art equipment is in place to respond if there is any movement toward any area of shoreline along the Gulf Coast and local experts are monitoring wind and water conditions. Officials in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach have a coordinated response plan in place if it becomes necessary for our area.
Official information is being posted by the response team (Coast Guard, Homeland Security, NOAA, Department of the Interior, BP and Transocean) and updated several times each day at https://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com and https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/.
Volunteers are not needed at this time and are asked not to self-deploy to the Alabama coast. Those with an interest in volunteering should the need arise, are asked to contact the state-organized volunteer bank by dialing 2-1-1 or 888-421-1266. This allows the state to contact volunteers if they are needed at a later date.
We will continue to monitor the incident and post additional information IF coastal impact becomes an issue.

April 28, 2010

Oil Spill Update 04/28/10

Oil Spill Update and Talking Points 4-28-10, 12:15 p.m.

Like everyone along the Gulf Coast, the CVB is monitoring the clean-up of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and relying on official updates from the on-site incident team as our source of information. The following are the most recent talking points we’ve compiled for our staff. We encourage you to pass them on to your front-line team and anyone else fielding questions about the spill.

There is no shoreline impact anywhere along the Gulf of Mexico, nor is any forecast for at least the next 72 hours. There is no official forecast beyond 72 hours.
The responders on-site at the spill have scheduled “a controlled, on-location burn to begin at approximately 11 a.m. CDT today—a strategy designed to minimize environmental risks by removing large quantities of oil.”
State-of-the-art equipment is in place to respond if there is any movement toward any area of shoreline along the Gulf Coast and local experts are monitoring wind and water conditions. Officials in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach have a coordinated response plan in place if it becomes necessary for our area.
Official information is being posted by the response team (Coast Guard, Homeland Security, NOAA, Department of the Interior, BP and Transocean) and updated several times each day. The site is https://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com.
We will continue to monitor the incident and post information IF coastal impact becomes an issue.

April 27, 2010

Local Up Date on Gulf Oil Spill

April 27, 2010

Local update on gulf oil spillThe CVB is monitoring official channels of information about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Following, are the most recently updated talking points we have provided to our staff. We encourage you to pass them along to your staff or anyone fielding questions about the oil spill.We will continue to post updates as they become available.

1) There is no shoreline impact anywhere along the Gulf of Mexico, nor is any forecast for at least the next 72 hours. There is no official forecast beyond 72 hours.

2) State-of-the-art equipment is in place to respond if there is any movement toward any area of shoreline along the Gulf Coast. Local officials have their own coordinated response plan in place IF needed for the Gulf Shores & Orange Beach area.

3) We will continue to monitor the incident and post information IF coastal impact becomes an issue…

April 17, 2010

The Stars are Out!!!

Starfish that is!!!! It is rare to find a starfish on our beaches, but this year, we have had the blessing of them venturing out of the water on our beaches several times. One of the couples who have lived here from the beginning mentioned they had only seen them 4 times in the last 10 years. this experience was rare indeed! In early February two of my very best friends came down to visit and during one of our very cold walks on the beach we must have found 50 sea stars, as they are technically known. We presumed they had been stunned by the sudden drop in temperatures because when we picked them up they moved still. We spent several hours that afternoon tossing our starfish back into their watery home. It was my friends birthday and she considered it one of the best birthday gifts she had ever had.

Just a few weeks ago, the locals I mentioned above, James and Ciel, found more starfish on our beach. These stars had been out to long to rescue. Instead of leaving them for the birds, they decided to bring them home and dry them. Now they have beautiful reminders of these unique visitors to our beach.

I hope on your next visit you get to have a great experience with the beautiful wildlife that surrounds us each day here at the beach! See ya soon..

October 23, 2009

Dolphin Watching

As I have said many times before we live and work in an amazing place, Ft. Morgan! It is wonderful for many reasons but the one I want to talk about today is Dolphin. Just step out on your balcony or take a walk down to the beach and you are practically guaranteed to spot one if not a whole pod playing, fishing or just swimming by. We have great views from our condos and houses so you can definitely sit at peak times, in the morning and evening, when all manner of fish and sea life are out feeding, and enjoy the dolphin. You can enjoy a view of them in the gulf from your balcony or in the bay from the front of the buildings or on a boat.

Also, there are many local charter captains who will take you for an adventure with these amazing creatures. Be sure to take time to stop and watch the dolphin while you are here!!!