Governor Ron DeSantis recently announced the record 103-day 2024 Gulf Red Snapper recreational season, the longest season since the state was delegated management of Gulf red snapper. This season will include both a summer and fall season which includes major holiday weekends such as Father’s Day, July 4th and...
By Joe Moore, founder, 30A Sealife Discovery Center and Appleseed Expeditions
Hello, my name is Joe Moore. I hold a master’s degree in Fishery Science from the University of West Florida and have extensive experience teaching marine biology in Hawaii, the Galapagos, California, and Florida. As the founder of the...
Governor Ron DeSantis recently announced the record 103-day 2024 Gulf Red Snapper recreational season, the longest season since the state was delegated management of Gulf red snapper. This season will include both a summer and fall season which includes major holiday weekends such as Father’s Day, July 4th and...
Marine life in the Gulf of Mexico now has hundreds of additional underwater habitats thanks to a $1.26 million artificial reef project funded by the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Fund.
The project included 133 different reef sites and the deployment of 279 total reef structures ranging from 6-25 feet. The...
68th Annual Billy Bowlegs Festival | May 16-20
By Lori Leath Smith
Ahoy, maties! Avast, ye! It’s time to open your treasure chest, get your eyepatch on, take out your sword and get your pirate gear ready for 2024’s 68th Annual Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival—May 16-20. Any landlubber knows Pirate Captain...
By Cali Hlavac, To Do In Destin
The Emerald Coast of Destin is not just a picturesque backdrop for tourists; it is also a battleground against an invasive species – the lionfish. On May 18-19, 2024, the Lionfish Festival returns to Destin, rallying the community in an ongoing effort to combat this...
By Lori Leath Smith
We all have reasons why we live in Destin. But, I believe, many are drawn here, because our city is so blessed…After all, it IS known as the “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village.”
Not only a beach destination, our town was founded on fishing! But despite the legendary...
By Cali Hlavac, To Do In Destin
As the vibrant colors of spring emerge, fishermen and families flock to our piece of paradise and the “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village,” for a spring fishing adventure. With the warming temperatures and inviting waters, springtime on the Emerald Coast offers anglers an unparalleled experience...
By Nick Tomecek, Okaloosa County PIO
The northern Gulf of Mexico has a new addition to its extensive artificial reef system with the deployment of the 239-foot R/V DEEP STIM III. The vessel, deployed on Jan. 30, 2024, joins hundreds of other artificial reefs already deployed off the shores of...
For some of us, it is inevitable. It happens every year around this time. It’s a cumulative effect. The sun sets later. Temperatures creeping up to feeling very Spring-like. And even though we don’t want to let our thoughts wander from our current task, we can’t help ourselves. We...
