Images of Gulf Coast and Oil Spill Cleanup Crews

My family and I recently took a last-minute getaway to Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort to see first hand just how the oil spill has affected the Gulf Coast beaches. This post is for informational purposes only to update what our family observed during our drive along the Gulf Coast beach areas. We did get out at a few beach access points to take photos and also get a sense for what’s really going on. We all watch the news and the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill is a horrible, horrible event. However, as citizens we need to help our neighboring communities by supporting their economies so that they will be able to survive this tragedy.

Click the images to see a larger view. These are copyrighted images, not to be used without prior permission. I have many more images of the areas. Feel free to contact me for use.

My husband and daughter playing in the Gulf at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort – no oil observed

 
No oil and hardly any visitors at Beasley Park Beach near Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Navarre Beach Park on Santa Rosa Island used to be a nude beach. Now it’s a beach park with pavilions and restrooms, yet there is a distinct lack of sunbathers due to the scare of oil. We did not observe any oil here.

Driving the beach road from Navarre Beach to Pensacola Beach we saw cleanup crews dotting the beaches as they took shelter from the midday sun. There were a few sunbathers here and there sitting near the shore.

This was the first oil warning hazard sign we saw along our route. It was at the last parking and beach access area before entering Pensacola. My daughter and I walked out to the water looking for oil. We didn’t see any, but it could be that it was recently cleaned by the nearby crews.

An ironic image of sunbathers relaxing by the water. Pictured behind them are oil spill workers (or possibly volunteers). We chatted with these guys in the parking lot and learned that they were carring a dead pelican in their bag and were taking it back to a lab for testing. The outer body had very little oil and it had been nibbled on by marine life. It possibly ingested oil or it could have died from natural causes.

The trash is piling up at an oil spill trash disposal area in Pensacola.

We went into the water at most stops and there was no oil spill smell in the communities we passed through. We did not venture into the Gulf Shores or Biloxi areas because these communities were not on our route back home. Continue to check out local, community websites before traveling to these areas. National news reports are informative, however they are also sensationalized. Many of these destinations have live webcams where you can see the beaches. If you live in these areas or you are returning from a visit, please let us know about your current beach experience.