The Emerald Coast is a stopover for migrating birds, a place where they can rest and feed before continuing on their migration. The freshwater marsh areas provide shelter for clapper rails and spotted sandpipers. A diversity of gulls, terns and various shorebirds can be found year-round. So grab your binoculars and keep your eyes peeled. You never know what you may find!

Follow these tips to help make a visit to the beach a safe one! For daily sea conditions and current warning flags, visit the Santa Rosa County website.

Do you enjoy relaxing on the Gulf beaches in your chair with your fishing rods staked out in the sand? You will find Florida pompano, redfish, whiting, bluefish and ladyfish and beautiful, clean water in abundance. Move out onto one of the local fishing piers, and you can add king and Spanish mackerel, cobia, hardtail jacks (blue runners) and jack crevalle to your catch.

The Emerald Coast is rich with history. Check out some of the local historic landmarks and locations!

If you are in search of some below-the-surface excitement, look no further than Navarre Beach. Beachgoers can enjoy the tantalizing turquoise water from above and below at an attraction that’s good for the environment and the economy. Underwater and just off the coastline, the Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary has things going, and growing on the artificial snorkel reef.

The Emerald Coast is home to several notable bases for multiple branches of the Military. On any given day, you may be able to look to the skies and see any number of the amazing planes and helicopters that call this area home including the Blue Angels!

The Emerald Coast is a thriving habitat for all kinds of sea life! From majestic Green Sea Turtles to tiny, adorable Ghost Crabs, the area is home to many beautiful, unique species of sea life!

If you like to go for long walks on the beach, you would love shelling. Navarre Beach has become a destination for avid shell collectors, with locals and visitors finding treasures both along the shore and in shallow waters. Here are a few of the most common shells you might see. Take what you love and throw the rest back for the next beachgoer to discover. The magic never gets old.