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Gulf Coast beaches update

16 June 2010 18:26 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. The oil spill on the Gulf Coast has states and visitors bureaus working hard to keep the public updated and reassure beach-bound travelers, APA reports quoting CNN.
Here are some of the latest updates from destinations affected by the oil disaster:
Northwest Florida
Dime-size to 5-inch tar balls continue to wash up in widely scattered areas of the region, but all of Florida’s beaches remain open, according to Visit Florida, the state’s tourism corporation.
"There have been no reports of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill-related oil products reaching the shore beyond the Northwest Florida region," Visit Florida’s website said.
The beaches and waters at tourist hot spots like Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island are open, according to the Emerald Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, which represents the three destinations.
"The air here is also still fresh and clean, with no smell of oil whatsoever," the bureau’s website said.
A few tar balls have been spotted, however, and there is a chance the area could see the approach of oil sheen in the coming week, according to the bureau.
There have been no oil effects in Panama City Beach, Florida, and the area’s beaches and waters are open, the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau website said.
The water at Pensacola Beach is also open for swimming and fishing, according to the Pensacola Bay Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
A health advisory has been issued for beaches stretching from the Florida-Alabama line to the entrance of Johnson Beach on Perdido Key, the Pensacola Bay Area visitors bureau said. Swimming and fishing in the affected waters are not advised.
Gulf Islands National Seashore
All of the Gulf Islands National Seashore sites, which are located in Florida and Mississippi, are open, the park service’s website said.
Crews are finishing the cleanup of existing oil on Petit Bois Island, Mississippi.
Meanwhile, more oil has been reported approaching Pensacola Pass, between the western point of Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island and the eastern coast of Perdido Key, according to the website.
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama, have experienced significant oiling, according to the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The beaches remain open for sunbathing and walking, but the City of Orange Beach is flying double red flags, meaning the waters are closed to the public.
Public beaches in Gulf Shores are flying a yellow flag, meaning that caution is necessary.
The Alabama Department of Public Health has issued an advisory against swimming in waters off Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan or in bay waters close to Fort Morgan, Bayou St. John, Terry Cove, Cotton Bayou or Old River.
Grand Isle, Louisiana
Oil is affecting more than 45 miles of Louisiana coast, according to a state emergency website, although most of the coast is unaffected.
"The primary affected area is from the mouth of the Mississippi River extending east. Over 75 percent of Louisiana’s coastal waters extend westward from the mouth of the Mississippi River," according to the Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau website.