It took about 10 seconds of scrolling through my phone today to realize the Gulf was completely showing off and could easily be mistaken for the Caribbean or a swimming pool for that matter.
Lucky for me, I had to make a run over to the beach today anyway and decided I would walk across to the Gulf to see for myself. The beach was indeed making a spectacle of oneself in the best way possible.
So what makes the water so irresistibly gorgeous on days like today? Here’s what I found out.
1) The presence of microscopic plankton, who knew right? There is a healthy supply of microscopic plankton in the coastal waters of Northwest Florida. The plankton produces chlorophyll, which gives off a pretty greenish color when the sunlight hits the water.
2) The whiteness of the sand and sea floor. The pure white, snow-like sand is made from ground quartz mineral that came from the Appalachian Mountains and Apalachicola River about 20,000 years ago. The white beaches and sandy underwater flats in full sun enhance the potency of the emerald color.
3) As you know, not everyday looks like this. Current, weather, waves and winds have everything to do with beautiful beach days like today. Flat waves, an easterly wind and a sunny day will bring on the brilliant water.
Today, Mother Nature wrapped all those reasons into a pretty little box with a bow and made us feel far away from all of our problems — and for that we thank her.
