Travelers from all over the world are drawn to Florida by its immaculate beaches. However, some beaches are dangerous beneath their calm exterior. Recent research has identified some areas with hazardous characteristics, such as strong rip currents and toxic marine life.
The fact that there are multiple risk factors to consider at Florida beaches is the most concerning aspect. Everything from hungry sharks to excruciatingly powerful rip currents can harm or even kill you.
Therefore, before entering the ocean, it is essential to understand which Florida beaches are unsafe and why.
Palm Beach
Numerous creatures in the ocean have the potential to cause harm to humans, and jellyfish are one of them.
Because they congregate in large numbers in Palm Beach, Florida, there is a very high chance of getting stung by one of these guys. Humans encounter stinging jellyfish almost daily during the peak season due to Palm Beach’s massive stinging jellyfish population.
According to Palm Beach lifeguards in 2022, they treat up to 30 people for jellyfish stings per day.
It can be challenging to identify a jellyfish in the water; their tentacles can reach a length of 121 feet, making it simple to run into one by accident, which is not a pleasant experience.
On Palm Beach, the Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish species are very prevalent. They have an extremely unpleasant sting, and because their bell-shaped colors blend in with the ocean’s tint, they are hard to spot in the water.
During their shifts, many Palm Beach lifeguards keep sting remedies on hand, including as vinegar and ice packs, in case they need to treat man-of-war stings.
Panama City Beach
Because it had the highest number of fatalities among all the beaches in the nation, it is regarded as the deadliest beach in the United States as of 2023.
In just nine days during the summer of 2023, seven individuals were slain at Panama City Beach. It’s interesting to note that three of them passed away in one weekend.
The rip currents on this Florida beach are the cause of the extreme danger it poses to tourists. In an interview with Nexstar Media Inc., News 13 Chief Meteorologist Ross Whitley described rip currents as “fast, narrow moving channels of water that will pull you out away from the shore… That means no matter how well you swim you can be caught off guard by a rip.”
You May Also Read:
- Get Away From It All: Secluded Towns in Tennessee That Offer Ultimate Peace
- Insect Invasion Strikes Colorado: 5 Cities Struggling with Bed Bug Outbreak
- Data Revealed that Michigan’s ‘Roachiest’ City Also Among the ‘Dirtiest’ in the Nation
New Smyrna Beach
Informally, this beach is referred to as “the Shark Bite Capital of the World.”That should be plenty to dissuade you from traveling to Florida’s East Coast’s New Smyrna Beach.
After becoming the scene of multiple shark attacks each year, the media gave the beach the bone-chilling honor.
Florida has more shark bite cases than any other state in the world, with 259 incidents reported between 2012 and 2021, according to the Florida Museum’s International Shark Attack File. the represents 34 percent of the global total for the ten-year period.
That’s scary enough, but what’s even more concerning is that the majority of these shark attacks in Florida take place in the vicinity of New Smyrna Beach.
New Smyrna Beach is located on the Volusia County shore, which had half of the state’s shark attacks in 2023.
A month later, two separate individuals were assaulted on New Smyrna Beach in two days, and a 13-year-old girl was bitten in the foot while boogie-boarding later in the year.
You might as well avoid this Florida beach when the waters are this hazardous and shark-infested.
Final Thoughts
In addition to being breathtaking, these three Florida beaches are also very risky. It’s important to investigate and steer clear of these regions before organizing a beach trip in Florida. When enjoying Florida’s stunning beaches, keep in mind that safety should always come first.