Since I live here on beautiful (yes, it's still beautiful) Pensacola Beach, I'm often asked what it's "really" like. Is the media exaggerating... or underplaying the truth? Is there REALLY oil on the beach? Does it stink? And from those who have summer vacation plans here - Should I cancel?
Well, I have nothing to gain or lose from telling you the truth. You aren't renting a condo from me, so I have no motivation to downplay the reality of the situation (not that the local property managers are doing this, but it's human nature to wonder). Nor am I an activist hoping to further my cause by making it sound worse than it is.
I'm just a regular person who walks on the beach, eats at the restaurants, swims in the water and breathes the air every single day.
"Is there really oil on the beach?"
Yes, there really is oil on the beach. Not the sort of oil you might be envisioning - it's not sludge that you have to wade through like a shallow La Brea Tar Pit or anything, but at this point, it's impossible to avoid. When it first came ashore back in June, it was mostly dog-poop-size globs affectionately known as "tar balls" that tended to cluster in certain areas one day and others the next. But there were still stretches of seemingly oil-free beach, and the tar balls were easy to step around.
However, in the last week or two, that's changed. The dog-poop-sized globs are now pebble-size and are pretty much everywhere. Oh, there are still the larger blobs, and even some cow-patty-size ones, but they aren't as prevalent as the pebble blobs.
If you'd never heard of the oil spill, and never before seen the white beaches of the Florida Panhandle, you might not even see anything amiss at first. But yes, there is definitely oil on the beach.*
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Can I still walk on the beach?"
Yes. You may get oil on your feet (DON'T touch it with your hands - it's icky), but it comes off fairly easily with soap and water. It doesn't hurt or sting or smell (see below); I walk on the beach twice a day and still enjoy the heck out of it.
"Does the air smell bad?"
No, surprisingly, it doesn't. As far as I can tell, the oil has no smell at all. When I step outside my door in the morning, I just smell flowers and salt air, and it's every bit as exhilarating as it's always been.
That said, there have been a few days where there IS a toxic smell in the air, but it doesn't seem to be related to the oil on the shore; I assume it's the wind bringing in fumes from the oil burning offshore. It doesn't last; if you do run into a stinky day, just pretend it's pouring down rain, stay inside and watch movies. It'll pass.
"Is it safe to swim in the Gulf?
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I don't know. I do swim when the water looks clear, but I can't swear it's a good idea. When I can see tar balls in the surf, I stay out - mainly because I can't stand the thought of getting that stuff in my hair. However, the other side of the island - the Santa Rosa Sound side - has nice little beaches and a great beach atmosphere, so if you're nervous about swimming in the Gulf, trot on over the other side and enjoy the Sound.
"Jennifer, be honest with me - is it still pretty?"
Yes. It's still pretty. Not AS pretty as it was, but still more beautiful than just about any other beach I've been on (and that's a lot of beaches). The water is still clear and emerald green, the sunrises and sunsets still spectacular, and the sand is still white, although not as startling white as before. If you happen to go to a beach that is covered with nastiness and/or clean-up crews, just relocate down the way a bit and it's likely you'll find one that's not.
*Conditions change day to day, even hour to hour. One beach might be nearly pristine in the morning, gunked up in the afternoon, and then clean again at sunset. Another beach a mile to the east might be gunky at sunrise, clean at noon, and still clean at sunset.
"Should I cancel my Pensacola Beach vacation?"
I can't answer that for you. If you come, I think you'll have a fine time and maybe even feel as if you were a part of history. You'll enjoy a resort vacation, in the height of the season, without the stress of the traditional high-season crowds. You can get a waterfront table on a Saturday night. You can probably get a Gulf-view room for a fraction of the cost it was last year or will be next year. You may not need a reservation to rent a wave-runner or go parasailing. You won't have to sit in traffic for hours getting on or off the Island.
And of course, if you come, you can buy me a Bushwacker... or two.
Have other questions I can answer for you? Just ask!
* Okay, so I wrote this blog yesterday afternoon intending to post it today. Later I went for my regular sunset walk and was stunned to find that there was NO oil on my beach. None. Zippo. Apparently, the winds are carrying the mess west over the next few days, so the beach is clean. Which has inspired a follow-up blog which will very likely raise a few eyebrows. Goody.
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