Beaches

Doctors say there’s no need in most cases to wait. That old warning stems from worry that people might drown or struggle because blood will be diverted to their full stomachs instead of their muscles.

Environmentalists remain perplexed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' recent veto of a wildly popular bipartisan bill to safeguard the state’s coastlines and protect the health of beachgoers because he believed it gave the Florida Department of Health too much power.

Digging in sand might seem innocent, but if the hole is deep enough and collapses on a person, it is extremely difficult to escape. Research suggests more people die from sand burial suffocation than shark attacks.

Officials say six people drowned in rip currents over a recent two-day period in Florida, including a couple vacationing on Hutchinson Island from Pennsylvania with their six children and three young men on a Panhandle holiday from Alabama.

Paola Barranco runs a startup that pulverizes recycled glass in to sand. She thinks it could be an attractive, environmentally friendly option in a state with a shortage of quality beach sand.

They're currently not allowed on its public beach. A vote could mean they would also be illegal on private beaches.

Caladesi Island State Park, near Dunedin and Clearwater, ranked fourth for the second straight year. It was one of two Florida beaches in the top 10

Beneath many of the people will be towels or blankets; underneath many shorebirds will be their next generation. That’s why holiday beachgoers will have a good chance of seeing an Audubon Florida volunteer shooing people away from nesting areas.

Dangerous rip currents will be at a high risk along the Florida panhandle through Sunday with an increased risk along the Gulf coast beaches as well.

After a 17-year-old Canadian swimmer was swept out to sea and later found dead, the National Weather Service is warning visitors and residents about the hazards.

The collapse of a sand hole that killed a 7-year-old Indiana girl who was digging with her brother on a Florida beach is a danger that kills and injures several children a year around the country.

The three cities on Anna Maria Island could face consolidation or simply cease to exist after the 2025 legislation session. A state-led study is examining the best options for the 7-mile stretch of land.