FEATURED STORY
How To Tell Manta Rays And Stingrays Apart
Out of all the wildlife you may spot in Destin-Fort Walton Beach, one of the most distinctive is a ray gliding through the water like a flat alien spaceship.
Read moreVISITOR GUIDE
Your go-to guide for everything Destin-Fort Walton Beach!
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REQUEST VISITORS GUIDEAn abundance of wildlife calls Destin, Fort Walton Beach, and Okaloosa Island its home. While you’re visiting our beautiful beaches and natural areas you’ll spot an array of wildlife including sea turtles, birds, and dolphins. Strolling on our beaches, trails, or enjoying one of a natural park areas you will spot plenty of wildlife living within its natural habitat.
The beaches in Destin-Fort Walton Beach are home to the remarkable sea turtle. Sea turtle season occurs between April and November and during this time the female sea turtle comes ashore at night to lay her eggs in the sand and head back out to sea. Typical nests have 80-120 eggs, with only 1 out 1,000 babies surviving to adulthood. Due to human exploitation and habitat destruction, sea turtles are threatened with extinction. Never disturb a turtle that is crawling to or from the water or crowd around a nesting turtle. Any disturbances can cause a sea turtle adult or hatchling to become disoriented, get hurt, and possibly injured. Watch our informational video about protecting sea turtle populations in Destin-Fort Walton Beach.
Please help us protect the endangered sea turtle by following these simple guidelines:
All sea turtles are protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act and Florida state law. Following these simple guidelines will help protect these endangered creatures who call the Destin-Fort Walton Beach home!
Destin-Fort Walton Beach offers many birding opportunities along our beautiful coastline. Bird-watchers will get a chance to spy terns, gulls, black skimmers, brown pelicans, several species of shorebirds, great blue and little blue herons, snowy egrets, reddish egrets (in the fall) and occasionally black-necked stilts. Watchers will also view loons, northern gannets and various sea ducks paddling offshore and all visible with a good spotting scope. From May through August, rare least terns and snowy plovers nest in the sand.
A favorite marine animal to see is the dolphin. One of the joys of vacationing in Destin-Fort Walton Beach is watching the bottlenose dolphins at play. Enjoy a dolphin-watching cruise or visit the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park for private dolphin encounters. In the Gulfarium’s unforgettable experience, alongside a trainer, you will see a bottlenose dolphin an up-close and personal. Snorkeling or diving is another great way to experience fish and other sea creatures first hand. Destin-Fort Walton Beach is a nature-based destination where you can experience and enjoy the abundance of wildlife in Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island.
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FEATURED STORY
How To Tell Manta Rays And Stingrays Apart
Out of all the wildlife you may spot in Destin-Fort Walton Beach, one of the most distinctive is a ray gliding through the water like a flat alien spaceship.
Read moreWhile beachgoers can lay out on the sand, shoppers can stroll down the HarborWalk Village and savor plates of Gulf-to-Table seafood. What will you do in Destin-Fort Walton Beach?
How To Tell Manta Rays And Stingrays Apart
Out of all the wildlife you may spot in Destin-Fort Walton Beach, one of the most distinctive is a ray gliding through the water like a flat alien spaceship.
Read moreSailing in Destin-Fort Walton Beach
Have you gone sailing yet? You can’t beat the beautiful water on the Gulf of Mexico. Here are a few options for a sailing experience you won’t forget.
Read moreReasons You Need To Take A Sand Sculpture Lesson
Using that little plastic shovel to scoop wet sand into a bucket. Packing it down firmly like brown sugar in a baking recipe.
Read moreJanuary 28, 2023
Bring your friends, grab a drink, and let the good times roll. We're bringing Mardi…
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