This weekend I traveled to Cape San Blas on the outskirts of Port St Joe FL, and was not quite sure what to expect. It has been well documented that a major oil spill has affected the Gulf of Mexico and the hundreds of miles of shoreline and beaches along the southeastern region of the United States. Over the past four months anxiety and worry have affected every type of person including fishermen to your everyday summer tourists. It is safe to assume that many areas of the Gulf Coast will feel the after effects for months and years to come.
The most dangerous attribute of any tragedy can prove to be perception. The idea that perception is reality can prevent many people from exploring the truth for themselves. I am happy to report that the gulf coast is alive and well, and that yes it is safe t return to the waters. When news spread concerning the oil people fled the beaches as though Jaws himself was waiting just beyond the shoreline. Counties in Florida and many other states approved the hiring of hundreds of beach cleanup workers at the rate of 10 to 12 dollars per hour for 12 hours a day seven days a week. You can’t blame the folks who needed work for applying but when witnessing many of these crews it is easy to notice that many were propping themselves up on their own shovels. This is not to say that the threat of oil on our beaches is not a serious one but BP may have acted in such a way as to prove that they were in fact acting. The problem was not that BP did not act enough on the local level but the lackadaisical response to the actual well closure. It was almost a sense of panic to hire hundreds of workers to cleanup beaches that were not affected at all. In an attempt to prove that they cared they responded with a zeal that may have been a bit misguided. Obviously some beaches and areas benefited from the extra workers and thankfully a boost for their local economy. I can happily report that the areas I recently visited are oil free and ready for those late summer visitors.
Not only are the beaches clear but much of the fishing and seafood industries are running full force. I spoke with the owner of a famous local pub and seafood restaurant concerning the impact of the oil spill on his business. Jim McNeill has been the owner and operator of the Indian Pass Raw Bar for twenty-five years and has the reputation for great seafood and great ambience. I asked Mr. McNeill what impact if at all the oil spill has had on his business, he replied by saying “at first people were a little shy but for those local folks who regularly eat here they knew that our seafood was safe, but it is hard to explain it to the tourist who has to drive hundreds of miles away.” He went on to say that business has been good and that many people are returning to the beaches and his restaurant and that he is expecting a large Labor Day weekend crowd to close the summer. Mr. McNeill finished our time together by saying “this area has been affected by floods, hurricanes and fires over the past one hundred and that it will take more than an oil spill to close them down for good.”
I myself enjoyed the local flavors including the raw oysters and the stuffed shrimp, not only were they oil free but insanely delicious and just as normal as I remembered them being. Last Tuesday around 5,000 square miles of fishing waters were reopened off of the Florida panhandle allowing the local fishing boats and charter boats to open for business in hopes to save the month of August. The percentage of closed waters dropped from 37 percent in June to around 22 percent as of now. President Barack Obama and his family were scheduled to spend the weekend on the Florida beaches in hopes of alleviating fears from the general public towards the seafood industry.
This oil spill brought many fears to the locals as they rely on tourism and the seafood industry to earn a living and with good reason. Now people can return to the lifestyle they knew before that terrible day in April, and hopefully salvage the remainder of their summers and plan for a great one next year. For all of you who enjoy the Florida Beaches I cannot guarantee that sharks are not lurking along the shoreline, but as for now the oil spill is under control so feel free to return to some sense of normalcy and enjoy the outdoor living that Florida is known for.
