Is there bacteria at the beaches in Florida?

Many fecal bacteria, like enterococci, thrive in Florida's warm waters, which have reached record-high temperatures this summer.



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Rip currents are another concern that beachgoers should be aware of. Strong rip currents increase the risk of drowning. According to the National Weather Service, the risk for rip currents is moderate or high for all South Florida beaches and most of the remainder of the state.

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Another potential threat beachgoers should be aware of in Florida is Vibrio vulnificus — rare species of so-called flesh-eating bacteria found in raw shellfish or seawater. The dangerous strain of vibrio bacteria has been linked to five deaths in Florida this year, state health officials said.

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Many of Florida's beaches have shores with shallow waters, which often result in sandbars. When the sun reflects off the white ocean floor and the surrounding microscopic plankton, this creates the gradient effect of transparent, emerald, and azure waters.

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Another potential source of illness includes some types of cyanobacteria that form algal “blooms” (discolored water) and the toxins they produce. When people are exposed to cyanotoxins, they may have hay fever-like symptoms, skin rashes, sore throat, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or even kidney or liver damage.

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The downside includes hot, humid weather, and the risk of hurricanes.
  • 8 Sanibel Island Beaches.
  • 7 Key Biscayne.
  • 6 Fort De Soto State Park.
  • 5 Siesta Key Beach.
  • 4 St. Augustine Beach.
  • 3 Clearwater Beach.
  • 2 Cocoa Beach.
  • 1 Marco Island Beaches.


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As a general rule, the water anywhere in Florida will be warm enough to swim between April and October. During the cooler months, the farther south you go, the warmer it will be. Fort Lauderdale, Miami, the Keys, Marco Island and Naples will have the warmest water during the winter.

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Polluted runoff (water that drains after rainfall) and untreated sewage released into the water can expose swimmers to harmful microorganisms called “pathogens.” These pathogens can be present at or near the site where polluted discharges enter the water.

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Beach-related Illnesses Children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are the most likely populations to develop illnesses or infections after coming into contact with polluted water, usually while swimming. Fortunately, while swimming-related illnesses are unpleasant, they are usually not very serious.

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What South Florida beaches tested unsafe?
  • ? South Beach in Key West tested unsafe 68% of the time.
  • ? Higgs Beach in Key West tested unsafe 46% of the time.
  • ? Dubois Park in Jupiter tested unsafe 22% of the time.
  • ? North Shore Ocean Terrace in Miami Beach tested unsafe 18% of the time.


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The Weddell Sea has been claimed by scientists to have the clearest waters of any ocean in the world. Described by a historian as “the most wretched and dismal region on earth”, due to the flash freezes that caught Shackleton's ship, its clarity is only belied by the sheer depth of the ocean below.

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