Why is Florida sand so soft?

For millions of years in the Gulf of Mexico and along the coast the constant grinding and pulverizing motion of the waves have broken down the sand. That creates a situation where the sand becomes so fine it doesn't take more than a small breeze to displace it on the beach. This is called “saltating”.



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The sand is made from pure white quartz crystal, which came from the Appalachian Mountains at the end of the last Ice Age and was deposited into the Gulf of Mexico.

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Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Australia Whitehaven Beach is consistently ranked as the world's best beach, and with good reason: It's almost surreally beautiful. Besides its crystal clear waters, it's known for its white sand, consisting of 98% pure silica which gives it a bright white color.

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Over a period of a few days or weeks, the sun will bleach the sand until it's gradually closer to the color people are used to seeing.

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An array of crustaceans – including sand crabs, roly polies (isopods), and beach hoppers (amphipods) – as well as beetles, blood worms and clams, all move up and down the beach according to the water level. This on-the-go lifestyle makes management of this ecosystem a unique challenge (see Best Practices).

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The white sand beaches of 30A are formed from pure white quartz that traveled from mountaintops to the Gulf via the Apalachicola River. As waves washed over the quartz, a fine, flawless sand developed and gave us the beautiful beaches you see today.

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Olivine Sand Sand of almost exclusively olivine grains is very rare, and Papakolea is one of only four green sand beaches in the world.

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Why does Florida beach sand squeak? Squeaking (sometimes called whistling) sand happens where sand is mostly quartz, very well rounded and highly spherical, according to Scientific American. The frequency and amplitude are related to the grain size and surface texture.

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In most states, taking a living sand dollar from the beach is illegal. However, laws vary about collecting a dead sand dollar. It's best to check for signs at the beach, look at your state laws online or ask a lifeguard or warden working at the beach.

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Another luxury item available in Florida is our exquisite, white, beach sand. Our beach sand has a velvety soft feel underfoot and is screened and cleaned – ready for use.

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In the past, up to 90% of natural sand supply for California beaches came from rivers and streams. Water runoff from a natural watershed transports a mixture of sand, silt, and clay to the coast.

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