Florida Travel Update
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Update

Updated June 15, 2010 10:45 a.m.

Dime to five inch-sized tar balls continue to be found in widely scattered areas of Northwest Florida, and cleanup teams remain on scene. There have been no reports of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill-related oil products reaching the shore beyond the Northwest Florida region. There is no indication that the rest of the state will have impacts from weathered oil products within the next 72 hours.

Escambia County Health Department issued a health advisory for the area extending from the Florida-Alabama line to the entrance of the Perdido Unit, Gulf Islands National Seashore. See map below for full details.
 
The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has issued a partial fishing closure in Escambia County (view map); the rest of Florida's recreational and commercial fisheries have not been directly affected by the oil spill. There are closed areas offshore in federal waters where oil has been spotted. Fishing continues to be open in the vast majority of Gulf of Mexico waters, and all related saltwater fishing regulations remain in effect.

At this time, there are no beach closures and the majority of Florida's state waters remain open to recreational fishing. Florida's 825 miles of beaches, 1,260 miles of coastline and 14 seaports, including cruise ships, remain open for business.



VISIT FLORIDA believes that planning your Sunshine State vacation should be the beginning of a great experience. If you’re concerned about any potential impact from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, we encourage you to check with local destinations in order to get the most up-to-date information. To make it easy, we’re providing you links below.

www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/
For official trajectory and forecast information, visit NOAA's site.