isitors to our beautiful beaches will notice colorful flags flying at all of the public access sites. These flags let swimmers know what’s happening in the water. Most of the colors coincide with traffic lights – green indicates there are calm conditions, so go ahead and enjoy the water; yellow reminds you to be cautious because conditions pose a moderate threat; red indicates dangerous conditions, with strong currents and high surf, so only strong swimmers should be in the water; double red flags mean the water is closed, so no swimming, even though the beaches remain open. Sometimes purple flags are flying along with the green, yellow, or red. These indicate dangerous marine life is present, so swimmers should exercise caution.
Although they can mean sharks in the water, in our area, they’re usually warning that jellyfish are here. Stings can be painful and ruin a day at the beach. There are lots of home remedies for a sting, from icing the affected area to applying meat tenderizer, but the best advice is to avoid them altogether. We want you to enjoy our sugar-sand beaches and warm, turquoise water and leave with only happy memories, so please – familiarize yourself with our Beach Flag Warning System and know when it’s safe to go in the water.
Orange Beach, AL
Submitted by
Glee Barnhill
RE/MAX of Orange Beach
Orange Beach, AL