Horizon Oil Spill Update For Sanibel Island
Less Than 1% Chance of Oil on Our Beaches
Recent projections by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirm the sentiments of a leading local expert that there is a minimal likelihood of oil from the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill impacting The Beaches of Sanibel and Captiva on southwest Florida's Gulf coast.
In a technical report released July 2, NOAA reports that the probability of oil impacting the destination is less than 1 percent and that the probability of oiling for much of the west coast of Florida is 20 percent or less. It further states that any oil reaching the area would have spent considerable time degrading and dispersing and would be in the form of scattered tar balls and not a large surface slick of oil.
The report echoes statements from Kristie Anders, education director for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, who earlier stated that the chances of oil impacting The Beaches of Sanibel and Captiva are slim. She said the loop current in the Gulf follows the edge of the West Florida Continental Shelf, which runs parallel to the state's coast and extends to about 150 miles off the destination's shores. When the strong current hits the shelf, it curves southward along its edge.
"The continental shelf serves as our guardian angel," explains Anders. "Barring a major storm, it's the greatest reason to be optimistic that we will experience minimal impact from the spill, since it will steer the loop current away from our area and well offshore of Southwest Florida."
With the capping of the well and the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) transitioning to a Level 2 partial activation due to the significantly reduced threat of impact to the state, we anticipate the need for fewer updates going forward. However, we will continue to keep you informed of any pertinent status changes as the situation evolves.
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The islands of Sanibel and Captiva are occupied with vacationers
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Currently, there is no local impact from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
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The beaches are beautiful, sunny and breezy.
Please call us if you have any further questions. Thank you, Andy, Dru and Charlie
Our Oil Free Guarantee:
In the (extremely unlikely) event that the beaches and gulf waters of Sanibel get closed during your stay at Ocean's Reach due to the oil spill,you are eligible for a refund or we'll apply a 20% discount to a future summer reservation, good for 2 years from the start of the current reservation date.
If there is an imminent threat to Sanibel's beaches during your upcoming stay, you can apply your reservation monies to future summer reservations for up to 2 years from the start of that reservation date.
New and Updated Beach Photos taken from Ocean's Reach...
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