Scales and Tailwinds: Alligator Mistakes Air Base for Swamp Resort

Scales and Tailwinds: Alligator Mistakes Air Base for Swamp Resort

April 23, 2024Posted inAviation, Florida News, Florida Wildlife
A large alligator rests near the landing gear of a KC-135 at Macdill AFB, Florida on Monday.
A large alligator rests near the landing gear of a KC-135 at MacDill AFB, Florida on Monday. Photo: MacDill AFB

TAMPA, Fla. – An unexpected visitor found his way onto the tarmac at MacDill Air Force Base yesterday, prompting a swift response from Florida Fish and Wildlife authorities. After crawling out of a nearby marsh, the nearly 10-foot alligator promptly did what gators do…. found a nice cool spot to get out of the hot Florida sun. Unfortunately for the busy airmen at the base, the gator apparently claimed “squatter’s rights” in front of the landing gear of a huge KC-135 tanker aircraft.

Sargussum Is Coming Soon To A Florida Beach Near You (Probably)

Sargussum Is Coming Soon To A Florida Beach Near You (Probably)

April 22, 2024Posted inFlorida News, Florida Wildlife, Uncategorized
Cocoa Beach in Florida
Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN

In what has become a rite of summer, it’s nearly Sargussum season on Florida beaches. In many recent years, thick brown mats of a macroalgae named Sargussum start washing up on the shorelines, sometimes reaching several inches in depth in early summer, and those mats linger until well into the season.

Sargassum often comes with a pungent stench attached to it — something between sewage and rotten eggs — due to the mats off-gassing Hydrogen Sulfide and Ammonia, among others. Hydrogen Sulfide smells like rotten eggs, and ammonia is most commonly linked to a stale urine smell. This makes a sargassum-covered beach a wholly unpleasant experience, and that’s before the brown water is created in the surf by Sargassum decaying in the water.

Celebrating Tradition: FIHA’s 58th Annual Powwow

March 27, 2024Posted inFlorida News
Photo: Cal Foxton/FMN

The rhythmic beat of drums, the vibrant swirl of colorful regalia, and the spirit of unity filled the air at the St. Lucie Fairgrounds from March 22nd to 24th as the Florida Indian Heritage Association (FIHA) hosted its 58th Annual Powwow. This three-day event served as a celebration of Native American culture, drawing participants and spectators from diverse backgrounds to honor traditions, forge connections, and educate the broader community.

“Holes In The Clouds” Appear Over Florida’s Offshore Waters

“Holes In The Clouds” Appear Over Florida’s Offshore Waters

March 5, 2024Posted inFlorida News, NASA
Cavum or “Holepunch” clouds seen January 30, 2024, from using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Photo NASA
Cavum or “Holepunch” clouds seen January 30, 2024, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Photo NASA

Famed Florida fine-arts photographer Clyde Butcher once said, “Out west, they have their mountains. We have our clouds.” Butcher’s observation was spot-on. The Sunshine State is home to some incredible sights in our skies—be it the setting sun illuminating a faraway thunderstorm, a wall cloud from an approaching tropical storm, or even just a regular day when the clouds take on shapes where they appear to be animals or something else familiar. There’s always something interesting to see here by simply looking upwards into the atmosphere.

The Best Places To View a Crewed Rocket Launch

January 16, 2024Posted inFlorida News, General, Space News
CST-100 Capsule launches
Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner crewed capsule heading to space.
Photo: Charles Boyer

Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit Florida’s Space Coast every year to view a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

While the area is accommodating and friendly to tourists, those same tourists often ask the same question of the locals: “Where is the best places to view a rocket launch?” The answer to “where is the best place to view a launch?” is best prefaced with “it depends.”