The Town of Orchid is part of Florida’s famous Treasure Coast along the Atlantic Ocean. And certainly Orchid’s beautiful and pristine beach is a treasure indeed. The Town is committed to protecting this wonderful, natural resource for all who enjoy it, including those for whom it serves as essential habitat. In turn, the dune system along the coast in Orchid is protective of public health and safety, so this is an important relationship.
Below are some subjects regarding safe enjoyment of the beach. At the bottom are buttons to dive deep into beach-specific topics important to the Town of Orchid.
Unguarded Beach
The beach in Orchid is generally not lifeguard-protected. The Orchid Island Golf and Beach Club uses the Florida Uniform Warning Flag System at its main beach access to advise beach-goers of coastal and surf conditions.
Be aware that the tide and surf conditions can change rapidly. It is important to be mindful of where you are when swimming, so as to always be comfortable with the distance back to shore. Safety should be your first priority.
Protective Dunes
The State of Florida has strict laws that protect its fragile dune system. Though the dunes in Orchid may look robust, they are not impervious to even small-scale damage. It is very important that dunes are not disturbed. Dune collapse is dangerous.
For this reason, please keep the following in mind:
- Only access the beach via the available dune crossovers in Orchid; do not walk or climb on the dunes.
- Keep pets off the dunes at all times.
- Burrowing into the dune is detrimental to its structure and may cause dune collapse with dangerous consequences.
- The vegetation on the dunes is protected flora; vegetation should not be disturbed or removed.
Rip Currents
A rip current is a strong channel of water moving away from the shore at a beach. They are part of the natural near-shore ocean circulation and are quite common, occurring at many beaches every day on both the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of Florida. They typically form along breaks in the offshore underwater sandbar, but they also occur near structures such as jetties and piers.
It’s important to be aware that a rip current can form very quickly and extend as far as 50 to 100 yards offshore at speeds up to 5 miles per hour or about 8 feet per second. That is faster than an Olympic swimmer can swim! Rip currents do not pull people under the water; instead, they carry people out towards deeper water and make it difficult for someone to swim back to shore.
Learn about how to avoid being caught in a rip current on the NOAA Rip Currents page.
