White Sugar Sand Beaches

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The beautiful white sugary sand beaches that draw millions of visitors every year have a specific reason why they have a bright white look to them.  Interestingly enough, other beaches of Florida and on up through the Carolinas look different. So what makes our beaches so special? Destin, Panama city, the beaches of 30A all have a particular reason why they are so irresistible.

First let's talk about how the beaches were created. These beaches have been in the process of creation for thousands of years. This is eye opening, but one, might think, well, it just is because it is, but everything has a reason.

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How it began 

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When large deep slabs of ice that covered North America began to melt after the ice age, large amounts of water flowed down from the Appalachian mountains, it filled basins or lakes and then started streaming down towards the Gulf carrying with it crushed very fine pieces of Quartz minerals. Quartz is an abundant, hard, stable mineral that is composed of Silicone and Oxygen Atoms, is usually colorless and often has a pure, clear appearance. These Quartz minerals were carried all the way down what today is called the Apalachicola River through Florida and in time mixed with tiny fine pieces of shell on the shoreline. This mixture continuously collected and created the beautiful white sand beaches we see today giving the Northwest Florida Coastline two unique visible wonders.

 One is the pristine white color of the sand and also the emerald color of the coastal waters next to it. Proudly called the Emerald coast, the beautiful beaches we see today along the Northwest Florida Gulf coast are nature's beautiful creation over thousands and thousands of years.  

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