BeachHunter Visits Longboat Key from David McRee on Vimeo.
Posted by David McRee on BlogTheBeach.com.
Scroll down for slide show of Longboat Key and Beer-Can Island beaches.
It used to be easy to walk to Beer Can Island on the northern tip of Longboat Key. Now, severe beach erosion has made it difficult to get past a seawall in front of a condominium on North Shore Drive. The North Shore Drive beach access is closed, and “No Parking” signs prevent the public from parking on the street. I’m not sure when they put up the “no parking” signs, but ample parking is provided one block south on Broadway. The problem is getting past the beach condo. The Gulf of Mexico now comes right up to the seawall and there is no beach at that point. Only on an extremely low tide can you walk to Beer Can Island.
I recently visited during a very low tide and walked all the way to Beer Can Island and took the photos in the slide show below. Actually, Beer Can Island really is not an island, since it is connected. It is a formation common on sandy island tips and is called a “hooked spit.” It is in the shape of a hook, which curves back into the lee side of the island, creating a shallow, sheltered lagoon favored by wading birds.
