Toxic Portuguese man o’ war appearing throughout Florida beaches

Bluebottle Portuguese man o’ war on the beach — Courtesy: Shutterstock — KarenHBlack Next time you take a trip to Florida’s coast, watch your step! Toxic Portuguese man o’ wars are showing up on beaches all over the Sunshine State. As spring breakers flocked to South Florida and South Carolina beaches recently, so did the

Florida’s citrus forecast predicts lowest yield since WWII

Mass of ripe citrus fruits oranges in metal container and working conveyor — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Tanya Kalian Florida’s dwindling citrus industry continues to see a major decrease in crops for the current growing season, with the harvest on track for the lowest yield since World War II. With the latest troubling prediction attributed to

Lion Country Safari brings a wild drive-thru experience to Florida residents

Lion Country Safari, Loxahatchee, FL — Courtesy: Shutterstock — mariakray Right here in the Sunshine State, Florida residents can immerse themselves in a four-mile safari with thriving naturalistic habitats and large herds of roaming animals. Lion Country Safari, located in Loxahatchee, is the largest drive-thru safari in the state and the first one in the

Alligators just want to have fun! Images taken in the Florida Everglades show predators at play

Alligators Florida Everglades — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Thierry Eidenweil Remarkable images posted to social media channels over the past week feature alligators playing with a football and chasing a remote control boat around a lake, seeming to confirm a Tennessee university study that found that crocodilians like to have fun too. An image posted to

Giant flying Joro spider multiplying across the East Coast could soon invade Florida

Joro spider, a type of orb-weaver spider native to Japan — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Dave Hansche Americans living on the East Coast may soon find themselves facing an invasion of giant flying spiders. Large enough to cover the palm of your hand, the Joro spider is quite intimidating. But will these creatures pose a problem

More than 1,000 homes evacuated as wildfires rage through Florida’s Panhandle

Florida Wildfires — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Tom Fawls Rescue crews are working diligently to get several wildfires burning in the Sunshine State under control. Two of the biggest fires are still causing destruction within the Panhandle. There are a total of 168 wildfires burning across Florida right now. The biggest of them all is the

How Florida’s Key deer may be close to climate extinction

Key Deer — Courtesy: Shutterstock — moosehenderson When Hurricane Irma destroyed south Florida in September of 2017, it knocked out electricity for millions, inundated homes, and killed more than 30 people. However, the devastation was not confined to humans.  In the Florida Keys, one of the Sunshine State’s most beloved species also took a beating:

Exclusive footage shows a 200-year-old whaler shipwreck discovered off Florida’s coast

Shipwreck — Courtesy: Shutterstock — timsimages.uk A 19th-century whaler shipwreck has been found in a deep-sea dive off of Florida’s coast.  Video showing a ballast, anchor, bottles, and a stove resting on the ocean floor was released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on February 25.  The rusted iron anchor can be seen

‘Highly pathogenic’ bird flu has been found in Florida’s wild birds

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed that a new strain of avian flu is affecting the Sunshine State’s wild bird population.  The FWC said the National Veterinary Services Laboratory found cases of “Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, H5 2.3.4.4, in lesser scaup, black vultures and other wild birds.” Wildlife experts are now investigating bird

Florida legislature plans to pass first law protecting outdoor workers from heat exposure

Farm Workers Face Heat Exposure in Agriculture Field — Courtesy: Shutterstock — AFZAL KHAN MAHEEN We rarely take time to think about those who built the roof over our heads and picked the fresh produce we enjoy at the table. Field workers work hard in Florida’s unbearable heat to provide us with our most basic