Over the years, the little seaside town of Destin in Florida’s panhandle has become a playground for tourists. Miles and miles of white sandy beaches were the first attraction. The entire beach area now has a variety of entertainments to offer tourists.
Scuba divers and snorkelers enjoy the calm, clear, warm waters that have natural limestone ridges that attract marine life. The limestone ledges are part of the DeSoto Canyon which brings deep waters closer to shore than any other point on the Gulf of Mexico. The ledges are covered with finger and basket sponges, aqua and purple sea whips, and a variety of colorful corals. The deep waters attract dolphins, six-foot manta rays, and huge loggerhead sea turtles. Divers can swim among huge schools of migrating mackerel, amberjack, and cigar minnows.
In addition to the interesting natural underwater terrain, there are shipwrecks and artificial reefs to explore. Courtesy of the Air Force training that has taken place over Destin and the Gulf for years, there are also airplanes and missile parts scattered on the sandy bottom.