Okaloosa County Announces Opening of One-of-A-Kind Playground at Ross Marler Park
Okaloosa County, Florida – Okaloosa County and Destin-Fort Walton Beach are proud to announce a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a one-of-a-kind playground at Ross Marler Park on Okaloosa Island, located at 1275 Santa Rosa Boulevard. The ceremony will take place on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at 10 a.m. The $1.3 million playground transformation replaces an aging playground structure and was fully funded with revenue paid by tourists. Due to its location near the Choctawhatchee Bay and Gulf, it will benefit
SS United States Set to Depart Philadelphia to Begin Journey to Become the World’s Largest Artificial Reef
**Update as of 2/19/2025** America's Flagship is on her way to Mobile, Alabama where she will be prepared as the World's Largest Artificial Reef to be deployed off of Destin-Fort Walton Beach. She left Philadelphia this afternoon (2/19/2025) after nearly 30 years. LIVE TRACKING: Follow her journey to Mobile: https://www.destinfwb.com/explore/eco-tourism/ssus/. The amount of traffic to this site has caused some temporary delays, so be patient. View video/still image assets at
Destin-Fort Walton Beach to host World’s Largest Lionfish Tournament
Divers from across the country will be descending on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico waters, May 17-19, 2024, for the main event of Destin-Fort Walton Beach’s Emerald Coast Open, the world’s largest lionfish tournament. This competitive event creates an opportunity for divers to compete for prizes, while also helping the ecosystem recover from the invasive lionfish species that prey upon native fish. Divers are allowed to begin harvesting lionfish from sunrise to sunset and will be competing with more than
Destin-Fort Walton Beach Receives Prestigious Designation from Destinations International
Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism was recently awarded the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) seal with distinction by Destinations International in recognition of the organization's commitment to industry excellence and meeting the industry standard for performance and accountability of destination organizations around the world. “This accreditation is a huge achievement for our County and our local tourism industry,” said Okaloosa County Board Chairman Trey Goodwin. “It demonstrates our
Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism Participates in Unique Whale Shark Tagging Effort
The Coastal Resource team with Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism in Okaloosa County recently participated in a collaborative effort that led to the tagging of two whale sharks, Ivey and Oliver, in the Gulf of Mexico south of Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida. This unique research opportunity was successful due to a joint effort between, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the University of Southern Mississippi, Okaloosa County’s Coastal Resource team, and the fishing community. “We
Destin-Fort Walton Beach Sets New Records at World’s Largest Lionfish Tournament
Divers participating in the 5th Annual Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Tournament set a new record with the successful removal of 24,699 lionfish. Last year’s total was 13,835. Divers from around the country competed for prize money totaling over $100,000 in an effort to eradicate this invasive species in the Gulf of Mexico. Lionfish have few known predators due to their venomous spines. “Okaloosa County continues to be a leader in helping to create sustainable marine ecosystems,” said Okaloosa County Board
