BEACHES

A wild and very blue discovery this week for scientists along a 328-foot stretch of Corpus Christi beach this week: four blue dragons.

It doesn’t really matter what time of year it is, there’s almost always a beach calling my name somewhere.

While they may be hard to see, ghost crabs can be found at Padre Island National Seashore and other Texas beaches.

GALVESTON, Texas – The Galveston Bay Foundation and the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) released this year’s official report card results for Galveston Bay. After looking at 22 factors divided into six different categories, it was determined that Galveston Bay’s overall health was graded at a C, which means “adequate for now.”Here is the breakdown:Human health risk: The bay received a C for this category. Habitat: This category received a D. People can support local restoration efforts, and volunteer or donate to help with projects. Water quality: While you may be expecting a poor grade in this category, this is the highest rank Galveston Bay received. Pollution events and sources: Galveston Bay received a C in this category, but the fix is simple.

HOUSTON – Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales issued a plea Monday to tourists: Don’t come to Corpus Christi beaches and stay home. Canales, who spoke with the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, called the request “almost unthinkable” amid “freefall (COVID-19) conditions” believed to be linked to the sheer numbers of tourists drawn to the Gulf Coast. “For the next few weeks… the coast is just not clear to come home to right now,” Canales told the newspaper. “Please do everything you can to help us stabilize. We are not stable — we are in a free fall — and we need some help from Texas.”For more, go to the newspaper’s full report.

Welcome to the official kickoff to summer.

At KPRC 2, were dedicated to keeping Houstonians informed. As part of our new Ask 2 series, the newsroom will answer your questions about all things Houston. The question: What are the current rules for Galveston beaches? The answer: All Galveston beaches have reopened, according to Galvestons visitor website. Several guidelines are in place to ensure the health and safety of beachgoers, and will be enforced by Galveston Beach Patrol and Galveston Police.

GALVESTON, Texas – Vehicle access to six Galveston Island beaches will be closed this weekend in an effort to control the spread of coronavirus. The beaches included are:Sunny BeachHershey Beach13 Mile Road16 Mile RoadSalt CedarSan Luis PassPedestrians are still allowed to access the beaches. Officials said police and Beach Patrol will continue to enforce social distancing requirements on all beaches.

Check out the list below and get to know the lesser known beaches that are just a drive away from Houston. Surfside BeachDistance from Houston: 67.1 milesThe big advantage between Galveston’s beaches and Surfside Beach is the free parking. It is also not overrun by tourists and you can see mostly local action on the shores, according to Only In Your State. Terramar BeachDistance from Houston: 66 milesTerramar Beach is a small Galveston community that allows the public to access their beaches, located 17 miles from 61st Street. Know of any other less known beaches that are worth the drive from Houston?

GALVESTON, Texas – Eight beaches on Galveston Island have been closed to vehicle traffic this weekend in an effort to help enforce social distancing rules. City leaders said that vehicular access to Sunny Beach, Hershey Beach, 13 Mile Road, 16 Mile Road, Bay Harbor, Miramar, Stavanger, and Salt Cedar, will be closed until 9 p.m. Sunday. These eight beaches were chosen because they typically draw a lot of traffic and have presented crowding issues in the past, officials said. Authorities will be enforcing social distancing rules while patrolling the beaches, officials said. An aerial advertising campaign is also being used to remind beachgoers of the rules.

Published: May 4, 2020, 11:13 amGALVESTON, Texas – Beaches across Texas reopened over the weekend after Gov. Greg Abbott lifted orders to move forward with the first phase of reopening state. It appears many Texans fled to Galveston and nearby beaches. There also appeared to be gatherings at Port Aransas Beach over the weekend. Other beaches like Surfside and South Padre Island seemed to be quieter.

Published: May 3, 2020, 11:06 am Updated: May 3, 2020, 12:22 pmGalveston County’s 32 miles of beaches reopened to the public this weekend along with restaurants and retailers, as part of the first phase of Gov. Earlier this week, Galveston partially reopened beaches with some restrictions but on Friday, those restrictions were lifted. A video shows that 28th and Seawall in Galveston looked pretty busy on Saturday. LIVE view from 28th & Seawall in Galveston, Texas. Posted by Saltwater-Recon.com on Saturday, May 2, 2020Click through this gallery to see Texans going to Galveston on Friday, the first day beaches opened.

HOUSTON – In compliance with Governor Greg Abbott’s plan to re-open Texas, Galveston beaches will soon be open to beachgoers. According to Chief Peter Davis with the Galveston Island Beach Patrol, he has instructed his lifeguards to switch gears. “Technically, we’re still in the prohibited time, but the city is transitioning.” Chief Davis said. “I’m going to try to bury myself in the sand,” Payes said. It’s just better to wait.”Since Galveston Beach closed, Chief Davis said beach patrol has been averaging about 200 calls a day for people being out on the beach, when they shouldn’t.

GALVESTON, Texas – A photo making the rounds on social media shows a man being escorted from Galveston beach on the first day that the beach opened back up. A picture taken by Adrees Latif of Reuters shows a man with his hands above his head in the beach water. According to Reuters, bystanders said the man repeatedly walked onto Seawall Boulevard, disrupting traffic. On Monday, the public beaches opened from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. daily for exercise only and other non-stationary activities. The Galveston City Council voted to allow people to surf, swim, wade fish, and access the rock groins during the designated hours.

HOUSTON – Recent thunderstorms plus weeks of quarantine has pushed many to head to the Bolivar Peninsula for Beach Day this weekend. Beaches on the Bolivar Peninsula are among the few open. There are 27 miles of beach on the Bolivar Peninsula from Port Bolivar to High Island. Starting Monday, the public beaches will open from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. for exercise and non-stationary activities only. The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office deployed extra patrols to manage crowds, which had been mostly family gatherings, Sheriff Henry Trochesset told The Daily News.

HOUSTON – Surfside Beach was busy with visitors Saturday. The majority of the people seem not to be respecting social distancing guidelines or didn’t wear a face mask or covering. Surfside Beach is located near Freeport, in Brazoria County, which has encouraged residents to wear a face covering when out in public, but it is not mandated. On April 7, Brazoria County Judge Matt Sebesta ordered the temporary closures to county parks, including Quintana Park and Stephen F. Austin Park. As of Saturday, Brazoria County has reported 573 COVID-19 cases, including three people who have died from coronavirus-related complications, according to the county’s COVID-19 dashboard.

Beaches are reopening at a swift rate in some of the United States' sun-soaked southern states. More beaches are openingPanama City Beach on Friday joins a growing number of Florida beaches open for limited hours. Most beaches are open for limited hours and only for non-stationary exercise such as walking, jogging or swimming. On Jacksonville, Florida, beaches last Friday, those measures seemed erratic at best. "My experience of beaches is that unless the beaches are remote, you will find real difficulty in keeping to the six-foot rule," he said.

MATAGORDA COUNTY, Tx – As the weather warms up and summer is itching closer, Matagorda County officials reopened county beaches just in time. In a Facebook post, officials said that all beach areas will open Friday along with surrounding businesses as long as they can operate on a “to-go” basis. While public restrooms are closed, beach officials will be placing port-a-potties in some areas of the beaches. As most of you know the beach will open at 8am tomorrow morning. The normal beach rules apply, so you can still camp and... Posted by Matagorda Beach on Thursday, April 23, 2020Matagorda County is reminding residents that they are currently under a burn ban, thus prohibiting beach bonfires.

HOUSTON – As coronavirus continues to spread and non-essential businesses started to close as a precaution before stay-at-home orders were announced, many Texans began to take advantage of nature by heading to beaches. But since everyone thought of doing the same thing all at once, a stop had to be put to outdoor gatherings and many public beaches were closed. Here’s what some of Texas’ most popular beaches look like without visitors:Galvestonan empty galveston is a rare sight pic.twitter.com/Jx9UPPON4W — adriana (@gspringerx) April 1, 2020Jamaica BeachPort AransasPort Aransas Beaches are closed but with a few exceptiioms as listed on the sign. It’s a temporary order to keep us all safe! #DontBeASpreader #beachlife pic.twitter.com/qU7Xvp8vLI — Port Aransas Beaches (@PortABeaches) March 28, 2020South Padre Island

Climate change poses an existential threat to the world's sandy beaches, and that as many as half of them could disappear by the end of the century, a new study has found. The study found that sea level rise is expected to outweigh these other variables, and that the more heat-trapping gases humans put into the atmosphere, the worse the impacts on the world's beaches are likely to be. It's hard to overstate just how important the world's beaches are. The new study found that as sea levels continue to rise, more and more beaches will face erosion problems. The researchers did find that humans have some control over what happens to the world's beaches.

Spring break is a great time to cut loose and celebrate the end of winter. There’s a reason why destinations such as Mexico and Fort Lauderdale are so popular for spring break. If you’re going to a popular spring break destination, make your travel arrangements now, as accommodations might sell out. If you're looking to do something really different for your spring break, why not escape spring altogether with a trip to the Southern Hemisphere? From lounging on the beach to skiing to volunteering, these seven spring break ideas offer fun for people of all ages.