Tips on Sarasota Warnings or Dangers – Stay Safe!

Sarasota Warnings and Dangers

Sarasota is located just below Tampa Bay on Florida’s Gulf Coast and has miles of beaches for you to enjoy in the sun. If you are going to be visiting Sarasota and its beaches, here are some warnings and dangers you should know about the beaches and water before you come here.

Beach Flag Warning System

Florida has a flag system to warn you about the water conditions. Green is good, yellow means you should be careful, and a purple flag alerts you to dangerous marine life in the area. A red flag signals there are bad riptides around and you should keep out of the water.

Riptides can easily pull you out into the gulf.  If you get caught in a rip tide, the trick to surviving is to not try to swim directly back to shore. Instead, stay calm and float when needed and/or swim parallel to the shore to swim out of the riptide. You can swim back to shore once you swim out of the riptide. The rip tides are worse during hurricane season between June 1 and November 30.

A double red flag signifies that you are not allowed in the water because the conditions are too dangerous. People who enter the water under a double red flag will be ticketed and fined.

Water Dangers

The Gulf of Mexico has a lot of jellyfish and their stings is equivalent to a wasp sting. Be careful not to swim into the tentacles of a jellyfish or you will get covered in stings.

Red tide blooms are dangerous. Red tide blooms are caused by an increased presence of plant-based plankton. These blooms produce toxins that can poisonous to fish and harmful to humans.

Editor’s note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about Sarasota warnings and dangers.