Gulf Islands National Seashore

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's announcement Thursday that the Trump administration intends to open up coastal areas to oil and gas leasing drew immediate condemnation from the National Parks and Conservation Association, which fears that could adversely impact national seashores and parks.

Gulf Islands National Seashore, though not as heavily damaged as other parts of the National Park System in the Caribbean and Florida, will have limited access into December as crews work to repair road damage inflicted by Hurricane Nate to the Fort Pickens Road through the Fort Pickens Area and Highway 399 through the Santa Rosa Area.

Officials have begun to evacuate Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida and Mississippi as the park braces for Tropical Storm Nate, which is forecast to reach the U.S. Gulf Coast as a hurricane this weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Brian Whalen stood at the edge of the Gulf of Mexico, staring out at bright green waves crashing along the Santa Rosa Area of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Though it was the middle of the week, the beach was dotted with swimmers, sunbathers, and anglers like Whalen, enjoying a hot, sunny day in Northwest Florida. Suddenly, a dark shape swam past, longer than an adult is tall with a powerful tailfin.