Environment SBEP Offering Cash Prizes for King Tide Photo Contest

SARASOTA – SBEP and Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP) are offering cash prizes for the best photos showing the low tide and high tide at the same location during King Tide. This summer’s King Tide is in early June and the highest predicted tide in Sarasota Bay is 2.7 feet.

The cash prizes are $200 for first place, $125 for second place and $75 for runner-up. High resolution photos should be mailed to floridatidewatch@yahoo.com by June 11. The best time to take photos in Sarasota Bay is 7:59pm on Sunday, June 3 for low tide and 12:48pm on Tuesday, June 5 for high tide.

The best time to take photos in the Bradenton area including Manatee River is 7:11 a.m. on Saturday, June 2 for low tide and 1:02 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5 for high tide. A King Tide occurs when the moon and sun align on one side of the Earth and their gravitational pull creates higher tides than normal. The higher tides provide coastal communities with a snapshot of how coasts are likely to change with projected sea level rise in future decades.

The last King Tide event was in October 2011. King Tides normally occur twice a year. You can see examples at flickr.com/groups/1692657@N23/. Photographers are encouraged to target local coastlines, flooded roads, pipes discharging water, ponds, and other areas with higher than normal levels of water.