Mortgage Broker in Melbourne Beach, FL

MELBOURNE BEACH, Fla. – The town of Melbourne Beach wants to use volunteers to boost beach safety through awareness.

The town is proposing a beach ambassador program. The civilian volunteers would get awareness-level training on things like rip current awareness, first aid, non-hazardous water rescue basics, local wildlife protection, and binocular use, so they know what to do during the initial steps of common beach emergencies.

“They would be able to come out as a volunteer ambassador to the town and help educate beachgoers that might not be familiar with our beaches on the hazards that we face here on the Space Coast,” fire chief Gavin Brown said.

The ambassadors would not take the place of first responders in an emergency but would be able to provide initial help.

The hope is that the volunteers would cut down on the need for hiring additional lifeguards. The proposal by Melbourne Beach’s fire chief said the town looked into hiring extra full-time lifeguards after several ocean rescues occurred last year along the Brevard County coast, but found it to be costly.

The Brevard County government will look into whether there are any liability issues with the program. Government leaders would also have to consider a start-up budget, as well as policies and procedures for the program.

Mike Suchar said he’d like to volunteer.

“Just do my part, I enjoy driving those type of vehicles,” he said.

Brevard County said eight people drowned at the beach in the county last year.

“I’m concerned when I see little kids close to it,” Suchar said. “Just keep an eye on them. I guess it’s a parenting thing.”

Chief Brown was encouraged to find someone willing to volunteer already.

“It feels good,” he said. “I think that if we can get enough people from the community to come and volunteer and have civic pride, then we could save lives and that’s what this program is ultimately about.”

Chief Brown said those interested in volunteering should email firetraining@melbournebeachfl.org.

Last year Melbourne Beach was one of the towns that county commissioners wanted to pay 50% of the cost of lifeguards stationed at their beaches. The plan would go into effect in the budget year that starts Oct. 1.

Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.

Homeowners are pushing back against vacation rentals taking over the town. Neighbors are getting state and county lawmakers involved to look for solutions and make statewide changes.

The grassroots group of homeowners "Save Mel Beach" hosted a town hall on Monday to give people a voice and share concerns. At the beach golf course, every seat was full of concerned citizens.

"Their rights have outweighed ours," said Cheri Hoffman who lives next to a short-term rental property.

She’s one Melbourne Beach homeowner who’s losing patience and peace with issues coming from Harbor Island Beach Club.

Homeowners in Melbourne Beach, Florida are pushing back against vacation rentals taking over the town. Neighbors are getting state and county lawmakers involved to look for solutions and make statewide change.

"Something dangerous could happen, and that’s what concerns us. People get angry when you tell them please quiet down when you’re on vacation," said Janet Dorzey’s who’s also worried about the surge in vacation properties.

Homeowners in Melbourne Beach, Florida are pushing back against vacation rentals taking over the town. Neighbors are getting state and county lawmakers involved to look for solutions and make statewide change.

"I work from home, and there are many days I have to actually pack up and go down to Dunkin' Donuts or sit in Publix in my air-conditioned car to do my job because the noise is so bad in my home that I can’t concentrate," Hoffman added.

New short-term rental vacation properties, off State Road A1A, are right behind single-family homes. State Representative Randy Fine says issues from properties like this are intensifying across the state.

"It’s something the legislature ultimately has to deal with. While I understand people’s rights to use their houses, those rights end at your border. You don’t have the right to use your house in a way that disturbs your neighbors, and that unfortunately is what many of these vacation rentals do," Fine, who represents District 33, said.

Homeowners in Melbourne Beach, Florida are pushing back against vacation rentals taking over the town. Neighbors are getting state and county lawmakers involved to look for solutions and make statewide change.

FOX 35 News took these concerns to Villatel, who’s the company running the nearby resort property of 30 homes with dozens more under construction.

"We’ve spoken to a few of these neighbors on the one-off, just telling them who we are, but we’ll probably have a more community-friendly approach once the community’s fully done," said Amil Shah who’s the VP of Revenue for Villatel.

Shah says they have a property manager on-site and don’t want to disturb the surrounding communities.

"We don’t want to be that "Airbnb party house" nor do we want to be that brand," he added.

The brand, however, is missing the mark for Dorzey who’s lived in Melbourne Beach for over a decade.

"We can’t plan anything because you never know when there’s going to be 18 people in that house and 18 people in that house screaming marco from this pool and polo from this pool," she concluded.

The town hall on Monday was step one for homeowners looking for accountability. They’re bringing issues to the forefront to see what rights they have and solutions to consider. Rep. Fine says noise ordinances and code enforcement regulations are two topics he’s looking into, so homeowners can take back their communities.

Sea turtle nesting season in Florida runs March through October.

Oh, baby, baby!

We admit, watching baby sea turtles make their journey to the ocean is so adorable. And so Florida.

But a crawling baby watching a baby sea turtle crawl through the sand to the sea? That’s cuteness overload.

‘So cute and tiny’

On Aug. 3, Mariah Thomas and her 12-month-old son Jude Thomas spotted sea turtle hatchlings during a family beach walk on Melbourne Beach. “This was my first time seeing them emerge! I’ve lived here my whole life, and finally (at 27) got to experience it!” Thomas said via email.

“We came across about 20 babies,” the mother wrote.

Watching sea turtles hatch from the nest could be considered a “Kodak moment,” but the photos and video clips Thomas took of her baby boy crawling next to the crawling baby sea turtles have viral potential (see video above).

As of Aug. 6, Thomas’ Instagram Reel of a baby sea turtle crawling toward the ocean had more than 3,500 views. A collage post of baby Jude and the baby sea turtle generated some feedback, too.

Sea turtle nesting season runs March through October.

“It was everything it’s cracked up to be,” Thomas said in her Instagram post after watching sea turtles emerge from their nest to the ocean. “The turtles are so cute and tiny! Just watching them flip through sand and roll down the dunes just made you say ‘awww!’ every second.”

Sea turtle safety tips

During sea turtle nesting season, sea turtles return to Florida shores to lay eggs.

A Facebook post from the Sea Turtle Preservation Society compares Brevard's shoreline during sea turtle nesting season to maternity wards: “our beaches are transforming into bustling maternity wards as these remarkable creatures dig their nests and lay their eggs. It's a true spectacle of nature, reminding us of the beauty and resilience of our marine ecosystem. Each nest is a beacon of hope for future generations of sea turtles.”

The Sea Turtle Preservation Society and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission offer these sea turtle tips:

For more information, call the sea turtle hotline in Brevard at 321-206-0646 or the Florida sea turtle hotline at 888-404-3922. Visit Florida Fish and Wildlife’s site at myfwc.com/seaturtle.

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.

Will Father's Day weekend 2023 be a rainy one?

Days before the June 18 holiday, parts of the Space Coast saw wild weather. Rain, then sun, then rain, then sun.

As of Friday, June 16, the weekend forecast for Melbourne predicted highs in the upper 80s to 90 and mid- to low 70s at night, with up a 70% to 100% chance of rain Saturday and Sunday, according to the Weather Channel. Similar conditions were forecast for Cocoa Beach and Titusville.

But ... this is Florida, and a common joke around here is it'll rain for a few minutes, and then the sun comes out. And then more rain. And then more sun. And heat. Lots of stifling heat.

Father's Day fishing:The snapper are biting offshore and inshore

Traveling South?What the Treasure Coast beaches look like this weekend

With Monday being Juneteenth, a federal holiday, many folks are looking forward to a long three-day weekend. And in Florida, that usually means a trip to the beach.

Some beaches here are likely to be plagued by cloudy weather and rain. This time of year, the sargassum is usually at its peak, with the "Florida seaweed season" running through August.

If you're headed to the beaches on the Space Coast (Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, Patrick Space Force Base, Satellite Beach, Eau Gallie and Melbourne Beach), here's what to know about the weather and seaweed situation.

Webcam shows what Cocoa Beach, Florida, looks like on Father's Day weekend

Satellite Beach, Florida, webcam

Will it rain on Father's Day weekend in Melbourne, Florida?

Will it rain this weekend in Daytona Beach and St. Augustine?

Will it rain on Juneteenth in South Florida?

What does the sargassum look like in Satellite Beach, Florida?

Ick!There were huge brown blobs of seaweed in the water in Florida. See the photos

Is there still seaweed on Florida beaches?

What does the ocean look like in Cocoa Beach, Florida?

MELBOURNE BEACH, Fla. - Police in Melbourne Beach are warning residents to not bother an American crocodile they may see in the Sandy Key area of Brevard County.

Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) are tracking the crocodile in the river access area of 6th Avenue and Key streets.

The reptile, who is believed to be 10 years old, is tagged with a telemetry unit to track his whereabouts. Police said there are less than a dozen crocodiles across Florida wearing the tracker.

Typically, crocodiles are found living in coastal areas throughout the Caribbean and occur at the northern end of their range in south Florida and the Keys. They can be found in ponds, coves, creeks and mangrove swamps.

The FWC is monitoring this crocodile in particular because he is one of the northernmost American crocodiles, and they want to follow where he goes during the winter.

Gatorland crocodile hunter looking for love

Crocodile Hunter Savannah Boan thinks men are too scared to date her because of her job at Gatorland. Boan is the Crocodile Enrichment Coordinator at Gatorland. She loves what she does but feels like it’s impacting her dating life.

The American crocodile is a federally protected species. Feeding a crocodile can be dangerous and is illegal, according to the FWC.

Police are reminding residents they could face felony charges if they mess with or feed it.

Tips for safely coexisting with crocodiles

According to the FWC, residents should always keep a safe distance if they come across a crocodile. They also suggest swimming in designated swimming areas only during daylight hours, keeping pets on a leash and away from water and trashing fish scraps in designated waste containers to avoid attracting crocodiles.

If you're concerned about a crocodile, you're asked to call the FWC at 866-392-4286.