One particular swath of the US Gulf Coast will have the perfect vantage point to witness the Annular Solar Eclipse, taking place in October this year. The Corpus Christi metro area – the entire Coastal bend, including Port Aransas, Rockport and more – are in the direct path and daylight will appear dim around noon. Make plans now to book front-row seats to this phenomenon. – Editor

On Oct. 14, 2023, the annular eclipse will begin in the United States, traveling from the coast of Oregon to the Texas Gulf Coast. Weather permitting, the annular eclipse will be visible in Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Texas, as well as some parts of California, Idaho, Colorado, and Arizona.

The annular eclipse will continue on to Central America, passing over Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Panama. In South America, the eclipse will travel through Colombia before ending off the coast of Natal, Brazil, in the Atlantic Ocean.

The post Head to Texas to Watch Night for Day at the Annular Solar Eclipse appeared first on Go Gulf States.

Photo by: Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, under a Stranding Agreement between NOAA and Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act

First spotted March, 2020, a lone dolphin remains active in canals along a Padre Island neighborhood in Corpus Christi, Texas. Over time, the public has become more and more interested in the animal – even showing up to swim with, ride, jump on, and pet the dolphin. They are sharing their interactions via social media, encouraging others to go out and interact with the animal. These actions could be dangerous – even fatal – for the dolphin.

Biologists ask that folks not seek out and interact with the dolphin. If you do encounter it, view from a safe distance. Give it space. While experts understand the enthusiasm in seeing wildlife up close, encouraging this dolphin to engage with people is very dangerous for its survival in the wild.

The post How Social Interaction Threatens the Safety of This Wild Dolphin in Corpus Christi appeared first on Go Gulf States.

Photo by Visit Corpus Christi via Facebook

Texas is home to five of the 60 most affordable beaches in the U.S., according to a ranking released in February, 2020 by HomeToGo, a vacation rental search engine. Florida is the best-represented state on the list (21 beaches), followed by California (13), and Texas.

To come up with the ranking, HomeToGo computed the costs of beachside parking, sunscreen, lunch, one beer, and a one-night stay near the coast.

The post Can This Coastal Bend Fave Hold on to the Top Rank of Affordable U.S. Beaches? appeared first on Go Gulf States.

Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio opens for summer on April 30. The 2022 season celebrates the park’s 30th anniversary as well as the debut of this crazy new coaster. Season passes available now. – Editor

What’s touted as the steepest-dive roller coaster in the world is riding into Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio.

The roller coaster, Dr. Diabolical’s Cliffhanger, will feature a “cliffhanger hold” that suspends riders as they head face-first down a 95-degree, beyond-vertical drop. Moments later, they’ll enter a 150-foot dive. The entire track measures 2,501 feet, or nearly half a mile.

The coaster is set to debut this season, summer of 2022.

The post World’s Steepest-Dive Roller Coaster Scares Up Lots of Fun at Six Flags Fiesta Texas appeared first on Go Gulf States.

Sport divers aboard the M/V Fling reported the die-off in 2016 after finding patches of white mat coating the previously vibrant reef. Texas OneGulf researchers, led by the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, worked quickly to shift resources to respond to the unusual mortality event.

Due in part to their distance from shore, the Flower Garden Banks are touted by scientists as one of the healthiest coral-reef systems in the Western Hemisphere, so the discovery of unprecedented numbers of dead or dying corals, sponges, brittle stars, calms and other invertebrates in large, separate locations is a disturbing puzzle for scientists.

The post From the Archives: Texas OneGulf Launches Research Response to Flower Gardens Die-Off appeared first on Go Gulf States.

Sian Ka’an, meaning “Origin of the Sky,” is a unique zone of interconnected marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems well-known to HRI’s Dr. Wes Tunnell, who has dedicated his career to researching and introducing his students to the reef systems of the Gulf of Mexico and the Mexican Caribbean. When the Texas State Aquarium decided to fulfill their vision of adding a Caribbean wing, Aquarium President and CEO Tom Schmid knew just who to call.

Tunnell, HRI’s Endowed Chair for Biodiversity and Conservation Science and Professor Emeritus, served as an adviser on this exciting new aquarium exhibit. A marine ecologist and biologist focusing primarily on coastal and coral reef ecosystems and a passionate science educator, Tunnell aided in the development of the original Texas State Aquarium beginning in 1978 and has also collaborated on science exhibits with the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

The post HRI's Dr. Wes Tunnell advised Texas State Aquarium on their “Caribbean Journey” appeared first on Go Gulf States.

As a self-proclaimed Chingona (“badass woman”), Flores creates and sells uniquely sewn items like cambaya bags and vibrant hoop earrings, as well as one-of-a-kind t-shirts and accessories.

Flores was raised in Eagle Pass, Texas, a border town along the Rio Grande River. She started sewing in 2014 and, for the most part, taught herself everything she knows.

The post Elena Flores: A Business Hecho con Amor appeared first on Go Gulf States.