Port Aransas seaweed and jellyfish, South Padre (Corpus Christi, Galveston: condos, hotels)

[Indigoblue]

I keep hearing mixed reports about whether or not there is seaweed covering the beaches at Port Aransas, though everyone seems to agree there are a lot of jellyfish in the water. Has anyone gone recently for a few days or more that can tell me how unpleasant/pervasive this seaweed and jellyfish situation is? I've read reviews of the beach on travel sites where people deeply regret having gone there.

So we're considering driving further to South Padre Island for the nicer beaches (but ouch on the extra 2 1/2 hrs) - are the beaches and water that much nicer? Does one or the other island have more fun things for small children to do?

We have four children 8 and under so they're going to want to wade around in the shallow water and build sand castles and I'm picturing them tripping over seaweed and being stung by jellyfish at every turn

Have to make a decision about where to go today so please advise!

TIA!

[CptnRn]

We go to Rockport and Port Aransas at least once a year. You can see some of my photos here:

Rockport / Port Aransas, TX Photo Gallery by cptinrn at pbase.com

rockport Photo Gallery by cptinrn at pbase.com

The amount of seaweed and jelly fish and tarballs on the beaches vary from day to day, sometimes there is little, sometimes a lot. Port A periodically cleans it off. There never was a time though when we couldn't find relatively clean beach areas to play or hang out.

We have been to South Padre twice. The hotels are built closer to the water, bad for the ecology, but and they keep the beaches cleaner in the areas close to them. It is a heck of a lot longer drive and in my mind isn't worth it. It seemed more commercial, touristy. I felt like there was lots more to see and do in the Rockport Port Aransas area.

[newrrmom]

I have been to both and definitely would go to South Padre for sure.

[love roses]

I like both personally. I just had some friends come back from Port A and they didn't mention jellyfish problems, but from their pics I did notice some seaweed, but not tons. Another friend went to Galveston and did say there were lots of jellyfish.

[luksky]

We just got back from Port Aransus/Corpus Christi a couple of weeks ago. We are from the Alabama/Florida Gulf Coast and this is the first time we had ever been on the Texas coast. I was impressed. There was a little seaweed...but not much more than what you see on the Florida beaches. As far as jelly fish.....we saw none. Alabama/Florida beaches are covered in jelly fish.

No, the water was not a green or clear as the water on the Al/Fl coast but in my opinion it is much more swimmable.

But as the other poster said, beaches change from day to day so you never know what it will be like the day you go.

[homeinatx]

You are much more likely to find blue clear water and clean beaches at South Padre. The silt from the Mississippi is carried into the Western gulf, but usually does not makes it as far south as South Padre. I have only ever seen blue water once in Port Aransas and there is always seaweed on the beach. The dolphins however are really cool!

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by Indigoblue

I keep hearing mixed reports about whether or not there is seaweed covering the beaches at Port Aransas, though everyone seems to agree there are a lot of jellyfish in the water. Has anyone gone recently for a few days or more that can tell me how unpleasant/pervasive this seaweed and jellyfish situation is? I've read reviews of the beach on travel sites where people deeply regret having gone there.

So we're considering driving further to South Padre Island for the nicer beaches (but ouch on the extra 2 1/2 hrs) - are the beaches and water that much nicer? Does one or the other island have more fun things for small children to do?

We have four children 8 and under so they're going to want to wade around in the shallow water and build sand castles and I'm picturing them tripping over seaweed and being stung by jellyfish at every turn

Have to make a decision about where to go today so please advise!

TIA!

We were just in corpus may 29th weekend. There were a ton of jellyfish in corpus christi bay (I got stung - first time ever and didnt hurt that bad). One little girl got stung pretty badly the day before and her parents took her to the emergency room. She was showing me all the marks. No seaweed though.

Also went to bird island basin, no jelly fish there. We had a great time and 18 month old daughter played in the water a ton.

[love roses]

My grandfather lived in Corpus Christi for a while and he used to take us to the seawall. It seems like there are always a lot of jellyfish in the bay, but not so much elsewhere.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

We go to Rockport and Port Aransas at least once a year. You can see some of my photos here:

Rockport / Port Aransas, TX Photo Gallery by cptinrn at pbase.com

rockport Photo Gallery by cptinrn at pbase.com

The amount of seaweed and jelly fish and tarballs on the beaches vary from day to day, sometimes there is little, sometimes a lot. Port A periodically cleans it off. There never was a time though when we couldn't find relatively clean beach areas to play or hang out.

We have been to South Padre twice. The hotels are built closer to the water, bad for the ecology, but and they keep the beaches cleaner in the areas close to them. It is a heck of a lot longer drive and in my mind isn't worth it. It seemed more commercial, touristy. I felt like there was lots more to see and do in the Rockport Port Aransas area.

North padre island, mustang island and port aransas beaches are great. Really nice powdery sand. The water wasnt clear but it wasnt murky brown either. I dont think the drive to south padre is worth it when corpus is around 3.5 hours away. Port A is prob around 4 hours.

Port A is a cute beach town where south padre is all giant condos.

[Trainwreck20]

Jellyfish vary day to day based on wind and water conditions. I am sure that there are some people down on the coast that can look at a tide chart and the wind and tell you how bad they will be in a particular place (in the bay or on the beach), but I am not one of them . We go down to Port A annually, and have never seen more than one or two in a single trip. The 'fun' part is when you are trying to swim away from one w/o sticking your legs toward it to kick away .

Seaweed and be pretty bad, but the City of Port A does clean it up on a regular basis (every few days, I think), but it can get pretty thick an stinky on the last day before they clean it up.

Texas beaches are nothing like Fl beaches. All things being equal, I would love to go to a white sand/clear water beach. OTOH, the lack of crowds and the really casual 'Jimmy Buffet' feel along some stretchs of Port A. is really nice.....