If you haven’t checked out the coolest addition to Northwest Florida tourism — the Okaloosa County Pier Underwater Camera — you’re missing out. This underwater camera captures the life that happens under the Okaloosa County Pier, and what amazing life it shows. From bait fish to sea turtles, octopuses to dolphins, and even the occasional shark swimming through, this underwater camera not only captures the secret lives of marine life; it’s also capturing the hearts and attention of viewers all around the world.
The idea for the camera was born out of a desire for the community and visitors to see and learn about the marine life that lives and thrives in the Gulf along the Destin-Fort Walton Beaches. Coastal Resources originally planned for the underwater camera to be installed on the snorkel reefs off Beasley Park in Fort Walton Beach, however the cost to install the infrastructure needed to operate the camera was prohibitive. So, the organization partnered with the Okaloosa Island Pier as they had the infrastructure already in place to operate the camera.
The approval to purchase and install the camera was received in 2024, and by summer of 2025, the camera was installed and made public by former Coastal Resources Manager Mike Norberg. The camera that provides a glimpse into the underwater world is funded by the Okaloosa County’s Tourism Development Department (TDD). The Destin-Fort Walton Beach’s (DFWB) Natural Resources Team works together to maintain the camera. All the work that’s done is funded through the bed tax, grants, and other partnerships. The task of maintaining the camera and ensuring there’s no interruptions in streaming falls on the Okaloosa County IT team who are integral in ensuring it’s available to everyone. Coastal Resources also works closely with the Okaloosa Island Pier staff who have helped facilitate everything from camera install to maintenance and education. Naturally, the camera can get a bit dirty underwater so once every other week or so, you’ll see divers Danie Lasseigne, Ryan Ashley, Jessica Lee, Alex Fogg, and Jessica Valek performing maintenance to clean the camera and address any repairs as needed.
The underwater camera is secured underneath the pier to one of its pilings. It sits about 1,000 ft from shore and 22 ft below the surface with four set views that the camera will rotate to every 20 minutes: south, west, north, and one view angled up to get a look at what is swimming above. And with every view, the camera captures the beauty and movement of a world we don’t often get to see. Along with the fish that call the pier home, there are other notable visitors to the pier cam such as sea turtles, dolphins, stingrays, and frog fish, with sighting of the rare juvenile goliath grouper, snook, and tarpon. The pier cam has also picked up many tiger sharks who have come to the area looking for a snack, as well as a recent feeding frenzy courtesy of a school of crevalle jacks. The most fun sight on the pier cam is the resident octopus who’s not a bit camera shy and will frequently make his presence known by crawling over the camera.
What started as a desire to bring people into the underwater world of the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area has become a phenomenon that has over 3 million views and has reached beyond the U.S. and into Thailand, Japan, and even India. Teachers are using it in their classroom, fishermen are using the camera to see what’s running through the area, social media groups have been formed to share exciting images of what passed by the lens, and people are sharing the experience with friends and family.
We are thrilled that our camera has gained so much attention and people enjoy watching it – we enjoy watching it ourselves and have it on in the background while working in our offices! We can’t wait to see what visits our pier as time goes on and we are excited about potential educational and research opportunities that will come from this unique amenity.
Danielle Lasseigne, Coastal Resources Coordinator
