Tigertail Beach

Marco Island, Florida

Photo by Katie Wheeler

Consisting of 31 acres on Marco Island, Tigertail Beach allures visitors with varied interests. Shell collecting, birding, swimming, sunbathing or family fun, the white sands invites them all. Beach access is provided by five boardwalks leading from the mangrove-surrounded parking areas through the dunes to the Gulf of Mexico. Sand Dollar Island is visible across the tidal lagoon. Once a sandbar, this tract changes every year as it continues to develop into a barrier island and provides nesting sites for threatened bird species. Parking is by beach parking sticker or daily fee. The access is open 8 a.m. to sundown, year-round. Onsite amenities include over 200 parking spaces, bath house, picnic area, grills, sand volleyball court, playground, butterfly garden, handicapped beach wheelchair, restrooms, and concessions with beach equipment rentals, food and drinks. Please note live shell collecting is prohibited at all beaches, in effort to conserve the pastime for future generations.

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COVID-19

Keep your distance from other people.

Practicing social distancing is still essential. Only go to the beach if you are able to keep 6 feet or 2 meters away from others. Follow the instructions provided by your local health authorities. If your community has asked that you remain indoors and away from others, do so. Spending a day in any crowded place is the worst thing we can do for our most vulnerable right now and will counter our efforts to curb the virus’s spread.

Water Quality

Passed water quality tests at least 95% of the time
Historical Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on November 22nd, 2022. The Swim Guide - Florida updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on November 22nd, 2022 at 11:07 PM.

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Monitoring Frequency

Source Information

The Florida Department of Health (DOH) adopted new water quality criteria January 2016 for the Healthy Beaches program. They reflect the most current recommendations and water quality grant requirements in the 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria from the US Environmental Protection Agency. Collier beaches are monitored by the Florida Healthy Beaches Program. Monitoring results are collected bi-weekly on Mondays and results are posted to the Florida Healthy beaches website on Wednesday. Samples are collected year round, however the peak season is from Mid-April to November. Swim Guide checks for the latest information daily, Monday - Friday.

The Florida Healthy Beaches Program Categories are:

Good = 0-35 Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water;
Moderate = 36-70 Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water, and;
Poor = 71 or greater Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water.

The 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria recommends using 70 CFU per 100 mL as the Beach Action Value (BAV) to guide public health advisories. A Single Sample Maximum (SSM) at 70 CFU per 100 ml and a BAV are functionally the same. If the sample result is above the indicated value, the beach is resampled and tested the following day or a beach advisory is issued with the first test result. The Healthy Beaches program no longer uses geometric means to represent recreational water quality data.

On Swim Guide a beach is marked Green when it has a Good or Moderate standing meaning the SSM test results show Enterococci counts between 0- 70 cfu (colony forming units) / 100ml.
Swim Guide marks a beach Red when it has a Poor standing. This means the SSM test results show Enterococci counts exceeds the BAV of 70 cfu/100ml. These conservative advisories better inform vulnerable people (children, elderly, and the immunocompromised) who have elevated health risks due to water quality at the beach.
A beach is marked Grey when no current or reliable monitoring information is available.

Please note: Vibrio vulnificus bacteria, also called flesh eating disease, is a naturally occurring bacteria in some of Florida's waters. This bacteria can be lethal, especially when contracted by individuals with compromised immune systems. Concentrations of the bacteria are higher in the mouths of rivers near oceans. The bacteria is most dangerous when ingested in raw seafood but recent deaths are attributed to individuals who have waded in water with broken skin. Beach goers are urged to use caution and consult a physician if you suspect you have come in contact with the bacteria.

Water Quality Graph