- October 28, 2024
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Danielle Nutten grew up swimming in the waters of Midnight Pass.
She isn't the only one with fond memories of the place, and was far from the only one enjoying a chance to relive them on Oct. 26.
As captain of Salty Adventures Boat Tours in Osprey, she was eager to join a massive boat parade celebrating the reopening of the pass after 40 years due to Hurricane Milton.
"Everyone that is a boater, especially, really wants this to happen, and there's so many people that have called me wanting to come out, that don't have boats," she said.
Organized by Sarasota internet personality Zacko Gerzeny through his brand Killin It, which encompasses a YouTube channel and related merchandise, the parade drew a turnout of what appeared to be some hundreds of boats.
Making its away along Midnight Pass, it headed through the newly formed opening and into the Gulf, with boaters stopping to enjoy each other's company, the beaches and a new sandbar Milton created inside the pass.
An inlet between Siesta Key and Casey Key, Midnight Pass was closed 40 years ago due to human intervention after two homeowners feared the impacts of erosion to their properties.
The closure prevented the exchange of tidal waters in the area, resulting in poor water conditions in Little Sarasota Bay.
Yet two successive hurricanes turned the tables, at least for the time being. Helene created a narrow channel, before Milton opened the pass even more impressively.
In addition to serving water quality in the bay, the pass is also of interest to boaters seeking additional navigability.
The other closest inlets are Big Pass and New Pass to the north, around Lido Key, and the Venice jetties to the south.
"It was just somewhere you went, as born and raised here," said Robert Burton, captain of Chasing The Sun Charters. "This was always a spot to go hang out, to camp back in the day."
He said although the closed pass had still been a good place to walk, now the location was "even" better thanks to the "new loop" it created for boats.
However, he believed he was still witnessing something unprecedented that day.
"I don't think it ever got like this, even when it was open before originally. I've never seen so many boats, which is awesome."
He also enjoyed the chance to engage with the boating community.
"Boating people always are nice people," he said. "It's a totally different atmosphere out on the water, totally different."
Participant David Warren was happy that afternoon, despite the loss of 10 of his rental units on Siesta Key due to the storms.
"It's not just about the boats using the pass, it's about the health benefits of the water in there," he said. "This is just a bonus that we can pull out, which is a great bonus."
Indeed, boaters said the environmental results of the opening were already visible within Little Sarasota Bay.
For instance, Nutten said this was demonstrated by underwater lights on her boyfriend's boat.
"We could barely see them before; now, like they're lit up like a Christmas tree," she said.
Participants hoped the parade would help the wider community take notice of the desire to keep the pass open.
"Hopefully the county will recognize everybody that's invested in this emotionally and their time and effort," said participant Eric Cook. "It's great for everybody. It's an extra pass. It's good for the bay. It gives people a place to come and hang out, enjoy time with their families on the weekends."
"We're boaters and we're a bit selfish, but even if it's just a navigable pass that brings tidal exchange to this bay, that's huge," Nutten said.
