WahooBay Conservation Site is an underwater site dedicated to educating and raising awareness among younger generations about protecting the seabed. Located in Hillsboro Inlet Park in Pompano Beach, the underwater park installed a new underwater webcam last February.
Set up to observe marine life, it offers the public real-time viewing of our aquatic ecosystem, which can be viewed on various web platforms, including the YouTube page @wahoobaypompano.
This project is the result of a private-public partnership between the city of Pompano Beach, Broward County, the State of Florida, and Shipwreck Park, a non-profit organization that manages the WahooBay site. The park is a kind of “living laboratory” and an educational underwater site. In addition to the underwater cameras, the virtual tour of the park features an online platform with live data, including water quality sensors. Eventually, the facility will include interactive educational exhibits, “five-sense” experiences, and outdoor spaces to accommodate school groups. Snorkeling trips will also be available. The park will host scientific installations to combat the violent impact of strong waves in the event of a hurricane.
For now, the underwater camera allows visitors to discover the park’s marine life in real time without having to dive. A few months earlier, in May 2024, a similar live camera under the Fisher Family Pier was launched, and since then, many internet users have been logging on daily.
Rex Hardin, mayor of Pompano Beach, said of the camera’s launch that he is delighted to offer city residents the opportunity to connect with the marine environment. He said the underwater camera offers a fascinating window into the marine world and allows people to better appreciate the coastal ecosystem. He hopes this innovation will raise awareness of local biodiversity among visitors of all ages.
The live feed is available on the city’s website (https://www.pompanobeachfl.gov/webcams#wahoo), Wahoo Bay’s website (https://wahoobay.org/), and their respective social media accounts.
A wide variety of marine species can be admired, including colorful parrotfish and green turtles. Nurse sharks, a species that is not normally aggressive toward humans, also occasionally appear on camera, always generating a lot of interest.
Occasional reports also indicate the presence of larger sharks, such as hammerhead sharks, which can wash up on local beaches. Aa 11 feet-long hammerhead shark was found on Pompano Beach in 2023. Like nurse sharks, they are considered harmless to humans.
Similarly to Pompano Beach, other cities such as Miami in Biscayne Bay (see our May 2025 edition), Sarasota, and Key West also have underwater live cameras. In Sarasota, the Mote Marine Laboratory allows visitors to observe artificial reefs, while in Key West, the Keys Eco-Discovery Center broadcasts images of marine life around the coral reefs of the Keys.
All these initiatives share the same goal: to raise public awareness of the fragility of marine ecosystems and encourage their preservation.
