Florida Tourists, Don't Be Alarmed By A Strange Noise The First Time You Step Onto A White Sand Beach

Florida is known for having some of the best beaches in the United States (even the world), and it's not hard to see why. Favorite spots like Clearwater, St. George Island, and Panama City Beach all have fantastic blue water and bright white sand. However, there's one particular characteristic these beaches share that can startle first-time Florida tourists: As you walk along the picturesque shoreline, you might hear a distinct and strange whistle emanating from the sand. No, it's not from tiny mice. The Sunshine State's white sand beaches all squeak.

That's because all of the white sand beaches are actually made of granules of quartz. The shape of this quartz is round and spherical, which affects both its amplitude (the volume of sound that it can make) and its frequency (the thing that gives it that high-pitched squeak). As you step on the sand, air escapes from between the grains and, because of their shape and other characteristics, makes the whistling sound. So, don't be too alarmed when you make your way across one of Florida's famed white sand beaches and hear this unexpected noise follow you. 

In fact, that squeak could actually be a good thing. Quartz is known as the "master healer," with properties that can enhance positive energy, provide clarity, and cleanse or balance mental and emotional states. Whether you're into that crystal life or not, it's hard to deny the calming energy and good vibes one feels when relaxing on the soft, soothing, and squeaky white sands of Florida's best beaches.

If you're on the search for squeaky sand, you won't have to look too hard — Florida is filled with quartz sand beaches. Typically, you'll find it in the fine and powdery sand that looks the whitest.  If you want that supreme squeak, step or move the sand around mid-day when the sand is the hottest and driest. Northwest Florida is a safe bet – nearly 97% of its beaches are quartz. Grab a spot at Panama City Beach, Pensacola, or Fort Walton and practice your nonchalance about the sound to really come off as a local.

The Emerald Coast actually gets its distinctive blue-green water color from quartz sand. The whiteness of the quartz underwater reflects sunlight back up to the surface of the water, giving it the stunning display that has put beaches like the wildly beloved (and affordable) Henderson State Park on lists of the best in the country. 

The area's abundance of quartz actually dates back to the end of the last Ice Age, over 20,000 years ago, when temperatures rose and caused glaciers to melt. Some glaciers in the Appalachians started making their way down to the Gulf of Mexico, bringing quartz and other particles with them, which formed the shoreline of the Emerald Coast.

It's not just the north that has these stunning (and loud) white sand beaches. You can find some of the best Florida has to offer around Tampa Bay, home of places like Siesta Beach, which was America's best-ranked beach for 2025 due to its white sand and amenities, and Clearwater, which also consistently ranks among the top white sand beaches in the world.