Now you can get a look under the ocean without even leaving your house.
Deerfield Beach just launched a series of beach cameras, including one underwater. Its popularity has grown more than the city ever imagined.
“It’s just taken off like wildfire,” said city spokesperson Rebecca Medina Stewart.
On May 1, the city activated an underwater webcam and two beachside cameras.
The underwater camera is below the Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier. It sends a live feed over the internet of everything from sharks to barracudas.
Medina Stewart said the city and The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau split the $10,000 cost of the cameras. Its part of a plan to brand Deerfield Beach as a nautical city.
In one month, the webcams received about 73,000 hits on the city's website. It was the most popular page on the website by far.
“It’s got a very, sort of calming sensation to it,” Medina Stewart said.
NewsChannel 5 showed the live feed to a group of visitors from Colorado on the beach.
“It really is like being in the ocean, like you're snorkeling,” said Catherine Kelley. “The fish are right there.”
Kelley and her friends couldn’t look away and said they'll definitely watch what's underwater from back home.
“It’s cool there are actually so many fish out there that you can't see. It's interesting to see a live feed,” added Megan Gillette.
One of the main questions the city's received since these cameras went live is whether the city will put a light underwater so you can see the underwater camera at night. Medina Stewart said there are no plans for that at the moment.
To see the live feed, click here.
