Naples Bay Live Cam

Geological Origins and Coastal Dynamics

Beneath the placid surface of Naples Bay lies a story of shifting shorelines and ancient sea level changes. Over the last 10,000 years, post‑glacial rebound and sediment deposition transformed a broad lagoon into the indented bay seen today. Calcareous sands washed down from inland uplands gradually built barrier islands that now separate the Gulf of Mexico from Naples Bay’s quieter waters. Beneath the bay floor lie layers of organic silts and shell hash, evidence of mangrove‑lined tidal flats that once extended far inland. The modern shoreline traces these ancient transitions, curving around points where Pleistocene limestone outcrops resisted erosion, creating natural headlands such as the Naples Pier promontory.