We wanted to compare Panama City Beach and Pensacola Beach, so we got up one day and made a drive over to Pensacola Beach. We stopped at the National Seashore National Monument on Santa Rosa Island and walked on the beach. Panama City Beach was experiencing some green algae growth and the water there wasn't as clear as it usually is. We noticed right away that Santa Rosa Island wasn't experiencing that problem. The water was absolutely beautiful and the beaches weren't as crowded. We stopped in Pensacola Beach, and the crowds picked up and pretty much equaled those in Panama City Beach. The water, however, was perfectly clear with no algae problems.