If you have lived on Singer Island for more than a summer, you already know the calendar here is not really seasonal. It is biological. Loggerheads finish nesting in October. Manatees start showing up on November 15. Restaurants change hands somewhere in the gap. Right now, in early August, we are sitting in the narrow pause between those two migrations, and it is the most useful window of the year to reset your habits before the island fills back up.
This post is for the resident who is not planning a vacation and not evaluating a move. You already have a favorite parking spot at Ocean Reef Park. What follows is what has actually changed on the island in the last several months, and what you can do about it before Thanksgiving.
Two migrations, one shoulder season
The reason the island feels different in August is that both of its signature wildlife events are on the calendar's edge. Sea turtle nesting at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park runs March through October, and the park's most recent tally was a record: 2,068 loggerhead nests laid and 2,116 green sea turtle nests laid along 1.6 miles of beach. That is more nests on this one stretch of sand than most Atlantic-coast counties log across their entire shoreline.
Then the calendar flips. Florida manatee season runs from November 15 to March 31, and manatees gather at Manatee Lagoon because the observation deck sits alongside the warm-water outflows from Florida Power & Light Company's adjacent Riviera Beach Next Generation Clean Energy Center.
Here is the practical version of the same information:
| Window | Where to go | What is happening |
|---|---|---|
| Now through late October | MacArthur Beach State Park | Late-season nesting; hatchlings still emerging |
| November 15 onward | Manatee Lagoon on N. Flagler | Manatee gathering season opens; center goes to seven-day hours |
| June and July, 2027 | MacArthur Beach | Guided evening turtle walks return; tickets typically released in early May |
If you have never done a turtle walk, put a reminder on your phone for the first week of May 2027. Tickets open on the park's website in early May and walks take place in June and July, and they sell out in hours. There is no walk-up option.
What is actually changing at 2551 N. Ocean Ave
The most concrete change on the island right now is the redevelopment of the old Mulligan's Beach House site. Ocean Ave Kitchen & Bar is under construction at 2551 N Ocean Ave, with owners Donna Qvarnstro and Antonio Huerta targeting a mid-January opening, and the new restaurant is taking over the former Mulligan's Beach House space on Singer Island.
A few details worth knowing before it opens:
- The new restaurant will seat up to 260 guests and include private dining space, which is a meaningful jump in reservation capacity for the north end of the island.
- The buildout will accommodate about 260 seats including an event space, with plans for full-service lunch and dinner seven days a week, closing only on major holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- The concept is fresh seafood and heavy on craft cocktails, in a very bright, modern space that leans into its beachside location.
If you were a regular at Mulligan's for the sunset window, the useful takeaway is that the replacement is not a like-for-like. It is bigger, it has private event space you can book, and its bar program is being marketed as a lead offering rather than a garnish on the food menu. Between now and mid-January, expect construction noise and shifted foot traffic along that stretch of Ocean Ave.
Where locals are eating between now and then
Ocean Ave Kitchen is still months away. Here is where the tables are in the meantime, with the reason each one is worth your time right now.
- ONA Coastal Cuisine at the Palm Beach Marriott. Newly opened May 2024, inside the Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa, ONA Coastal Cuisine is quickly becoming the area's premier option for oceanfront dining. Happy Hour is Monday through Friday from 3 PM to 6 PM inside the ONA Bar & Lounge, featuring half-priced draft beer, house wines by the glass, and house brand cocktails. This is the most reliable early-evening pour on the island if you are between the beach and dinner.
- Caretta Caretta. Named for the loggerhead. The restaurant pays tribute to the Loggerhead sea turtle, a resident of Florida's coastal waters, and, situated on Singer Island, draws inspiration from its coastal surroundings. An appropriate August table given what is happening on the sand a mile north.
- Top Shell at The Singer Oceanfront Resort. A popular venue for locals and guests alike, Top Shell serves coastal Florida favorites paired with island-inspired cocktails from morning to night as the casual bar by the beach.
- Sailfish Marina and Johnny Longboats on the Riviera Beach side. The Sailfish Marina offers Florida seafood with a view, and Johnny Longboats offers a lively atmosphere with a menu full of American classics, from burgers to seafood platters. Sailfish is the boat-in option; Johnny Longboats is the one that fills up when the wind is wrong for the beach.
- Rafiki-Tiki at Riviera Beach Marina Village. Off-island but close, and useful when you want the water view without the sand. You can rent a stand-up paddleboard, kayak, or jet-ski to explore the serene waters, then unwind with a drink at Rafiki-Tiki, where you can enjoy waterfront views.
The pattern here is worth naming. Every serious restaurant on Singer Island is either inside a resort or on the water. There is no fifth-block-in coffee shop scene. If you have been eating at the same three places on rotation, one of them is almost certainly the one closest to your unit.
The nature center hours worth memorizing
Two facts about MacArthur Beach that residents underuse. The park is open 8 a.m. to sunset 365 days a year, and the Beach Outfitters Gift Shop is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you have not been in the William T. Kirby Nature Center in a few years, it now anchors a real programming schedule. A Snake Ambassadors program meets in the park's amphitheater on Saturday, August 8, 2026 at 1 PM, and the program is good for all ages. The same program repeats on Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 1 PM, and Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 1 PM, meeting in the park's amphitheater and good for all ages.
Manatee Lagoon has also changed its posture. The enhanced facility has reopened, and Monday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors can access the educational building, upper and lower observation decks, a new augmented reality solar 3D exhibit, and tropical grounds with views of Lake Worth Lagoon. The building is free. Parking is free. During the April through November 14 stretch it closes Mondays; once manatee season opens, it goes seven days.
One rule that catches out newer residents. The Florida manatee is protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. It is illegal to touch, feed, or harass manatees in any way, and violations can lead to fines of up to $100,000. Passive observation only, whether you are at the lagoon or paddling out of Phil Foster Park.
What to do with this window
The property owner reading this already knows the island. What August is really good for is the small housekeeping that fall and winter make impossible: booking a maintenance visit before snowbird calendars fill, walking the seawall while the water is still glassy, or clearing out a rental unit before the pre-season demand jump. If any of that intersects with a real estate decision this year, whether that is a listing you have been thinking about, a rental you inherited, or a second-home purchase you want to close before manatee season opens, that is a conversation worth starting now rather than in November.
Ready when you are. Reach out to Erin Duke-Warren and The Benchmark Group for a quiet, no-pressure conversation about what your Singer Island property is worth right now, and what the next twelve months should look like. Let's connect.
