Saturday saw hundreds of people joining hands on the Yacht Club Beach, a statement of unity protesting offshore drilling, but promoting the use of alternative and green energy sources.

The "Hands Across the Sand" event was held at 800 beaches across the nation. Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, and Bonita Springs were among the communities that joined the Cape representing opposition against British Petroleum and the rampant disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

While oil washes up along the shore in the Gulf region many vacation rentals are getting some steep discounts. some property managers are offering as much as 30 to 50 per cent discounts on beach houses and condominium units and.

Cancellations have been on the rise and an ongoing struggle to fill the properties. According to David Bodenhamer, a partner in Young's Suncoast Vacation Rentals in Gulf Shores, says they have undergone $220,000 in cancellations in only three days and that they are running at less than a 50 per cent occupancy.