From the beginning of the 17th century, Spanish and French explorers, imagining riches in the New World, began colonizing the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

A Spanish expedition from Vera Cruz, Mexico had settled on what became known as Santa Rosa Island on Panzacola Bay, named after the indigenous people, later known as the Pensacola Indians.

Explorers from both countries had heard of a great mysterious body of water to the west of Pensacola, but they were unable to find the entrance.

He offered to guide Siquenza and his men to a connecting deep water channel from the Gulf of Mexico into the more tranquil bay.

When the search party finally located the elusive bay, they called it Perdido, which in Spanish means "lost" or "hidden".

Hurricanes and other forces—natural as well as man-made—have moved the pass back and forth several times to where it lies now in Orange Beach, Alabama, approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) from the Florida boundary.

He posthumously received the Purple Heart on August 21, 1950 and several veteran groups are still working to see if Johnson deserved additional military honors.

After the Korean War, the county-owned recreational area was renamed to honor its fallen hero at the suggestion of the Sunset Riding Club, Inc.

Guest speaker, retired Army Maj. Gen. Mike Ferguson of Pensacola and the Veterans of Under Aged Military Service officiated the ceremony.

[6] In 1978 the National Park Service completed purchase of over 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) of land on Perdido Key from Johnson Beach to Pensacola Pass for about $8 million.

[7] Environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts visit Perdido Key due to the miles of protected beach wilderness; along with the Navarre Beach Marine Park and the many miles of Gulf Islands National Seashore, the protected coastlines are a signature of the Pensacola Bay area and the remainder of Northwest Florida.

[citation needed] Perdido Key's two state parks and an expanse of National Seashore offer chances to spot gray foxes and blue herons in the wild.

Local outfitters offer guided tours, and self-guided nature trails at Big Lagoon and Johnson Beach allow solitude.

[8] The roots of plants are the "fingers" which hold sand in place, preventing it from blowing away in the wind or washing away in the tidal surge of Hurricane or other storms.

While the Perdido Key beach mouse feeds primarily on the seeds of sea oats and bluestem, it will occasionally eat insects.

While populations appear to be growing, the Perdido Key Beach Mouse will probably never make it off the endangered species list because of continued habitat loss and degradation due to human development in the area.

Loggerhead, leatherback, ridley, and green sea turtles arrive between May and September to dig nest cavities in the sand into which 100 or more eggs are laid.

About two months later, provided the nest has not been washed away, uncovered by high winds, or disturbed by predators or beach visitors, turtle hatchlings emerge.

Shorebirds including black skimmers, gulls, terns, and brown pelicans are among the birds which rest on the island, nest, or feed offshore.

Neotropical birds, such as warblers and cedar waxwings, live in the tropics and travel to North America to breed, stopping over to feed and rest at Perdido Key.

Monarch butterflies migrating to and from South America stop here, finding refuge on the sea oats growing in the dunes of Perdido Key.

[13] Perdido Key State Recreation Area encompasses 247 acres (1.00 km2) on a barrier island, which buffers the mainland from winds and threatening tides, and provides habitat for shore birds and other coastal animals.

The wide white sand beaches and the rolling dunes covered with sea oats make this a pristine oasis along the rapidly developing Florida Panhandle.