Tripadvisor has released their choices for the best beaches in the United States based on reviews given by travelers.

The Top 25 best beaches in the U.S. are:

1. Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area: Puako, Hawaii

2. Siesta Beach: Siesta Key, Florida

3. Poipu Beach Park: Poipu, Hawaii

4. Moonstone Beach: Cambria, California

5. Kailua Beach Park: Kailua, Hawaii

6. Driftwood Beach: Jekyll Island, Georgia

7. Ruby Beach: Olympic National Park, Washington

8. Cannon Beach: Cannon Beach, Oregon

9. La Jolla Cove: La Jolla, California

10. Ho'okipa Beach Park: Paia, Hawaii

The other beaches were, Pensacola Beach in Florida, Henderson Beach State Park in Destin Florida; Ocean City Beach in Ocean City, Maryland; St. Augustine Beach in Florida, Coronado Beach in California, Coligny Beach in Hilton Head, South Carolina; Ka'anapali Beach in Lahaina, Hawaii; Fort Lauderdale Beach in Florida, Treasure Island Beach in Florida, Port Aransas Beach in Texas, Panama City Beach in Florida, St. Pete Beach in Florida, Ogunquit Beach in Maine, Clearwater Beach in Florida and Waikiki Beach in Hawaii.

To come up with their picks, Tripadvisor awards what they call their Travelers' Choice Best of the Best highest honor by going over reviews and opinions collected from travelers and review from travelers who've dined out. The company looks over reviews from around the world over a 12-month period. There are two levels, Tripadvisor says: Best of the Best and Traveler's Choice.

The quality and quantity of reviews and ratings is taken into account during the research. The company looks at businesses and destinations that consistently receive top reviews. To be eligible, Tripadvisor says, "a property, business, destination or point of interest must have been listed on Tripadvisor for at least 12 months, must receive a threshold number of reviews within the evaluation period of that award, and must maintain or exceed a minimum bubble rating on Tripadvisor."

Lifeguards are making changes to how they do their job as beaches reopen or make reopening plans.

They already typically have sunglasses or some type of eye protection, and they use gloves. But now, masks and social distancing will be part of their job too.

The one place they say it will be difficult to reduce contact is with water rescues. Wearing a mask to do those isn't really an option.

They're asking anyone going to the beach to have an extra focus on safety, which will keep lifeguards safe and cut down on interactions.

Another issue right now is getting lifeguards hired.

“You're going to have to prove to that lifeguard and probably that lifeguard's parents that you're taking every step to protect them while they're on the job,” said Thomas Gill, Vice President of the United States Lifesaving Association.

Gill says if you can prove that, the demand is there. During the last recession and for a few years after that, he says it wasn't hard to recruit lifeguards because people needed jobs, which he expects to be the case now too.

They've changed testing and training to make sure they can be socially distant, but it's more of a challenge with brand new guards who require the most training.

It's not algae: What is staining people's feet at some east coast beaches?

Updated: 12:35 PM EDT Jun 9, 2021

Some people are leaving with an unwanted souvenir after visiting some beaches in southern Maine: a black substance stained on the bottom of their feet.The substance, which has been seen at beaches in York County, was initially thought to be algae, but once a retired oceanographer looked at a sample through a microscope, they discovered it was something much different."Much to our surprise, it wasn't some kind of algae or an oil spill like you would expect, it was just a whole bunch of dead bugs in the water," said John Lillibridge, who recently retired from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.The bugs have wings that are smaller than a pinpoint, but when a lot of them are stepped on, they leave a dark stain that is hard to remove. "I tried Tide To-Go, I figured it would be bleach but nothing worked," said beachgoer Anne King, who also tried using oils and soap scrubs to no avail. Lillibridge said the bugs are not harmful and eventually wear off, although it is unclear what type of bugs they are. He also believes they will eventually disappear."The wind is turning from the south more to the west today and I suspect between now and natural tide cycle it's just going to carry this stuff away," Lillibridge said.

WELLS, Maine —

Some people are leaving with an unwanted souvenir after visiting some beaches in southern Maine: a black substance stained on the bottom of their feet.

The substance, which has been seen at beaches in York County, was initially thought to be algae, but once a retired oceanographer looked at a sample through a microscope, they discovered it was something much different.

"Much to our surprise, it wasn't some kind of algae or an oil spill like you would expect, it was just a whole bunch of dead bugs in the water," said John Lillibridge, who recently retired from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Linda Stathoplos

The bugs have wings that are smaller than a pinpoint, but when a lot of them are stepped on, they leave a dark stain that is hard to remove.

"I tried Tide To-Go, I figured it would be bleach but nothing worked," said beachgoer Anne King, who also tried using oils and soap scrubs to no avail.

Lillibridge said the bugs are not harmful and eventually wear off, although it is unclear what type of bugs they are. He also believes they will eventually disappear.

"The wind is turning from the south more to the west today and I suspect between now and natural tide cycle it's just going to carry this stuff away," Lillibridge said.