UPDATE (February 13, 2012 - 8:46 P.M.)
APALACHICOLA, Fla. (WTXL) - We're getting a sneak peek of the cover of the 2012 Sports Illustrated swim suit issue.

The cover photo was leaked Tuesday, one day before the issue goes on sale. The cover featured 19-year-old model Kate Upton.

In addition to Apalachicola, the Associated Press reports shoots for the magazine issue were held in Sydney and Cairns, Australia.

In October a crew with the magazine traveled to Apalachicola to shoot photos for the annual publication.

"We were sworn to secrecy," said Mark Friedman with the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce. "We shot right here on the dock, on the shrimp boat, all day long."

The crew shot photos throughout Apalachicola and on the beaches of St. George Island.

The Franklin County community is joining a list of exotic locales like Dubai and Seychelles islands which have been featured in previous issues.

"It solidifies us as a special destination," said Anita Grove with Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce. "places they've been are world renowned and we're now in that category."

The shoot itself took 9 days and a crew of 16.

Apalachicola is expected to be featured throughout the magazine which is estimated to sell more than 70 million copies when it's released on Tuesday.

"We are so small, something this like will impact every aspect of life here it will help highlight the seafood industry and oysters and educate people on how important that is," Friedman said.

Friedman adds the crew from Sports Illustrated wanted to shoot in a Gulf Coast community as way to help promote tourism in the area following the BP oil spill in 2010.

"It's a wonderful thing for us, it's going to catapult us to a new level," Friedman says.

Those who live and work in Apalachicola says they're excited for the new exposure and hope it'll draw in new visitors and new opportunities for the town.

Exactly which photos will be featured is still a secret, but it will be known when the issue is released on Tuesday.