Red tide prompts hazard warning at Boca Grande beach

Hazard warnings have been issued for beaches around Boca Grande due to increasing numbers of dead snook, grouper and even manatees that are washing ashore.

Red tide is keeping neighbors and visitors off the beaches, and local business owners say it’s hurting their bottom line.

“Definitely putting a damper, we didn’t expect to come out here with all this washed up,” said visitor Chaye Peight.

Peight and her husband spent their first day as newlyweds looking for seashells, and also dodging dead fish.

“It’s disgusting. It’s very very bad and the whole entire beach smells like that and you can’t get away from it,” Peight said.

Experts are now investigating if red tide killed a manatee that also washed up on shore.

“Even in the water there’s dead fish, dead crabs, all kind of dead wildlife hitting you, bumping. You have to dodge it. You can’t even swim in these waters to be honest because they’re floating above the water, but they’re also all dead at the bottom,”Peight said. 

Red tide grows naturally, aided by warm, nutrient-rich water. But locals, like boat Captain William Wheeler with DejaVu Charters says he hasn’t seen it this bad in a long time.

“In fact, I don’t have any more clients right now because they don’t want to come out in the red tide,” Wheeler said.

The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife says they’ve already lost a turtle to red tide. And Wheeler says if it doesn’t clear up soon, more animals will die.

“It affects everything, and if it stays around long enough, you’ll see the manatee start dying,” he said.

The National Weather Service is warning people with respiratory problems to avoid hazardous beaches until conditions improve.