6 dead dolphins wash ashore in Venice

Six dead dolphins washed ashore in Venice, according to the Mote Marine Lab. Four dolphins were found yesterday off Venice, and two were found this afternoon in Casey Key.

Biologists pulled one of the six dolphins from the water to run tests on the dead animal to confirm if it is a victim of red tide.

“It has been awful,” said Sarasota neighbor Amy Bliesner. “The smell has been terrible.”

Bliesner said she has never seen a red tide like this before.

“Just the death, it’s so sad,” Bliesner said.

She says she has seen dozens of dead fish and sea turtles, but never thought she would see Venice Police towing in a dead dolphin.

“It’s just devastating, it breaks my heart to see the life out there that’s dying,” Bliesner said.

Dr. Tracy Fanara, a scientist at Mote Aquarium, says they’re still testing for the cause of death.

But, new testing shows high levels of red tide from Collier County all the way north, past Sarasota, and it’s growing.

“We’re getting higher numbers of higher cell counts, which means it is increasing in size too, or increasing in density,” Dr. Fanara said.

Mote Aquarium biologists say those six dead dolphins are well over average for them, so it puts them on high alert.

Biologists also said that those dolphins brought in don’t appear to be local, meaning they aren’t as resistant to the red tide.

MORE: How red tide impacts turtle hatchlings