Thousands of floating dead fish in Lely Resort

A massive fish kill was discovered by locals at Eagle Lakes Community Park in Lely Resort Saturday.

Witnesses told us they were walking in the park near the lake and noticed a large silver mass lining the bank. As they got closer, they were surprised to see thousands of dead fish floating in the water.

“At first I thought it was like foam at the edge of the water or something,” said Marcel Doese, a visitor. “But no this is 1,000, 1 million little fish and bigger fish.”

Hank Molle bikes at the park almost every day.

“Just yesterday, probably around 10 in the morning, this place was pristine,” Molle said.

This morning, visitors like Droese said they could smell the dead marine life from a quarter mile away.

“I noticed a stench all the way on the other side of the park, and it was pretty horrifying,” Droese said. “It was a little disturbing. I like animals. And to just see 1 million animals lined up like this heartbreaking it sucks.”

Eagle Lakes is known for its birds, and visitors are worried for their safety without knowing what is wrong with the fish at the lake. They also worry for public safety in general at the park—people enjoying trails and a nearby pool.

“There’s kids that play here and families that come here,” Droese said. “No one wants to see that.”

We reached out to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, along with Collier County about the cause of the fish kill. We will update as soon as we hear back.

“I’m not a marine biologist,” Molle said. “I just know that somebody in the know needs to check this out and find out why it’s happening.”