West Coast Florida Red Tide
 

I've been on west coast Florida in the Venice area for five weeks and have never seen the red tide problem as bad as it is this year. Most days, beach attendance is not an option as the respiratory problems are oppressive and the dead fish add to the problem by their presence and stench.
This ranges from north of Sarasota to south of Boca Grande and is a real problem.
We had two couples come down as weekly guests who left early because of the physical problems they encountereed.
I don't think anyone has a solution to the problem but I think a little more honesty from Chambers of Commerce in the area would be helpful to those looking for the idyllic Florida experience for their hard earned vacations.
I paid large money for three beachfront months and I really wish I was back in Maine.

Red Tide is no secret. It is in the papers whenever it hits. But it's a local story. It's here in our papers north of you, but it's not in the papers back in Maine because they don't care about it. Nobody really cares about red tide anywhere until it's a problem, such as it is for you now.

I've heard it's particularly bad this year, causing lots of itchy eyes and coughing. I was at the beach today in Treasure Island and it has not hit up here...yet. It usually moves up or down the beaches.

It will not last three months. But it might last for a few days. You should chill and it will pass. This is mother nature and there isn't a thing the Chamber of Commerce can do about it. Take some day trips away from the beach, is what I'd advise.

I agree that it is horribly annoying and would totally ruin a beachfront vacation. When it hits here in Naples, I can't get within a block or two of the beach without coughing.

But what do you suggest? Should all the chambers of commerce start telling people to stay away from Florida all together? There is no way to predict the outbreaks. Fortunately we haven't had a single outbreak yet this year in Naples. Should the Chamber here have told people not to come this winter just in case we would have an outbreak? It is even easier to predict the weather than it is to predict red tide.

I'm sorry that it has ruined your vacation, but what are you suggesting should have been done?

Roy, have you had Red Tide for the entire 5 weeks???? Is it still bad? If so,
I feel for you & for all of the people who will be arriving this week & next for Spring Break. When do you return to Maine? I guess all that the COC can do is advise people that Red Tide is a "possibility". But, as Patrick has pointed out, we never know when & how long. It's unpredictable. Obviously, you were aware of the possibility b/c you said you "have never seen the Red Tide problem as bad as it is this year." Bottom line: Knowing what you now know, will you go back next year?

I worked on the red tide problem for two years as a sabbatical from my regular profession. In some ways it is a natural progression of the water in the gulf (or anywhere else) but now that it occurs with regularity in cooler waters, it is a sign that the initiating cause is probably nutrient run off. (Nutrient is one of those vaguely neutral words for various forms of sewage)

Better care of the water discharged from boats, water treatment plants, run off from golf courses and storm water returns and the effluent that is called the Mississippi river would reduce this problem.

LMF

I don't think anyone has a solution to the problem of black flies, but I think a little more honesty from the Maine Chambers of Commerce would be helpful to those looking for the idyllic Maine experience for their hard earned vacations. :D

LilMsFoodie: Is it possible that the swarm of hurricanes is partly responsible for this year's severe outbreak? All that rain, flushing all those "nutrients" (argh) and fertilizers, etc. into the Gulf?

"Red tide is formed when Karenia brevis, a microscopic algae, reproduces at an explosive rate, forming a bloom. Nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen are known to fuel red tide, which can cause breathing problems in people living near the coast."

Source: http://www.tampabaylive.com/stories/...7redtide.shtml

Hi,
For a good resource on the latest on the red tide in the Sarasota through Naples area, check out www.marinelab.sarasota.fl.us. Click on the red tide update on the right.

Yes, it is very bad. We live in Englewood and had a dead manatee wash ashore on the intercoastal on Saturday. We were told by Mote Marine and the FL Marine Patrol that there were 11 dead manatees between Manatee and Charlotte County on Saturday. Not a word in the paper. I have to believe at least some of them are red tide related. Very sad.

This is possibly the worst year for "Red Tide" and most of us are sad that you had to experience this on your Three month vacation. But do you really think that any of us who own homes down here "enjoy" having the Red Tide? Of course not - we don't care to have our time here on our beloved beaches ruined with all the coughing and red, watering eyes.

I feel sad that this has occurred during your three months but it hasn't been a constant problem since January - there have been many great beach-walking days. And just think about it - how many snowfalls have they had in Maine while you've been here? I know they've had three in the Washington DC area since January so I would imagine you've had a couple more. Certainly we can't say that "Red Tide" is worse than 10 inches of snow and all the accidents and problems that snow causes.

I just had the nicest walk on the beach Saturday, Sunday and today and now signs of "Red Tide".

Sorry

Make that "NO" signs of red tide.

I'm also curious if you came down for your vacation and it was amazingly colder than normal or if we had very unusual rains day after day, would you also say that the Chambers of Commerce should be posting warnings? Like the weather, Red Tide is a natural phenomenon and there's not much anybody can do about it or to plan for it.

I'm supposed to vacation on Ft. Myers Beach for a week beginning March 31st. Is red tide still expected to be at a high level then?

No way to know. Not much red tide now. The beaches are lovely and clean. Hopefully weather will be wonderful and warm. LMF

i'm heading to naples on 4/1 - first beach vacation in a while. i'm concerned about the red tide. i understand this year is especially bad, but how long does it usually last? Thanks in advance...

Naples beaches had no red tide last week. My niece and I walked the beach at Naples Pier and it was perfect. There is no way to predict this algae bloom and where or when it will occur. It comes onshore irregularly so there can be a nasty outbreak and 10 miles away, no sign at all. LMF

Arrrgggghhhhh! Help! It's RED TIDE!!!! HELP ME!!!! I'm being BOILED ALIVE!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiieeeeee.

TG: I'm guessing you're making light of Red Tide, most likely because Floridians are tired of being asked about it. But I have to say, it's no laughing matter if you happen to have a respiratory problem. There can be no visable signs of Red Tide and people can still experience distress because it is airborne.

It's a valid concern even if there is no way possible to predict an occurance. Just my 2 cents.

thanks LilMs. that is helpful. but i also am just curious about how long a bloom generally lasts - 2 months, 3 months, 6 months?...

I'm not really making light of it, I'm trying to put it in perspective. It is a nuisance. And for a very very very small percentage of Florida tourists it will be an issue. For a larger percentage of this small percentage, it will be a health issue. For a larger percentage of this small percentage, it will spoil their trip as there is nothing enjoyable about it if you are coughing, or if you have to walk along a beach with dead fish.

No one can tell anyone what's going to be happening with this odd bloom of red tide, which has shown up unseasonably (it generally happens in Sept). If I tell the poster all is well then that will be what he wants to hear but I am only telling him what he wants to hear.

What he needs to know is he should be prepared and have a back-up plan. He might have to go to St. Petersburg instead of Sarasota and make a last minute change in his plans. The alternative is being in Newark or Boston or wherever these snowbirds are coming from. And believe me, there are many many people right now packing our streets, enjoying red tide-free beaches, so I think the warmth and the shining sun are the big draw, and that he should come with that in mind.

Sorry if that reality isn't what he/she would want to hear but I'm not the chamber. This one's out of anybody's hands.