PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — After roughly a month of reprieve, red tide has returned to parts of the Tampa Bay area.
What You Need To Know
- Red tide found near Treasure Island, Maderia Beach, and Indian Shores
- Droves of dead fish showed up in canals along the intercostal in Maderia Beach
- View the Marine Laboratory Beach Conditions Reporting System
While Tampa Bay itself remains mostly clear, high concentrations of the organism that causes red tide were detected near Treasure Island, Maderia Beach, and Indian Shores. Medium concentrations were detected near Clearwater Beach and many parts of Anna Maria Island.
On Friday, droves of dead fish showed up in canals along the intercostal in Maderia Beach. On John’s Pass, there were few dead fish but a strong red tide odor and many people reported respiratory irritation.
We @BN9 found hundreds of dead fish in some waterways in the intercostal areas of Maderia Beach. Red tide is back in parts of the area, with the highest concentrations in Treasure Island, Indian Shores and Maderia Beach. The beaches in those areas were clear today. pic.twitter.com/NDQDW9LAtJ
— Angie Angers (@angie_angers) October 1, 2021
“We’re experiencing a little bit of the itchy throat, sneezing,” explained Javier Chavez with Mad Beach Watersports. “Yesterday from my experience so far this week was the worst day.”
Red tide could continue to stick around through this weekend, according to a forecast from the University of South Florida and the Florida Wildlife Research Institute.