Red tide creeps into Pinellas County, impacting animals and humans
INDIAN SHORES – A red alert about red tide creeping into Pinellas County: The algae is blooming along certain beaches, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife officials.
The first thing many notice the second your toes hit the sand is the smell, then the cough and, finally, the dead fish.
“We walked half a mile and I counted three dozen fish,” said Nancy Dickerson, who was walking along Indian Shores Beach enjoying the day with her husband Ken.
In addition to being an eyesore, the Dickersons said red tide can be uncomfortable.
“You feel a little respiratory distress,” they said. “You just feel a little tickle in your throat.”
Samples recently taken by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission indicate the red tide algae bloom is at a moderate level on Indian Shores, Redington and Pass-A-Grille beaches.