Red Tide...Whats the Deal?!?

Hello Floridians,
My wife and I have our 30th anniversary trip planned for the week of Sept. 8th on Captiva Island. I'm a diehard fisherman and plan on spending a decent amount of time angling, I even have a charter trip scheduled Sept 10th. I've been trying to keep up with the water reports (Red Tide) from Pa. I'm obviously not in the thick of it, as you are, so the reports are scarce at best. With all I'm hearing I'm about to cancel the trip. Am I wrong/panicking, or should I wait it out to nearer the date of the trip???

 

Could be a big algae bloom. I am on the west coast, so I am just guessing. I am interested to know what it is though.

 

From my research, it apparently all comes from the Okeechobe Lake waters being directed into the Gulf instead of the Everglades. I would like to know if the waters will clear or not.

 

I was just reading this.... good info but the news isn't good
https://www.google.com/amp/s/relay....t-red-tide-wildlife-deaths-marine-life-toxins

 

Flip does a great job explaining the issue.

https://vimeo.com/175265555

 

Been hearing reports of it on both coast. Gulf coast up to Anna Maria...

 

Bout to hit Tampa Bay soon here. Nutrient runoff polluting our coasts and the big O (Lake Okeechobee). When the big O fills up they release the polluted water out to the east and west coast of Florida unatturally instead of how it used to trickle south and filter through land. This addition of polluted water worsens the red tide exponentially. Something like this

Causes this

 

Wow, what a disaster! Any time humans change the natural flow of nature we screw it up!!!

 

Here's the latest report from the FWC.



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A bloom of the Florida red tide organism, Karenia brevis, persists in Southwest Florida.

In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background to low concentrations in two samples collected from Pinellas County, low to high concentrations in seven samples collected from Manatee County, background to high concentrations in 40 samples collected from or offshore of Sarasota County, very low to high concentrations in 13 samples collected from or offshore of Charlotte County, background to high concentrations in 69 samples collected from or offshore of Lee County, and background to high concentrations in 18 samples collected from or offshore of Collier County.

Additional samples collected throughout Florida over the past week did not containK. brevis.

We continue to receive reports of fish kills in Southwest Florida. Over the past week, reports were received for multiple locations in Manatee County, in Sarasota County, in Charlotte County, in Lee County, and in and offshore of Collier County. More detailed information is available at http://myfwc.com/fishkill.

Respiratory irritation was reported over the past week in Manatee County (8/3-8/8 at Coquina Beach, 8/3-8/4 and 8/6-8/8 at Manatee Beach), Sarasota County (8/1-8/2 and 8/5-8/8 at Lido Key, 7/31-8/4 and 8/6-8/8 at Manasota Beach, 7/31-8/4 and 8/6-8/8 at Nokomis, 7/31-8/2 and 8/4-8/8 at Siesta Key, 7/31-8/3 and 8/7 at Venice Beach, 7/31-8/4 and 8/6-8/8 at Venice North Jetty), Lee County (7/31-8/4 at Bonita Beach; 8/1-8/8 at Bowman’s Beach; 8/1, 8/3, and 8/7-8/8 at Captiva; 8/1 and 8/3-8/4 at Causeway Islands; 8/1-8/3 and 8/6-8/8 at Gasparilla Island; 7/31, 8/2, and 8/6-8/7 at Light House Beach; 7/31-8/1 and 8/3-8/5 at Lovers Key State Park; 7/31, 8/2, 8/6 and 8/8 at Lynn Hall Beach Park; 7/31-8/5 at Newton Park), and Collier County (7/31-8/4 at Barefoot Beach, 7/31-8/2 at Seagate Beach, 8/2 at South Marco Beach, 8/2 at Vanderbilt Beach).

Forecasts by the USF-FWC Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides for Pinellas to northern Monroe counties predict a reversal from northern to southern transport of surface waters and southeastern movement of subsurface waters for most areas over the next three days.

Additional information regarding the current status of algal blooms in South Florida is being consolidated and posted on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s website: https://floridadep.gov/dear/algal-bloom.

 

FAU conducted a study recently that shows that septic tanks are a major contributor as well to the big algae blooms

http://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/septic-system-study.php#.W046pVHf-2u.facebook

 

I know up here in the north east, if the water table is as high as it is in southern Fla. public sewer is mandated. No one in the coastal towns along New Jersey have a septic system.

 

Unfortunately, people have faulty septic systems that leak and get into the aquifer which eventually finds its way to the ocean

 

I would be wary of what is being reported on the news and mainstream media. For those who don’t know, septic system are designed with a leach field. The septic tank fills to a point where the level of waste reaches an outlet in the tank, it then is dispersed into the the leach field. Many, if not the majority of these homes in Fla. are 10 years old if not newer. The tanks on theses homes are not leaking.
This is how all septic systems work, the waste is leached into the ground by design. This should have never been allowed in unperkable soil, such as southern Fla. Let alone a watershed as large as the Everglades.

 

When is the latest you can cancel? I fish Sanibel and Captiva a lot. But haven't been able to because of red tide. I was about 30 minutes south around Marco island this week and it was still pretty bad. Unfortunately even if it clears by then a lot of the fish population has suffered. My old high school holds a local redfish tournament that was supposed to be held on September 8 but has been postponed until October. I've been doing more freshwater fishing because have been itching just to throw a line out

 

I bought travel insurance. I think I could cancel at the last minute. I called Jason of Pro Anglers Choice, the charter I scheduled for Sept 10th, he told me to call back in a couple weeks for more info.

 

At this point it is really bad. I have been here (Sarasota / Tampa Bay Area) for 21 years and I have never seen it this bad. It just shows up one day unannounced, and start growing. Then one day you get up and it is all gone. No telling how long it will hang around. A friend of mine work at a beach resort and he says people are cancelling all the time. Some flew over here from Europe for vacation and left after a day.
But, the good news is that there is still time before your scheduled trip - it might be all gone by that time. Just keep an eye on the reports. Good luck!

 

We still plan on doing this trip to Fla. but Captiva and the southwest of Fla. is off the table. We are flying in to Fort Lauderdale, with the original plan of driving west, so any recommendations you gents have for an alternative destination is appreciated. I am willing to drive almost anywhere, we would like to have a beach to relax on and available fishing (mainly surf fishing).

 

Head to the Keys. Or go to Destin, FL (Panhandle) Best beach in FL, pure white sand and crystal clear water

 

We are focusing in on Marathon, from what I can see the drive is about the same.