Red Tide Hits Cape Canaveral Area

A red tide on the east coast of Florida has killed thousands of fish and marred the vacations of tourists spending Christmas in the area near Cape Canaveral.

The outbreak of Karenia brevis, the toxic algae responsible for red tides in Florida, reached from Volusia County to Martin County in the south, Florida Today reported. It was centered around Cocoa Beach in Brevard County.

The algae release a toxin that can cause respiratory irritation, especially in people with existing lung problems. The Fish and Wildlife Research Institute estimated that at least 3,000 fish were killed between Saturday and Wednesday in Cocoa Beach.

The concentration of the algae varied tremendously from beach to beach. The Calac family of St. Louis managed to find one beach they could use after being driven away from one stretch of sand.

The smell of the fish was just nasty, said Matt Calac, 14, during a break from bodyboarding Wednesday. The dead fish came up to the middle of the beach, and we couldn’t take it.