No one likes dead fish on the beach or in the water or foul-smelling algae.
But it happens sometimes. Almost every year in fact, in some part of Florida or the other. Often it stays far offshore and doesn’t impact the beaches.
In other years, 2018 being an example, it hangs around for months. Most of the time it impacts the area for short periods and rarely wrecks an entire vacation.
Fortunately, 2021 seems to be a mild year so far for the naturally occurring algae known as “red tide”. Which seems only fair considering we all felt the brunt of Covid in 2020.
St Pete Clearwater had a Beach Conditions page where you can check all sorts of beach conditions, including UV levels, wind and the occasional presence of red tide. This site will also tell you whether a specific beach is closed for any reason.
To see where this red tide is in the greater area, you can check out this map.
This link takes you to a tool that attempts to forecast whether respiratory irritations may develop for asthma sufferers.
Visit Florida has a page on red tide as well, telling you what fish and shellfish are safe to eat, whether it is safe to swim, etc.
