here is a beach hazard statement in effect for parts of Southwest Florida due to a red tide, which is killing fish and marine life and making some beach-goers sick.

Bill and Linda Gibney, residents of Sanibel, shared their experiences with the red tide. “When you go in the backyard, is really the worst, and the wind just comes at you.

The Florida Department of Health has issued several red tide warnings in Southwest Florida recently. In Sanibel, red tide has taken over popular beaches, causing concern among residents and visitors.

City of Sanibel councilwoman Holly D. Smith found a dead manatee Tuesday afternoon on a Sanibel shoreline. Manatees, hundreds of sea turtles and millions of pounds of fish have washed up on local ...

A red tide alert sign is seen at beachside at Gulfside City Beach Park on Sanibel on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. Red tide has been documented off the coast of Southwest Florida including Sanibel.

Fish killed by red tide litter Sanibel's shores. Recent counts along Sanibel and in Pine Island Sound measured 500,000 to 760,000 cells per liter.It takes about 10,000 cells per liter to start ...

Red tide is caused by high concentrations of a toxin-producing microscopic algae, called K. brevis, that is found in the Gulf of Mexico. Tests conducted Dec. 5 of water samples confirm the red tide.

Reports from local scientists show red tide counts off Sanibel being as high as 20 million cells per liter, and fish kills can start when levels are between 10,000 and 100,000 cells per liter.

A dead whale shark that recently washed up on a beach on Sanibel Island in Florida was likely killed by the current red tide bloom, wildlife officials said. The bloom occurs when “colonies of ...