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WARNING! This site is not politically
correct.
WE will post everything we can about red tide
and related diseases
affecting sea creatures and
humans. See the surf Section for
two
interesting
articles.
OUR ISLAND
1999 A wave
of red tide approaches Little Gasparilla Island in September
1999. Photo by Paul
Schmidt/the Charlotte
Sun
This website has been set up so that people from
all over the world can give their input
and observations on the Red Tide and its affects on sea life,
humans and
animals. We would like everyone to report episodes of red tide in
your area and its strength. The website will also keep updates and
articles on red tide research from different institutions and
organizations. As new information becomes available we will
post any reports or correspondence on the symptoms of, and
treatments for, red tide exposure. It is important to get the
word out to everyone of the impacts of red tide on all
creatures.
Dogs, Cats, all types of sea birds, manatee,
dolphin, porpoise, fish, and humans have been sickened by red tide
and countless numbers of animals have died from the red tide
exposures. Severe
reactions have been seen in humans.
Throughout this website you will find
updated articles on red tide, information on research being done,
alerts on health hazards and alerts for severity of certain blooms.
There will also
be links to Vets who have dealt with red tide animals.
If you have any information or reports of
exposures to red tide please email us at
sunsetview2c@yahoo.com
I want
to thank everyone who helped build this website by providing
information, links, material and knowledge.
This site was started as a sounding board for the
average person and it has become a major voice for
all.
******Emergency posting-------January7th
2008********
Lisa, could you post the following for me on your site.
I'd like to have victims contact me. Soon, I'll make a
petition site where cases can be posted. When I do, I'll let
you know what the link is for posting purposes. I'll reference
your web site on that petition as well. We need back and forth
links to make this effective.
Here is the post that I have made
on floridatoday.com where red tide has been discussed often as it
relates to Brevard County Florida:
Red tide toxin is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS to
humans!
Case in point: An otherwise healthy senior
woman (from another state) went to Panama City Beach, Florida in
October. Unbeknownst to her, there was a significant outbreak of red
tide at the time. She had a bit of a cough prior to coming to the
beach but was not on medication or receiving any treatment for it.
Within several days, she began to cough constantly. She and
her husband couldn't even go on the balcony without coughing. One
day she took a deep breath through her mouth. When she did,
something went deep into her lungs burning them all the way down!
She had an immediate reaction with very tight chest and
uncontrollable coughing. She coughed up BLOOD! She became congested
with mucus interfering with her breathing. She struggled with little
relief.
After an x-ray showed "an infection," she was given
Levaquin. No change upon x-ray. CT scan revealed a MASS in her right
lung and pericardial effusion! She went on to have other tests. She
ended up in the emergency room and after being admitted, ONE LITER
of fluid was drained from around her heart! She almost died then.
Forward to now, inoperable mass in the right lung. Chemo needed.
Constant cough finally under control with round-the-clock
medication. Body weakened, immune system further weakened...time
running out!
RED TIDE does more than give you a runny nose and
cough! Do NOT believe it when you read the affect on humans is
insignificant! Can red tide unmask a tumor? Can it cause a tumor to
grow rapidly? Can it lower the immune system so that fighting cancer
is impossible? Can it send a woman with no known health issues into
a TAIL SPIN downward and into a fight for her
life????
YES!...say her family members! We've watched it happen right
before our eyes! Red tide is potentially LETHAL to humans!
Why isn't more being done? What is the REAL reason for the
"hush-hush" about red tide along Florida's coastline? Whose
interests are more important...the business sect or the Florida
visitors????
Let's put it this way....NO one wants to
properly record what has happened in this case! Most want to suggest
that it just can't happen this way. Believe it...it DID happen and
its not over yet!
Contact me with your RED TIDE health
issues ASAP. I want to speak to all victims of red tide toxin. Your
voice must be heard loudly and clearly!
redtidetoxinalert@cox.net
Red Tide Toxin Victims Unite Charlene
Blake
PleaseIMPLORE others to
request that the following words are *written in their own patient
records*: PATIENT REPORTS--RED TIDE EXPOSURE TRIGGERED
SYMPTOMS
If each person does this, there can be NO ignoring
the documentation. It is a start until more public dialogue
can take place. Every person exposed needs to be their own
advocate and make sure the CONNECTION is made based on PATIENT
REPORT. Too often, the doctor will ignore the exact words of
the patient. The patient can insist in a non-confrontation way
that this statement be put in the chart. We have this right as
patients.
Here are a few quick links to red tide
status hotlines, websites, and
animal hospitals
with red tide knowledge.
http://www.biotoxin.info/about_test
The only site that I know of that has a test for
toxicity
If your pets show signs of
distress or red tide illness contact
Port Charlotte emergency vet clinic 941 255 5222.
Dr. Amanda Schell
Englewood Animal
hospital- Dr. Botelson or Dr. Gilkerson 941 474
1295.
Treatment is not what
would be considered the "Norm" so make sure your Vet calls them
first.
Both clinics have
saved many pets and know the right procedures to adminsister to the
animals.
Florida Update visit Red Tide Current Status for
Southwest Florida
NOAA WEBSITE FOR
RED TIDE
The website for the Florida Red
Tide Coalition
Marine
and Freshwater (Toxin) Hotline 888) 232-8635
(toll-free)
This number is for anyone who has experienced or
knows of someone who has experienced harmful effects while in the
vicinity of a marine or estuarine event. The Florida Department of Health (DOH) encourages anyone to report details of the
experience. This number connects to the Florida Poison Information
Center in Miami, which has
contracted with DOH to receive such reports. The number should be
answered by a person who will record the caller's observations and
experience
The FWRI Red
Tide Status Line is now available to callers to hear a
recording
detailing red tide conditions throughout the state. FWRI
updates
the recording each Friday by 5 p.m. after sampling efforts for the
week have been completed and analyzed. Red Tide Status Line:
(866)300-9399 (toll-free inside Florida only); (727) 552-2448
(outside Florida).
Venice
High Schools ongoing TESTING of Bob Rigbys formula to
Eliminate RED TIDE
Please
click here to check out the award winning multi-media series by Ken
Weiss of the LA times. Pulitzer prize nominated
!!!!!! ALTERED
OCEANS
The Ocean
Project is a nonprofit organization,
Excellent Site For all to visit!
The link for updates in South Padre Texas
http://www.spadre.com/ also use
www.townspi.com
Letters from concerned
individuals: Some are very sick from red tide
exposure!
November 22nd,
2007
Yesterday it started here
and is still here today. This is the first time ever at our beach so
for a while we did not know what was happening.
We own a complex on the
beach and one of our guests took their dog for a walk on the
beach...He started foaming at the mouth. One of the neighbors told
him about the red tide. He packed up and left.
I have a bad heart
and lung damage. Our unit is around the back of our building
about 200 ft from the water. I can not go outside and neither can a
few of our neighbors a farther distance from the
water.
I am not at all familiar
with a red tide effect so I can't really tell you exactly what's
happening here. I just know that all our visitors are coughing as
with an allergy attack. Everyone left here is young and healthy so
no major issues. But for those of us with heart and lung
problems...It is very severe.
I see since this is the
Thanksgiving holiday vacationers coming to the beach...And our
economy has been so lean...There is absolutely not one peep about it
on the news.
Sandy
EastWind Villas,
LLC
2300 S Atlantic Avenue
New
Smyrna Beach, FL
32169
New from Bob Rigby,,, Feb
07
Venice High
School Science Department continues to test my Red Tide Killing
Formula. As many of you know, I have already received the U.S.
Patent for the "Dispensing Apparatus", that distributes the formula
in exact amounts, to prevent harm to any other marine life, and
I expect the Red Tide Killing Formula patent this
year.
For those of
you who are not familiar with my red tide killing formula, it
can be found at "Bob Rigby Red Tide", or "Red Tide Cure" on the
Internet.
The school web site has been updated, with 2006 - 2007
testing. Four new pictures are also on the bottom of the web
page, with the letter of commendation from U.S. Senator Mel
Martinez. Tell everyone you know, who are interested in
mitigating red tide from waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and
the beaches on the west coast of Florida.
Many exciting things are happening, and much
misinformation is being said about the formula.....
If the test results with EPA approved
test fish, do not satisify your questions, contact me by
e-mail.
Bob Rigby
rbrigby@comcast.net
http://www.sarasota.k12.fl.us/vhs/science/redtide/
Today Feb, 25th 07 I felt that this editorial By
Alan Fargo needed to be
reprinted. For more of his
editorials see the button to the left.
Seeing red in the
Legislature
By Alan Farago
Special to the
Sentinel
March 16, 2005
The
Florida Legislature has a lot in common with red tides. It
is easier to see when sunshine makes the
toxins light up.
Today the Legislature is aiming to pass a
bill to make it much more difficult for citizens to change the
Florida Constitution by petition drive.
Legislators
cite the pregnant-pig amendment as an example of frivolous
cluttering of the constitution.
But using the threat to hog
farming to crimp citizen rights makes as much sense as
attributing red tides only to natural events.
Red tides kill a
lot of fish. They make the Gulf of Mexico sick as a dog and
throw up manatee carcasses dead as
driftwood, threatening the
multibillion-dollar recreational and
tourism industries, especially along the southwest
coast.People get sick, too. Symptoms range from difficulty
breathing,hacking coughs and possible contagion in the value
of coastal condominiums, when going out for a carton of milk
from the local Circle K might mean strapping on scuba
gear.
Until
recently, when the Sierra Club Calusa group got fighting mad,
the Web page of the Mote Marine Laboratory, funded in large
part by the state of Florida said, "Florida red tides
represent a natural process not caused by
pollution."
The Web site suddenly changed after the Naples
Daily News reported the fact alongside an excerpt from a 1962
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study stating, "It is now well
known that red tide outbreaks on the west Florida coast are
correlated with years of high rainfall and heavy freshwater
discharge from the western rivers of the Florida peninsula."
The
year 1962 is a long time ago, a distance
Sen. Ken Pruitt, longtime politician who reportedly has
statewide ambitions, helped measure in recent remarks at
polluted Lake Okeechobee when he borrowed from Native American
wisdom.
"We don't inherit the land from our ancestors; we borrow
it from our children," said the senator, hitting an aphorism so
pulverized by reality that you can hear ghostly warriors
clanging their spears in furious disapproval.
Let's count
backward. In 1962, our parents' generation was borrowing the
bountiful natural resources of our state from their kids, who
would be us, more or less.
They, then, knew that red tides
were caused by pollution.
So what happened, Mote Marine
Laboratory? We grew up and forgot? Oh, we didn't have the
science.
Pruitt, an advocate for
Florida-approved wells that now dump more
than 1 billion gallons per day of scarcely treated municipal
wastewater deep underground -- leaking massively in some
parts of the state -- represents St. Lucie West, where
recently a long-time municipal water well went bone
dry.Which is more embarrassing: a) pregnant pigs used as a
justification for the Florida Legislature to protect the
Florida Constitution from you, b) a former
well driller, now Senate leader, who claims to hold dear the
risk to future generations while advocating aquifer
exploitation as a well in his district pumps sand, or c) a
non-profit institution dedicated to excellence in marine
sciences that dropped the ball on land-based
pollution?
There are other very good reasons we might want
to give our children the right to change the Florida
Constitution by petition drive.In a meeting this week in Estero,
"Gulf waters still in distress," Dr. Brian Lapointe reported
research that isotopes in dead seaweed on the west coast are
lit with the chemical signature of sewage.
State-sponsored
bureaucrats -- through the Florida Department of Environmental
Protection and the South Florida Water Management District --
have roundly criticized the career work of Lapointe and his
colleague, Dr. Larry Brand, for hypotheses and mounting evidence that pin pollution in distant
places to polluters in high places.
Right about now, it
would make a lot of sense for readers to pick up the telephone
and bark at your nearest state legislator. Nothing less will
do.
You might remind them to enact referenda that citizens have
already passed, like requiring Big Sugar to pay the main cost
for cleaning up its pollution of the Everglades. Or providing
for the class-size amendment.
Imagine public schools with
small enough classes so that future students wouldn't miss the
lesson that the heart of "borrowing the Earth from our
children and future generations" is responsibility and
ownership.
Ownership is popular these days. But limiting the
access of people to their constitution is a lot like making
the number of people who own democracy a whole lot
smaller.
Freedom may be on the march in Iraq, but it isn't
doing so well in Tallahassee.
This week is National
Sunshine Week, to illuminate how our fundamental liberties are
being killed by the race of government to secrecy, another
toxin in the red tide floating the ship of state.
Save the
Voters' Voice Coalition is working together to protect the
rights of people to amend the state constitution by petition drive.
It is a mouthful.I'd just call the campaign, "Stop the
idiots."
Alan Farago, a writer on the environment and
politics, can be reached at alanfarago@yahoo.com. He wrote this commentary for the
Orlando Sentinel. Read about Save the Voters Voice at:
http://www.savevotersvoice.org/
Can
anyone help out this lady with some past
information?
I am trying to research any information about the
red tide in Captiva Island, FL in Feb./Mar.
1997. Our family had
vacationed at South Seas Plantation
and stayed just feet from the ocean, for
many years. This
particular year, they were dredging to rebuild the
beaches right
where our condo was. There were dead fish everywhere, dead
manatees, heavy winds and crashing waves. When we arrived, both
Grandma's
started having breathing problems.
By the third
day, it was so horrible that my husband had to fly them
home. My 3 children (ages 2, 6 and 8)and I only had itchy
throats, dry
eyes and a bit of a cough, and so we stayed.
To this day, both grandmas
(now 81 and 88) have wheezy
breathing, asthma type symptoms that asthma
meds do nothing to
help, and one has had countless cases of bronchitis
and pnemonia
that have reoccurred over and over and over, but from no
obvious
cause or reason, and meds haven't helped (these are extremely
healthy women otherwise). It just comes and goes
often. The worst part
of this is that my 2 boys (now ages
16 and 18) have had constant sinus
pain and pressure, very, very
bad headaches (one has been homebound for
6 years from head pain
which stems from the sinus region, and asthma.)
All of which
started on our vacation from Captiva, but got worse and
worse
upon our return and is excruciating for my 16 year old even
today.
No one here in Minnesota even
knows what Red Tide is. When I looked
back on my datebooks from
1997, I see that this is when this horrible
nightmare started
for them, I decided to do some research to see if anyone
else
suffered from any symptoms from red tide exposure in 1997 from
Captiva Island, Florida. Thank you so much for providing
this website. I
would be extremely grateful for any
information you might have.
Kim Dodge
IF anyone has information that might help her out,
drop me a note and I'll put you in contact with her..
webmaster
Feb 07 07
Bali
Hello, yesterday so many fish dead in Tabanan Beach,
Bali island... I
think it
is red tide.
Feb 7th
07
I wrote back in October 2006 to tell how
my Mother
got sick and died from Red Tide in Venice,
Florida. An update from the
lab. A biopsy taken from my
Mother's lungs were sent out to 2 different
labs and the 2nd one
came back and confirmed she was affected by Red
Tide an
environmental irritant that caused inflammation of the lungs or
ARDS. 2 Doctor's in Venice one being a lung specialist did not
treat her
at all for inflammation due to Red Tide, they
(Doctor's in Venice) were
both asked by my Mother if Red Tide
had anything to do with it and both
said not at all. Even while
in the critical care unit in Venice,
Florida
we were told by many of the nurse's that Red Tide is a huge problem
but until someone of importance dies, nothing will be done. I
wonder how
many people are dying from it and they just cover it
up. PLEASE BEWARE!
RED TIDE IS VERY DANGEROUS AND IT WILL KILL
YOU IF NOT TREATED
PROPERLY.
JJ Marchiano
Here is Joes first
letter
I found this web site just
after moving to the
Venice area back in March 2006, my family
and I have been in
Key
West for the last 10 years and have heard about red tide only
once
down there thinking it only affected the marine life. After
moving to
Venice my Mother moved here also in May 2006. She has
had respirator problems
her whole life, when she moved here in
Venice in May she was fine . Up
to this point I never heard
anything about Red Tide until late June
2006, afriend of mine
said he was allergic to Red tide. I started
doing researchand
found this site and honestly I was more worried about my
dogs
beingaffected than anything. In July my Mother went to the
beach
for a sunset to Venice beach and from my research now you
could see it
was in full bloom with NO ALERTS AT ALL about
respiratory problems. The
day after her visit to the beach she
got ill. She went to the Doctor
and wasdiagnosed with bronchitis,
again no mention of Red tide, she
also went to a local
pomonlogist and this time I said ask the Doctor if Red
tide has
anything to do with this problem, he said not at all.
To
make a long story short, my Mother past away (only 65) on
October 11,
2006 and now from a biopsy taken from her lungs, they
are now saying her
lungs were affected by an environmental
irritant (RED TIDE). I must
warn anyone reading this. Do not come
to this area if you have any
respitory problems what so ever. It
could kill you! The people in this town
will dismiss this problem
every time asked about it. They act like it is
not even herebut
we know it is a problem. I now own a house in Venice
that I wish
I could just give it away to get me and my family out of
this
stupid town. Upset in Venice
Nov 28
06
Last
year I suffered from MRSA. It took 7 months to be
diagnosed and
then 30 days of heavy duty antibiotics for it
to clear up. I got
the first so called "spider bite" which
really wasn't a spider
bite in Feb 2005 after my husband and
I had spent two consecutive
months of swimming and playing
catch on Nokmis Beach every day.
When I began researching
MRSA I believe I got it from the red
tide. I went to a red
tide meeting here in Venice and I was more
or less told to
stop talking about it that I was ridiculous,
there was no
connection. I was also told by the Center for
Disease
control in Georgia to not be discussing it. What is
going
on? Why are there no connections being made between
the
outburst of community acquired MRSA here on the
southwest
coast of Florida and red tide. Wake up, it is here. I
have
recently (August issue) written an article for
Attitudes
magazine about my seven months of mystery and misery
before
being diagnosed with MRSA and being treated. I am willing
to
share that article if you would like. However, I believe
we
need people who are seriously interested in making
a
connection between the human cost and red tide rather
than
constantly saying that it has no long term affects
on
humans. It does not take rocket science to figure out
that
if it is killing the fish and animals in the sea then it
definately will have an affect on human life.
Sincerely,
Trina Hayes
Nov
28
My husband and I just
returned from Corpus Christi,
Texas
where we experienced red tide. We went to the beach
on
Tuesday,October 17 to swim. The water looked very different
from the
day before. Since it was raining the day before we didnt
get out of the
car. On this day the water looked dirty and there
was a terrible
smell in the air. There were no warnings of any
kind on the beaches we
visited. The minute I got out of the car
my nose, throat and face began
to burn and I starting sneezing.
My husband went toward the water about
ankle deep and said
something didnt look right and he didnt think we should
get in
the water. We noticed 2 ladies get out of a truck with their
dog.
As soon as the dog got out it began to sneeze and shake his head
as
though hehad something in his ears. I asked the ladies if they
knew
why the waterwas so dirty. They said it was a red tide and
we should
probably leave the beach. They said they have lived
near the ocean all
their lives and when this happens they both
have allergy like symptoms, and
their dog had "a terrible time."
The older lady said they had driven
to several beach locations to
try to find "good beach" but had no luck.
Both ladiessuggested to
my husband and I that we wash our faces and
rinse our feet
with fresh water and stay away from the beach until the
water was
clear. We walked back to where we parked our car and noticed
the
water had come closer to shore. The waves had brought in a
huge
scattering of dead fish. The fish washed in to where our car
was parked in less
than about 15 minutes of the time we parked!
Some fish were swollen and
rotten looking while others looked
like they had just died.
Most of our symptoms disappeared when we
left the area. My
concern is I am type II diabetic. I did walk in
the water along the
beachline but didnt swim. Are there any
symptoms that could show up later?
My immune system is not as
strong as a healthy persons and after
reading the info on your
website I would certainly like some input.
Also, while we were in
Corpus Christi the
weather reported
"unusual atmospheric conditions" which caused
the beaches at Mustang Island State
Park, Padre Island, and the beach areas around
Port
Aransas to disappear for a about 24 hours. This was about the
time the earth
quakes hit in Hawaii. Could any
of this be related?
Anyone
have any input for the Corpus Christi
writers???
Nov
06
I live about two miles from the beach here in
Corpus
Christi.
We are having Red Tide here. The fish are every
where. My
husband works on the island and is there for twelve
hours a
night. When he gets home he always says he coughed all
night and his eyes
water. And his head hurts. I had MRSA a few
years ago and reading the
post I just wonder if it could have
been linked to the red tide here.
All we are hearing here is that
it is not harmful to humans. But every
one that goes to the beach
come home sick. Even where I live you can still
feel some of the
efects. Like the caughing and eyes watering. We need
to know the
truth about this matter. Thank you and good luck to all that
have
the same prob.
Nov 06
My husband and I live on
North Padre Island. Today
around 5pm he took our dogs out
to go potty and came back in
coughing. I just went outside
to take one of the dogs out at 9pm and
could hardly
breathe. I was constantly coughing and unable to catch
my
breathe (keep in mind i'm in my late 20's and good
health). Beans,
our dog, began sneezing non-stop. we
came right back inside were she
continued to sneeze/cough to the
point of almost vomiting. I know there
is red tide in the
ocean 100 yards away but I've never experienced anything
this
severe. The air was also very foggy and there are
hundreds
of butterflies outside. I noticed the butterflies
on the way home from
work at 6 tonight. Are they common
with the red tide or a
coincidence? Anyways, I got on the
internet right away and checked all local source for information
about what was going on. Of course nothing was
being
reported,even on the 9pm local news. I stumbled across this
page and
just thought to share what's happening right now in
corpus christi
Nov
06
Me and my husband
were attending to ill moms(both) (one in St Pete Beach and the other
in FtMyers) when we BOTH got respiratory infections from the red
tide. Sore throat,runny nose, wicked coughing, high fever,
exhaustion....all
that made us unable to help our elderly moms.
And all we did was take a
few short walks on the beach and never
let our feet touch the water. After
14 days & antibiotics I
am still coughing like crazy. Shame shame
shame on theofficials
in St. Pete Beach and Ft. Myers for not warning
the public to the
dangers of how toxic red tide is.
Oct 06
My family (husband and
three sons - 10, 7, and 11
mos.) and I visited the beach just
outside Padre Island National
Seashore
(TX) over this past weekend. We were
really just kind of
passing some time and the boys wanted to see
the water, so we drove along
the beachwith our windows rolled
down. Almost immediately, my
husband began to cough.
Before too long, everyone had a "tickle" kind of
cough going
onand I'd begun sneezing. My eyes began to itch in what
felt
like an allergic reaction. We didn't even realize why
we were
reacting the way we were! Not until a few nights
later when a news program
stated that respiratory symptoms were
related to the Red Tide problem
they were reporting was troubling
the Gulf Coast of TX.
Now that
I've read of more of the symptoms, I wonder . . .
is this
seemingly innocuous rash that developed several years ago
while
vacationing during the Spring/Summer along the Gulf Coast part of
Red
Tide symptoms???? It came and went mysteriously, then
seemed to
return with that same time of year and is now just
always around. Troubling
Oct 06
I've been an avid offshore fishing resident of Sarasota for
11
years and am extremely concerned about the recent
severity and
duration of Red Tide along our Gulf shores.
I've read many
observations, comments, and complaints on the
subject of Red
Tide. The problem, as I see it, is a lack of
direction toward the
resolution of the problem.
Mote lab has set up elaborate Red Tide
monitoring but is
saying nothing (that I can find) about cause or
prevention
of the recent increase in severity and duration. I
accept
the postulate that Red Tide is a naturally occuring
offshore
phenomenon. I also accept the fact that
plant(alge)health
and growth is supported by fertilizer
phosphates. How do we
get our elected and appointed officials
that are responsible
for watershed issues to recognize the
correlation between
Red Tide and phosphates?
Sarasota county
states that fertilizer is a contributer but
when I contacted them
(via their own link)I recieved no
reply (is anyone there?).http://www.co.sarasota.fl.us/Content/Content.aspx?C7
A6C692B2=A4999B7D&D4C7CF=C7A6C691ADA2A4A9979B76A2A3AAA295977
89F94A4A39D9C7DA3A7AA93A4B4
A
"concerned Floridian" wrote on your site about witnessing
dumping
seven miles offshore. But there were no followup
comments (or
outrage).
The economic importance of a healthy Florida
Gulf coast is
clear. When (or how)do we go public with the
questions that
may cause some discomfort to a few special
interest groups?
Larry
Sept 4th
06
I've grown up in the Tampa Bay area and have always
enjoyed it's great natural environment. We've had red tide
from time
to time over the 20 some years but the regularity and
longevity of the
red tide we've experienced over the past
several years is out of hand.
I'm puzzled as to why
everyone's scratching their heads of not knowing
why it's
happening. It's clearly due to excessive amounts of toxicity
in the water. Any college student in a marine biology
course can tell
you that. As a matter of fact about seven
months ago while fishing
with two friends out around seven miles
from the mouth of Tampa Bay we
witnessed a large ship spew it's
lime green contents into the gulf for
over an hour. What
was the liquid? More than likely used water from the
near
by Phosphate mines/ports. Now this was one time we personally
saw
a ship spew it's lethal contents. I'm curious as to
how much of this
goes on on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly
basis. Seven miles out
it international waters where it's
ok to do and discard of what ever.
Let's take the blinders
off and see what's really happening. If it's
cheaper for
the big businesses to pay a small fine rather than dispose of
their toxic waste properly then something is seriously wrong
here.
Florida being such a natural State mainly making
it's economical
prosperity from tourism you'd think the
officials would care enough to handle
the situation instead of
shrug it off with a two year old childs response
of, "We don't
know why it's happening". There must be money exchanging
hands on a high level if we're dealing with this in
2006.
A very concerned Floridian and global citizen.
Note from red tide alert,
According to a study done in 05 and published in the Journal of
Geophysical research Letters, by Late Sept 2005 the bloom of red
tide covered approximately 26,062 square miles off of Tampa Bay..
Wow..
Aug 31st
06
Aug 27th
06
Just returned to NJ from an 8 day Vacation in Siesta
Key, Sarasota, Fl.
I don't know what angered me more, the
published comments of the Siesta
Key Chamber of Commerce reps or
the Red Tide. The repsdescribed the
beach conditions as
"possible" red tide, or "not really" red tide. This
was
done as we walked along Cresent Beach and had to step over dead
fish. While at the pool, 1/2 block from the beach, it
sounded like a TB
ward. Vacationers were coughing up their
lungs. The Chamber of
Commerce should be more open and
honest and stop treating their visitors like idiots. The
Chamber's lack of credibility is doing more damage, to
commerce,
then the Red Tide.
Aug 26th
06
It is quite possible that the rash and blisters
reported is from the red tide. The red tide carries a natural form
of ANTHRAX and this is why it kills. It is thought by many that the
red tide was the first plague (the rivers were like blood) in egypt
- causing a chain (food chain) of events that ended in many human
deaths. These same plagues are to be reported at the end of times -
take extra care everyone - the food laws exist in the bible because
GOD KNOWS ALL! and in his love and mercy he wants
to give his children the means to survive! READ THEM! perhaps it
will make doctors take a second look and insist that tourist states
enhance strictly protective laws! The red tide is enhanced by global
warming - the warmer the ocean the more productive the red tide - we
all need to get involved! +RMB
Rev. Mother Barbara
Benjamin Sliney
Aug 16
06
Hi, my name's Vann Smith. I just did a google search
for red tide
around Sarasota because of what I saw when I went
to the beach this afternoon.
I found your website and I really
think it's a great and underutilized
resource. I hope you post a
portion of this. I went to the beach this
afternoon with two of
my friends on Casperson beach south of Venice.
Normally the
water around there is pretty clear, five foot visibility
and
blue shores. Today the water was brown, murky, and disgusting. There
was a pervasive smell all along the beach. Seaweed and dead fish
were washed upfor the entire 2 mile long stretch of beach that we
walked down. I saw massive numbers of swollen pufferfish and
sheepshead. Also there were eels, trunkfish, sheepshead, and all
sorts of fish I could not identify. Somelooked recently dead in the
surf, others were just bones. Many had
rotten eyes and swollen
organs sticking out, possibly their swim bladders. My friends and I
both complained about respiratory problems, a strange,
sharp
cough that came out of nowhere. I almost never have respiratory
problems. Ifit was just me I would have dismissed it as
coincidence, but from my friend's reaction and the other posts on
this website, it appears that there is a public health risk for the
beaches around Venice, and it doesn't
appear to be going away. I
can only hope the algal bloom dies down, because I love the beaches
around here and I hate to see the marine life rotting on the
beach.
Aug 11
06
My niece and I visited Ft. Myers Beach on Saturday,
August 5, 2006. There were no signs of red tide. Late that
afternoon,
we drove to Englewood Beach and the beach was
deserted by humans. There were tons of dead fish and other sea
creatures as far as we could see. The water was murky and
disgusting. Unfortunately we did not do our
"homework" before we
planned our stay there. On Sunday morning, August 6, 2006, we drove
to Siesta Key beach and there was no sign of red tide
there. My
husband and I own a villa in Sebring. We are planning a family
trip with our son and family (4 kids) in February 2007. Because
of the
health dangers, we will not visit if there is red tide
present. I think
all the chambers of commerce and visitor
bureaus in towns that have had
an influx of red tide should
report this on their websites.
"From Lansing Michagan"
Aug 12th
06
Just a comment regarding the RED TIDE. It is
completely understandable that visitors would be disappointed if
they
experience red tide during their visit to Florida.
Unfortunately it seems to
be another act of nature that is
unpredictable. I have never lived in
Florida and do not
own any property there but do plan to continue
visiting...it
truly is a beautiful paradise - and the people there seem to
strive to keep it that way (or to improve it). I also have
ONE more
comment...regarding the other people's comments
pertaining to beach
clean-up of the dead sea life/vegetation due
to red tide...I would be willing
to bet that the resorts &
owners were prohibited to perform beach clean
up for "natural
resource" reasons...that may be something worth
researching...I
find it VERY hard that Resorts/Owners/County Workers would
ignore the dead sea life...and hardly think they'd want to
especially when
visitors are a major part of their
livelihood...apparently...there is a
reason - and maybe those
people should consider researching that v.s.
"slamming" Florida
for an unpredictable act of nature? Hopefully they
won't
encounter any other "acts of nature" at their new choice of
destination.....
Aug 9th
06
Thank you so much for your website. I
thought it
was just me until yesterday, when I started hearing
about other surfers
on the California central coast having the
same syptoms: incredible
congestion, sinus blockage, trouble
breathing. I've been surfing for 35
years and this is the
first year I've experienced this. Water time makes
it
really bad, but it's got to be airbourne too; I go inland and the
syptoms go away. What a drag!
Aug 7th
06
Hi My name is Andrea Carilli. I am a 28 year old new
yorker that just returned on 8/5/06 from a 14 day flordian vacation
with my family. We were in Sanibel for the 1st 4 days, Naples
for the next 4 and Disney for the last 6 days.
I did not go swimming at all in the gulf, but the few
times I went walking on the beach My Asthma "which is usually
very under control" became totally out of control. and the
beaches were littered with tons of dead fish. We actually saw fish
with maggots from holes in their gills, the beaches stench was
totally unbearable. However when we left Sanibel, my asthma
drastically improved.
I have been home since Sunday and on
Monday I woke up with a soar throat by Wednesday I
developed this very dry cough, I felt fine but my cough became semi
productive by the color of the phlegm I knew something was wrong and
that an infection was present in my body......So late last night I
brought myself to the local emergency room , I was having trouble
breathing and my lips and nail beds turned a pale blue color. the
cough was getting worse & becoming less productive than it was a
day earlier.
Turns out that the algae
from the red tide that I came in contact with 2 weeks earlier had
settled into my respiratory system and then into my lungs and caused
me to develop "Pneumonia" they think it is a Legionella species, I
was asymptomatic for the 14 day incubation period. And now very
uncomfortable. I am on a very large antibiotic program that I will
have to continue for 2 to 3 weeks....and tomorrow is my 28 birthday
that I was have to celebrate alone in bed............ It would have
been appreciated if there were warnings on the island, and cleaning
up the beaches should have been mandatory ..........THANKS
SANIBEL
Aug
5th
We stayed on sanibel island the starting the
second
of august (and still are here) and
noticed tons and tons of redtide
signs and warnings at every
beach and every shellfish selling place. They
definately are
warning people... but even now while it is almost gone
there are STILL dead fish! My throat definately itched the first
few
days we were here... but it is pretty much gone now! Either
way I think
sanibel did a good job warning us, but they did say
it was safe to swim
in!
Aug 5
06
My niece and I visited Ft. Myers Beach on
Saturday,
August 5, 2006. There were no signs of red tide. Late
that afternoon,
we drove to Englewood Beach and the beach was
deserted by humans. Therewere tons of dead fish and other sea
creatures as far as we could see.
The water was murky and
disgusting. Unfortunately we did not do our
"homework" before we
planned our stay there. On Sunday morning, August 6, 2006, we drove
to Siesta Key beach and there was no sign of red tide
there. My
husband and I own a villa in Sebring. We are planning a family
trip with our son and family (4 kids) in February 2007. Because
of the
health dangers, we will not visit if there is red tide
present. I think
all the chambers of commerce and visitor
bureaus in towns that have had
an influx of red tide should
report this on their websites.
July 31 06
Hello! We just returned from
vacationing on Ft. Meyer's Beach, FL 7/16-7/23 and were amazed
by the effect of Red Tide. Our rental house was ON the beach
(water was our front yard) - while swimming and sunning we all
noticed a "tickle" in our throats and lungs that didn't go away
until we were inside again. Was very uncomfortable
and caused a lot of coughing and clearing of our throats. Once
outside again we noticed the irritation.
My daughter (age 9) fell ill to what we
thought was stomach flu on 7/21. Then I ended up in the
emergency room on 7/25 (after arriving home) from severe dehydration
and a severe but "different' type of "flu" that was
baffeling to Kansas Drs in the emergency room. I told them
about Red Tide and the "tickles" in our lungs and throats and
he was sure that she and I both had symptoms of Red Tide
exposure because they had not had any complaints of the type of
"flu" I had in recent days. They think I brought it back
with me. We are fine now. She and I were out in the
Gulf waters moreso than the rest of our
group.
The dead fish and sea life (sea
snakes, crabs etc) washed up on the beaches was just
unexplainable. How sad! It was all the Ft. Meyer's waste
control could do to keep up with cleaning up fish
etc... washing up on the beaches.
Although the trip was fun - it was
quite concerning having continued respitory problems when we were
enjoying our time in the Gulf and the ultimate trip to the hospital
to be rehydrated.. GOOD LUCK!
~Dawn & Gregg Thompson
Lawrence, KS
JULY 29th
06
Spent 3 days during mid July on beach in Sanibel
Island swimming and walking beach with my dog. Noticed some dead
fish on beach, but didn't know anything about red tide at the time.
I had trouble with persistant coughing for first week after leaving
SW FL. Now, two weeks later after 2 types of antibiotics, cough is
gone but still have constant sore throat although back home in
Orlando. Was hoping to find someone that might have experienced
something similar and come across an effective treatment. Two
doctors I've seen have offered that they don't know anything about
red tide exposure.
July 29
We ( myself, husband, son and son's friend)have just
returned from a vacation in Sarasota Fl (July 15th-July 25th
2006.) We
swam in the sea most days from Turtle beach,
siesta and long boat. We
are very concerned as we have all
developed a rash, we were told it
could be chicken pox, but
today I went to the doctor and was told it was
definetely not
chicken pox. I have read your letters from other people
and
would be gratful to hear if you have more details about any rashes
that have been report due to red tide....Our's have started with
tiny
itchey spots that have now gotten bigger with blisters. My
husband's
blisters are the size of half dollar pieces. We have
all been feeling
unwell and very tired. Please e-mail or
phone with any question as I will
be happy to help as we too
need as much help as possible.
July 29th 06
I am from Nebraska and my family and I have returned
from Fort Myers beaches two days ago. I had learned (after
experiencing the symptoms) what Red Tide was. At the beach
which was littered with dead fish, my eyes began burning to the
point where I could hardly keep my eyes open, and a irritation in my
throat which constantly made me cough. None of my other family
members were experiencing this as bad as I was. We have never
been to Florida before but have been to Mustang Island about
seventeen years ago. Florida is a beautiful place to see, but
after seeing what I saw on the beaches made me sick, and not just
physically but also emotionally. It's a shame we can't
preserve the
beauty of this land or the Oceans. Humans
have to kill everything they
touch. I will never go back
there, but I wish there was something we
could do about it to
save the innocent creatures were destroying.
July 24
06
My family just spent 10 days in Florida at the South
Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island. The beach was littered
with all
types of dead sea life, catfish, worms(hag fish?),
puffer fish, big fish
that may have been grouper, eal you name
it it was there. And it stayed
there. They told us it was the
effect of Red Tide. They did not offer
any thing else, such as
stay out of the water. We are not stupid people,
dead fish on
the shore and in the tide tells it's own special warning
doesn't
it. I was disgusted by the absolute lack of beach clean-up. The
stench in the air was overwhelming. We could not, or shall I say
would
not enjoy the things we do on vacation, such as kayaking,
swimming,
boating, sailing, fishing, playing on the beach. All
the things the resort
offered sounded great to us, but the
presents of dead fish and their
smell was far too offensive. We
all suffered from scratchy throats,
watery eyes, and rashes. I
have asthma that is under control from medication I take daily, but
our visit to Captiva spun my asthma out of control, I am guessing it
was Red Tide. All this happened with no sea water
contact. We
were gratefull for the resorts swimming pools, but would only use
them for short lengths of time due to the toxic air. We ate most of
our
meals in our "villa". Thank goodness I enjoy cooking and had
planned to
do some on vaction, because even at the local
restaurants you could not
escape the smell. My husband travels
for a living and is gone alot. Our
vacactions are prescious time
together and we plan them well. I
understnd Red Tide is a
natural occurance. Is too much to ask to clean-up the obvious health
hazzard it leaves behind? Our family vacation was more
then a disapointment. I will never go ther again. No thank you
Florida.
Gina Halliwell, a California Native.
July 24th 06
I just got home from SW Florida, Naples Beach and i
went to a clinc and had red tide streap, horrible sickness put a
huge
damper on my trip, feeling much better after 4 days of
meds
July 21
06
After 3 years, 5 vets, and about 3 grand in vet
bills with zero answers...I find your website. I believe
I've found what's
wrong with my dog. FINALLY!!!! Do
you have links for dogs affected my red tide and what to do?
Your 'symptoms" page mentions another page
for dogs, but I can't
find it. A big THANK-YOU from our dog Gray!
3 years ago
our dog developed a cough that seemed untreatable. We
tried everything, but we think all the meds we tried did nothing
but
suppress his immune system. Then one day after a
swim, he developed a
cough WITH nasal discharge.
...And this was no ordinary nasal problem.
It
lasted over a month, again was untreatable, and the severity of
the problem was unbelievable. He recovered and
seemed fine for several
months, he was tested for YOU NAME
IT, eventually put on allergy shots
for a combination of
things. Nothing works.
He gets sick again
about a month ago. Same symptoms.
Then we see
in the news that British Columbia is having a record Red
Tide bloom. We look at the dates when it started...we look
at the
dates when our dog got sick. They
match. Then we stumble upon your
website and ALL of
the symptoms match exactly. Hmmm. We start
contacting vets. None of them know
ANYTHING.
We notice that when he's at home, he is
sick. In our yard, sick.
We take him a few
miles from home, he seems a little better. We take him
30 miles from home, it's a miraculous instant healing. We
bring him
back home and he's sick in less than two
hours.
We live about 50 yards from a HUGE tidal mud
flat that I'm betting
is COVERED in Red Tide algie.
The tide goes out, it dries up and blows
into my yard and
house, he gets sick. It's the only thing in 3 years
of research that makes sense. We could be wrong, but the
puzzle sure
seems to be putting itself together after
stumbling upon the Red Tide
issue.
Can all this be
coincidence?
July 15th
06
July 2006. I just returned from Ft. Myer's
Beach,
Florida. The Red Tide rolled in and dead smelly
fish were everywhere. I
have an awful rash all over my legs,
arms and chest. Several family
members are coughing with swollen
glands and sore throats. Two male family members have jock itch.
While I was sitting on the shore I felt a
burning sensation in
my throat. My step-father's foot is swollen.
We love the West
Coast but are very disappointed that the Ft. Myers
officials
failed to warn us about the effects of the red tide! Shame on
them!!!! Wendy
July 13th
We are vacationing on Sanibel Island (July 13,
2006) and there is definitely red tide here. This morning the beach
was so littered with dead fish it was unbelievable! I saw fish
bigger than 5 feet dead on the beach as well as eels (or sea snakes)
and other small fish. The beach was practically congested with dead
marine life. I've been trying to find out more about it and that's
how I came upon your website. I hope it's still up and running
because I think people need to know about this. There have been no
warnings to stay off the beach/out of the water from the main office
of the condos we're staying at and I now have a rash on my feet from
walking in the water. I have looked everywhere in the news here and
there is no information hardly anywhere. The most recent information
is a week old and completely inaccurate. I just thought someone
should know and maybe help to get the word out. Diane
Jobs Created in the Name of
Enonomy
Beach turtle hatchlings cannot
withstand lights from business and residences least they get
confused with moonlight and waddle onto the street becoming road
kill.
Slow zones are enforced by lawmen
against speeding boaters least they hit a manatee.
Fishermen suffer net restrictions least
they catch the wrong species.
Alligators once hunted by man for food,
shoes and purses can be taken only by Fish and Wildlife without a
hunting license...and the spoils go to their bank
account?
These examples and more carry no
weight when red tide sometimes thousands of miles
long kill far more species than man. The stench of the dead
washing up on beaches kills tourism and affects respiratory systems
in humans.
Bob Rigby has a cure. Powers that be
are familiar with it. Glitch time. They want his formula. Otherwise
research dollars continue to flow into a wide assortment of
environmental groups. They now
look for "containment" as opposed to a "cure" for this naturally
occuring phenomen.
It is this writers opinion that
restrictions and control of humans, moving dollars
around, government and NGO created jobs is what this is
all about.Saving their so called
"endangered or threatened" species is not high
priority.
Mary F. Stump
Cape
Coral,Fl.
Dear RED TIDE
Alert
On September 7,
2005, a briefing was held for all elected
officials, media and persons interested in the Red
Tide Testing Program at Venice High School's Marine Science
Department. The research has been conducted by Venice High School
students under the supervision of Mr. Charles Powell, Science
Department Chairman, and Mr. Dan
Kelly.
Bob Rigby announced the conclusion
of phase one and two of the school's testing program,
and that the science department had successfully
determined Rigby's red tide killing formula was exactly that;
the formula does kill red tide!
Phase II of the testing program
concentrated on determining the safe range strength the formula
that could be applied to without
harming any other marine life. To do this the science
department spent months applying and reapplying the formula to EPA
approved test fish.
At the conclusion of Mr. Charles Powell's
presentation on the test program, John Kinney of
the Standing Watch Organization presented Mrs.Candace
Millington, Principal of Venice High School, Mr. Powell and Mr.
Kelly with a check for $1,000 for continued Red Tide
Research. Mr. John Moore, Vice Mayor of The City
of Venice also presented the students with another $1,000
contribution from the city, telling the students what achievement
they had made in the field of marine biology, and the contribution
they had made to society.
The meeting was attended by all members of
the Venice City Council. Not
one elected official from Sarasota County or member of the
Florida legislature attended..
END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Note to all elected
officials in this country, stop playing favorites and start
listening to the people who are actually trying to do something
about this problem.
Politicians do you hear the roar of extremely
upset people? The tourists and residents have had enough. The
roar can be heard from California,Texas to the Keys and throughout
New England and East Coast
states.
Heres a spanking from a TOURIST, SOUNDS LIKE ALOT OF LETTERS THAT HAVE
BEEN COMING IN.,
WAKE-UP I just returned from
Sanibel Island, Florida after a
14 day stay. It was an absolute
mess. The redtide was tremendous, dead fish everywhere, which they
don't clean up AT ALL. We left with rashes, respiratory problems,
continuous coughing, and sores even after being in the Air
conditioning. No one said a WORD about not swimming in the Gulf, no
news media, no health officials, no nothing. Evidently, Sanibel
cannot clean up their beaches because it is a "natural
ecoenvironment."
In otherwords, the "tide" will wash all the
dead fish and animals out to sea. we were still looking at the same
dead fish and wildlife 14 days later. The stench was so bad we had
to cover our noses just to be able to take a little walk on the
beach. State of Florida, Wake UP!!!! You do
anything for the almighty dollar, what about protecting your most
valuable asset...THE TOURIST?? We have advised
everyone we know to never go to Florida and we , as well, never will
again. I have been to the doctor two times with antibiotics for
treatment and am still having problems with respiratory distress and
bronchospasms. The redtide you may not be able to control, but at
least be honest with the public and clean up the
beaches!
ceciliarenee
SOMEONE NEEDS
TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THIS RASH IS THAT EVERYONE
IS REPORTING. Yes, the numbers of people reporting this rash
has become exceptional.
I and some friends just returned from a week long
vacation at Siesta Key, FL. I broke out in a rash several
days after
arriving which continues. I have it on most of
my body. I actually
attributed it to sun poisoning as this
was my first experience with Red
Tide. I also have
swelling in my feet. A sore throat and am very hoarse.
I
have been taking Benadryl and using hydrocortisone cream which
doesn't help. The others who were with me are also having
the same rash any
suggestions? I am also very concerned
that I spent so much money for a
beach vacation that has made me
sick. No one warned us to stay clear
of the water. I
think the state of Florida should be held liable.
Perhaps
we should all start a class action lawsuit.
Here is a letter form one person who had a
terrible time with the rash and what she found that helped.
I stayed in Key West for six months and still had a
raised rash six months later. I have shaved with a razor
the rash on my face and used triple antibiotic cream so it went
away. Most of the measle like bumps on my chest and covering
my back are still with me although have calmed down. I
have to open each bump up and peroxide with cotton
balls each day. Stridex pads helps, but sometimes were too
irritating. Make sure you moisturize those areas you
medicate. My feet which had swollen up, I used a
prescription of spironlactone which is for fluid retention
and they are back to nearly normal. I had
some medium yellow bumps which were on the tops of my feet, the
interior nearly like cornmeal. I opened them up and also
used peroxide on them and it was gone within several weeks although
the marks still remain. Throat was sore after being in the
water and I used Benadryl for several days. May help dry
the rash too, but that medicine makes me very drowsy.
Currently in South Padre, I have had trouble with coughing with the
red tide, but covering my face with a towel or hankie
helps.
From another Reader .
No
rashes but moved to Pensacola on Thursday last week.
This is the most virulent strain I have seen in 40 years of surfing.
Surfed at beach pier Sunday 30 minutes was sick 2 days. Symptoms
nausea, swelling of tongue, eyes swollen and running , chest pains
akin td pneumonia. Local press very hesitant to follow story due to
impact on tourism
Thanks
robin martin
Some letters sent in as of
to Oct 2005 , These letters are an extremely
important record of what people are experiencing.
Fish
Parade
An eerie
parade of fish and other marine life was observed along the coast of
southwest Florida, in what
some believe was an attempt by the animals to escape a red tide
outbreak. Swimmers at Englewood Beach were shocked by the sight of
crab, grouper, snapper, eel, shrimp, flounder and other sea
creatures – all swimming southward in a mile-long
narrow band. Marine biologists said they had never before seen such
a phenomenon, but speculated the creatures could be swimming away
from a deadly algal bloom.
Distributed
by Universal Press
Syndicate
Heres some of the hundreds of
Letters Sent in recently, I apologize I can't post them all, but for
more letters go to the letters and
questions page.
Oct 05 From a visitor from
WA
Comments
- Was reading all the stories/comments about red tide, and was
compeled to write after one in particular.
We were on Sanibel Is.
from 9/16 to 9/25 this year. The first two days we were not
bothered by the red tide other than dodging all the dead fish.
This is our 7th time there and have never come across red
tide.
The third day I started coughing whenever I was
outside and the moment I stepped into our airconditioned condo I
would stop. My husband started a day or two later. No rashes (the
most we did was wade in the water), but my eyes started watering and
bothering me as the week went on. When
we got home, there was
still some coughing, but was gone completely within two weeks.
Nothing to see a Dr. about. We found out about the red tide and the
reactions from a waitress about half way through the
vacation.
One afternoon while looking out the porch window
towards the gulf, I saw a pickup driving on the beach. I watched
long enough to see a man riding on the back get off, pick up a pitch
fork and lift a 4-5 foot fish onto the back of the pickup. Then he
went walking ahead of the pickup towards another fish. I'm
guessing the city (it was a city car) was trying to get some of the
biggest fish off the beach. Down near lighthouse beach I saw signs
of where a bulldozer had been. I'm guessing again trying to
clean up some of the fish. There were so many with more washing up
the day before we left, I don't see how cleaning the beaches could
be kept up with.I do with we had been told of the red tide and how
it might affect us.
Oct 10 05
ENGLEWOOD BEACH FLORIDA:
OCT 7-9 2005
I took my family on vacation to ------ resort on
Englewood beach right next to stump pass park so they can go to the
beach and I could fish in lemon bay, as soon as we got there I
started coughing but I didn’t think anything of it as I thought it
was sand particle form the beach (the waves were crashing hard and
we had a beach front room).The next morning my older daughter said
she was coming down with a cold and my
youngest was coughing. It
still didn’t occur to me that the beach was making us sick. I'm from
Miami and had never heard of red tide. I feel kind of stupid
considering that I fish a lot and had no clue what red tide was.
There were no red tide signs and the resort didn’t warn us. I even
went to the bait shop and bought 3 dozen shrimp and the usual
supplies
that a fisherman buys. its a shame that the bait shop
guy didn’t let me know about the red tide considering that I stayed
there about 15minutes talking to him about fishing in the area, I
guanteed he could tell I was I tourist and didn’t know about the red
tide problem. We got there Friday night and left Sunday late
afternoon. I was really coughing up a storm by the time I left. It’s
a shame that that the town, resort, bait shop and the locals don’t
warn tourist about the red tides problem, it
seemed like they
were hiding a little dirty secret at my family’s
expense. The
only reason I found out about red tide was I was reading one of
those free local magazine that had an article about some test that a
local government agency was doing in the area on red tide. When I
got home I did some research and bingo there it was in black and
white.
I will never visit there again and the only
reason I gave specific locations is that I don’t want to see some
else’s family get
sick.
Francisco
Oct 8th
05
I
have been visiting your site for quite some time
now. I am
recommending it to others, as I have recently purchase a duplex on
Holmes Beach, Fla. The effects of red tide on tourism are felt
deeply by myself and others like me who have saved up all our lives
to have our dream, which is turning into a nightmare. Without
rental income, we cannot pay our bills. Not just that, but for
the environment sake. I was involved years ago off the Jersey
Coast to stop ocean dumping. We did make a difference, and
today, the water is much cleaner and safer. We need to
activate the same type of people who will do everything possible to
wake up the politicans to the real problem. As your site
states, there are ways to make this problem abate or go away.
I have some ideas which I hope to discuss with marine scientists and
the like.
Keep up the good work, and lets hope that the
towns and municipalities that depend on tourism will take this lead
and do something about This , Michael
Oct 8th
05
We just went to Englewood for a weeks
holiday and left after one day it was so bad, spoilt the kids
holiday as we had traveled all the way from England, we spent the
rest of our time at Kissimmee, No Beach!!!!!!!! Chris
Yates
Oct 6
05
No
rashes but moved to Pensacola on Thursday last week.
This is the most virulent strain I have seen in 40 years of surfing.
Surfed at pbeach pier Sunday 30 minutes was sick 2 days. Symptoms
nausea, swelling of tongue, eyes swollen and running , chest pains
akin td pneumonia. Local press very hesitant to follow story due to
impact on tourism
Thanks
robin martin
Oct
5th. 05 South Padre Island TEXAS
Dont know if yall have heard or not but South padre
island
has had terrible red tide since a coupledays before rita hit.
Im sick and i think its from that. Sore throat, fever and
a horrible headache. Yall know any good treatments?
October 3rd 05
I was in Sea Grove, FL Sept. 28 - October 2, 2005.
The beach was littered with dead fish. We could not be
outside on the 28th because of the coughing. The air seemed
clearer after this, but the sea was almost black. We heard it
was worse in Panama City Beach.
Do you know where I can
find info. on the plume of water heading that direction from
Katrina/New Orleans?
October 3rd 05 Naples Fl
I just visited your web site because i wanted to know what was
going on today in Naples, Florida. For the first time I'm smelling
the red tide in my appartment, and I 'm at 5 miles from the
beach, and i can feel it inside my home with the windows closed. My
baby daugther couldn't fall asleep for her nap because of
itching nose and throat.
Do you know what are the level ? They hardly say anything on
tv. We stopped going to the beach because of the dead fishes all
over. When are we going to be informed properly ?
Thank you for your site and info.
Camille
OCTOBER 2ND 05 South Padres Island tx
Island, Texas.
We were on the beach yesterday and started
coughing and sneezing as we were walking. We thought that we
had both caught a little cold the night before (very unusual as we
are never sick). There were lots of dead fish and sea snakes
everywhere! Last night we went out to dinner and someone
said... "Oh yea... you were exposed to red tide. We've had
that problem for a couple of weeks! It shouldn't bother you
except for a little cough or rash"
Shouldn't we have been told
about this? I am very upset that two police cars passed us on
the beach and no one told us anything... Let me know if I should do
anything about this... please. I am currently having trouble
breathing but not to the point of being alarmed. I was so sick
last night with a fever and throwing up... Any info you can give me
will be appreciated... Sandy Council
October 2nd Riverview Florida
went to Siesta key about a month and a half ago,
and
went in the water only after confirming with the lifeguard that red
tide was gone. I grew out of asthma when I was 12 but it has come
back with avengence. Every day I cough and wheeze and am forced to
use my inhaler. I decided to go to the doctor to take car of it.
They gave me cough syrup, and prednisone initially. That didn't work
so they gave me amoxicillin 500mg 3 times a day. Today is my last
pill and I am still having to use my inhaler EVERY 2 HOURS!!
My
questions are,
1. Is there anything I should tell the doctor
tomorrow so I can finally get rid of this?
2. Has the
diuretic worked with anyone other than dogs?
Thank you so
much for your time and all the information provided on the
website.
October
1st Georgia "The Rash"
I was in Jamaica
07/30/05 to 08/06/05. I was up every morning between 6:30am and 7:00
am in the water. This was my first trip abroad. I was so excited. I
would follow the fish and explore on top of the water. On the third
day I started developing a rash on my legs. It was very red and
itched a lot. I would clean my legs with rubbing alcohol and anti
inch medicine. The medicine would hold for a little while. I thought
it was poison ivy. I continued to get in the water. When I returned
to the states (Georgia) I went to the
doctor. The rash looked like it turned from the outside to the
inside. My doctor diagnosed the rash as Red Tide. . She gave me
steroids and cream. Almost immediately the itching stopped. I
thought it was over. Then a week after taking the medicine the
itching started again. I got the steroids refilled and once again
the rash stop | 
