MANATEE – Red tide is back on the Suncoast and experts can’t say when it will end.
“This is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” says Denise Kessler, an acupuncture with a business located near the beach.
For the past 14 months the Suncoast has been battling red tide. Recently the bloom temporarily went away but now officials are saying red tide is back. According to the Sarasota County government page – 225 tons of red tide debris have been cleaned up since August 1st.
Kessler a 39 year resident of Manatee County says she’s never witnessed anything like this before.
“I’ve never seen it this bad and I’ve never seen it this long. And its exasperated by all the pollution, there’s no doubt in my mind,” says Kessler.
Officials don’t know when the bloom will be gone.
Sea Kat Divers owner Jim Humes says red tide has scared off his customers. “Being as diving everybody is scared to get in the water, you know they hear about it and they think it’s gonna harm them or whatever like that. It’s pretty much shut us down,” he says.
Impacted severely by red tide Humes is searching for new jobs to keep his business afloat. “Our business has dropped down to almost nothing, and that’s just not me that’s everyone on the island been affected bad.”
As of now residents are crossing their fingers and hoping red tide disappears soon – but officials say a permanent remains unknown and unlikely in the years to come.
“Everybody hopes there is a cure but red tide has been around for hundreds of years, but I’d like to know what’s causing such bigger blooms one year compared to anywhere,” says Humes
