SARASOTA, Fla. -- Red Tide is so bad it can clear out a beach.
Nokomis Beach is desolate except for the lifeguard. A red flag is a high warning for no swimming. The water is dark and the smell is strong.
The dead fish were raked early in the morning, but across the way and along the intercoastal, there's the evidence.
Dead fish along the shoreline and stone crabs, too. The algae bloom is taking down much larger marine life.
“We’re working a lot,” said Mote Scientist Gretchen Lovewell, Mote’s Stranding Investigation Program Manager.
Mote is caring for 10 sea turtles. The newest member, Augusta, was brought in Thursday after being found off Caspersen beach.
“We have her dry docked with special foam around her. She was really lethargic, has brief activity, then goes comatose again. It’s touch and go for the first 24 hours,” said Lovewell.
Volunteers will try to flush the toxins out of her system.
“As they ingest crabs and fish and seagrass, it affects the line neurotoxins come in, it is lethargic, doesn't know which way is up. If they Suffer too long in the water, they ultimately drown,” explained Lovewell.
Augusta is the 120th sea turtle rescue this year. Mote says 58% fell ill to red tide, but they can recover. Independence is a 220-pound loggerhead found off Longboat Key on July 1.
Why is Sarasota seeing so many turtle rescues from red tide?
“Some of it is timing and spacing in the middle of nesting season a lot of sea turtles now,” explained Lovewell.
Further south, manatees are red tide victims.
“Manatees like us get it breathing the air and eating sea grass, they're getting from two pathways,” said Lovewell.
Augusta will be moved to one of the critical care tanks and will hopefully recover well enough to head back out. Independence will soon be released far away from the red tide water.
Lovewell said, “We’re giving the turtles the best shot being out there, not here in a critical care tank.”
Mote is expecting three more totals this week from SW Florida.
