[Escape Artist]

Since this is just my second winter/spring in TV, and Florida in general, I’m not too familiar with the seasonal changes that take place on a regular basis. Red tide is one of them, but I heard that this year it is affecting beach areas farther north than in the past and is lasting longer. Some reports claim it night last until May or longer.

My family was planning on visiting the last week in April and was thinking about renting a house near Sarasota/Siesta Key. However, I heard that they are being heavily affected by red tide this year and I don’t want them to go to all that expense and not be able to use the beaches and swim, etc.

I’m asking those who have lived here a long time and are familiar with red tide if this is indeed unusual situation and if you have heard when it will end. Thanks in advance for any responses.

[MSchad]

From my experience it hangs around for quite awhile. This map may give you an indication of how bad it is in the area you’re planning on being in.
Florida Red Tide Map: Current Status | floridatoday.com

[bagboy]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NLhxcy...ature=youtu.be

It appears beachgoers are happy right now at Siesta Key. Of course that could change. Several Live beach cams are available on YouTube and you can Google west coast beach cams.

[Babubhat]

NewsON app gives access to local stations. Tampa updates status frequently. They are saying go sooner than later. It’s a historic 5000 mile one.

https://myfwc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/V...ec711d16462a72


Red Tide Current Status | FWC

[kaydee]

If anyone in your family has respiratory or breathing issues stay away from the beaches being reported.

[kkingston57]

Originally Posted by Escape Artist

Since this is just my second winter/spring in TV, and Florida in general, I’m not too familiar with the seasonal changes that take place on a regular basis. Red tide is one of them, but I heard that this year it is affecting beach areas farther north than in the past and is lasting longer. Some reports claim it night last until May or longer.

My family was planning on visiting the last week in April and was thinking about renting a house near Sarasota/Siesta Key. However, I heard that they are being heavily affected by red tide this year and I don’t want them to go to all that expense and not be able to use the beaches and swim, etc.

I’m asking those who have lived here a long time and are familiar with red tide if this is indeed unusual situation and if you have heard when it will end. Thanks in advance for any responses.

Usually only affects west coast of Florida. Personally, I like the Atlantic side, but it looks like they are going to have sea weed problems. Went thru this before and it is BAD.

[Escape Artist]

Thanks all! I think maybe they should look over on the Atlantic side where they don’t seem to have these problems. Any suggestions? How about Cocoa beach? This would be for a family with two children (my grandchildren). Thanks again!

[La lamy]

I wouldn't want to be in a red tide area. I suggest the Atlantic side instead (maybe New Smyrna Beach), even though I love the gulf side! But one's health is more important than pretty beach IMO. If you check the links that have been suggested you'll be able to make an educated decision.

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by Escape Artist

Since this is just my second winter/spring in TV, and Florida in general, I’m not too familiar with the seasonal changes that take place on a regular basis. Red tide is one of them, but I heard that this year it is affecting beach areas farther north than in the past and is lasting longer. Some reports claim it night last until May or longer.

My family was planning on visiting the last week in April and was thinking about renting a house near Sarasota/Siesta Key. However, I heard that they are being heavily affected by red tide this year and I don’t want them to go to all that expense and not be able to use the beaches and swim, etc.

I’m asking those who have lived here a long time and are familiar with red tide if this is indeed unusual situation and if you have heard when it will end. Thanks in advance for any responses.

Every year I spend Thanksgiving week at an exclusive little resort in Mexico that has only about 200 yards of ocean front and no beach but a little breakwater and a sandy area a couple feet above the water. Last year was the only week I’ve been there out of about five when there haven’t been about ten guys with pitchforks and wheelbarrows spending all day forking up sargassum and carting it off-site to be used as fertilizer. Of course this is really expensive to do, and it won’t happen on a couple thousand miles of Florida beach. When it arrives, sargassum just looks like seaweed, and it doesn’t smell bad. That happens when it leaves the water and dies. Last Thanksgiving week there wasn’t nearly as much, and a couple guys a few hours a day was enough to take care of it. With a resort, it is either pick it up or shut down. I was on the beach at Siesta Keys last month. It’s huge, flat, and public. It was fine at the time, but keeping it clean will be difficult. I used to go to beaches in Southern California fifty years ago, and there was always kelp and other seaweed washing up. That’s different, as it didn’t float in from the Great Sargasso Sea, but broke off from off-shore kelp plants growing in the ocean.

[scooterstang]

No issues with red tide here in Panama City,but man o wars and pink meanies(thats a whole different kettle of fish) got stung last year by a pink meanie and damm did that hurt and my whole ankle swelled up.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Escape Artist

Since this is just my second winter/spring in TV, and Florida in general, I’m not too familiar with the seasonal changes that take place on a regular basis. Red tide is one of them, but I heard that this year it is affecting beach areas farther north than in the past and is lasting longer. Some reports claim it night last until May or longer.

My family was planning on visiting the last week in April and was thinking about renting a house near Sarasota/Siesta Key. However, I heard that they are being heavily affected by red tide this year and I don’t want them to go to all that expense and not be able to use the beaches and swim, etc.

I’m asking those who have lived here a long time and are familiar with red tide if this is indeed unusual situation and if you have heard when it will end. Thanks in advance for any responses.

Red tide affects some people and NOT some others. It can be very dangerous for some people. If a person has had allergies or lung problems, they should avoid the beach when Red Tide is present. Florida does NOT like to lose their Hotel - Motel business from people avoiding Red Tide. So, they try to NOT publicize it too much - keep it on the "down low".
........It usually does not affect people 5 miles or more away from the beach.
........The Atlantic side seems less affected than the Gulf side.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Escape Artist

Thanks all! I think maybe they should look over on the Atlantic side where they don’t seem to have these problems. Any suggestions? How about Cocoa beach? This would be for a family with two children (my grandchildren). Thanks again!

Cocoa beach is very nice!

[Escape Artist]

Originally Posted by scooterstang

No issues with red tide here in Panama City,but man o wars and pink meanies(thats a whole different kettle of fish) got stung last year by a pink meanie and damm did that hurt and my whole ankle swelled up.

My granddaughter has asthma so an area affected by red tide would definitely be a no-no. I also considered the Panhandle/northern Gulf Area around Rosemary Beach. I’ve never been there but I’ve heard it’s very nice. That might be a good compromise but it’s kind of far from The Villages. That is, if they were stopping by to see me at some point.

[Whitley]

Originally Posted by Escape Artist

Since this is just my second winter/spring in TV, and Florida in general, I’m not too familiar with the seasonal changes that take place on a regular basis. Red tide is one of them, but I heard that this year it is affecting beach areas farther north than in the past and is lasting longer. Some reports claim it night last until May or longer.

My family was planning on visiting the last week in April and was thinking about renting a house near Sarasota/Siesta Key. However, I heard that they are being heavily affected by red tide this year and I don’t want them to go to all that expense and not be able to use the beaches and swim, etc.

I’m asking those who have lived here a long time and are familiar with red tide if this is indeed unusual situation and if you have heard when it will end. Thanks in advance for any responses.

Hi:

I am at my office on Longboat Key (just north of Siesta) as I type this. Red Tide was bad for the past three weeks. Last Wednesday it got a great deal better. Today we do not notice it al all. It is a crap shoot. No way to predict this far in advance.

[Whitley]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

Red tide affects some people and NOT some others. It can be very dangerous for some people. If a person has had allergies or lung problems, they should avoid the beach when Red Tide is present. Florida does NOT like to lose their Hotel - Motel business from people avoiding Red Tide. So, they try to NOT publicize it too much - keep it on the "down low".
........It usually does not affect people 5 miles or more away from the beach.
........The Atlantic side seems less affected than the Gulf side.

As long as they keep dumping the blue green algae into the Gulf it will remain that way (Gulf side gets it more). While Red Tide is a Naturally occurring event, the contents of blue green algae is like steroids to the Karina Brevis (Red Tide). Cyano bacteria (blue/green algae) grows in fresh water (Lake Okeechobee). When it enters the Gulf Salt Water the cell goes through osmotic lysis (Excuse the spelling. It has been over thirty years since I had marine invertebrate bio and I am too lazy to look it up). The components then feed the karena brevis (phosphates, iron and nitrogen).
There, everything no one wanted to know, nor asked.