Red tide confirmed at Sebastian Inlet
Red tide on the East Coast of Florida has reached the Sebastian Inlet.
The park is still open, but the beaches and waters are closed. The Sebastian Inlet page on the Florida State Parks website confirms red tide is the culprit.
Captain Glyn Austin, who has fished the inlet the past three days, reports plenty of life in the area.
“We have caught tarpon, jacks, sharks and plenty of other fish the past three days,” Austin said. “I have not coughed and my eyes haven’t been burning, so it can’t be that bad.”
Austin also reports plenty of mullet moving through the area.
“The mullet run is going strong and those fish inside the inlet are fine,” Austin said. “We did see some dead mullet along the tide line today and brown water inside the inlet. Is that red tide? I can’t tell you.”
Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) posted the following on its website:
“On the East Coast over the past week, observations of spanned Brevard to Miami-Dade counties. ‘High’ concentrations were observed at one site in Indian River County, and ‘medium’ concentrations occurred in Indian River and Broward counties. Relative to last week, cell concentrations increased in Indian River County and decreased in parts of St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, and MiamiDade counties.”
FWC did not respond to an Orlando Sentinel request for information about Sebastian Inlet’s status.
The approaching full moon and stronger tides could make conditions worse.
Readers on the Facebook page “Reel Brevard Anglers” reported Red Tide in Vero Beach during the past week, adding that dead fish and a foul smell in the area have been a problem.
Sebastian Inlet resident Shane Whitsett was fishing the Indian River near the inlet Wednesday.
“There are dead fish on the beach,” Whitsett said. “I’m in the river now and there are no dead fish along the banks. The water isn’t clean, but it’s not too bad, either. My buddy and I are both coughing a little bit, though.”