PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — There are medium to low levels of red tide in some Tampa Bay area waterways, and ABC Action News crews got video of dozens of dead fish on Clearwater Beach.
Despite that, officials and locals said it’s not as bad as it could be or as bad as it is for beach further south.
“I’ve been here for 40 years, and this is nothing compared to some of the red tides I’ve seen,” said Mike Demaio.
He’s the director of operations for the Paradise Grille on Pass-A-Grille Beach.
“In 2018, it was terrible. There was foam all over the water. You can see there’s no foam now,” he said. “There’s no dead fish out there right now, and you can’t even smell it in the air.”
Demaio credits the city for working around the clock to Remove the dead fish from the beaches. This is Spring Break, “it’s like our super bowl for the businesses here.”
Demaio and other business owners said they’re not as busy as they were this time last year. However, they are steady and they are happy about that.
“I’m surprised that we have this many people out on a daily basis,” said Demaio. “The weekend was very busy,”
That’s because, while the red tide is keeping folks out of the water and off the beach, they’re going into the shops and restaurants and spending money.
Rick Falkenstein’s family owns Hurricane Seafood restaurant on Gulf Way. They’ve been there for decades. And he remembers how bad things got back in 2018.
“It was very challenging for businesses,” he said. “We dropped between 40 to 50 percent then.”
He and everyone else on Pass-A-Grille are hoping that doesn’t happen this time.
As for beachgoers, doctors said it is safe to come out to the beach, but be cautious and be prepared. Dr. Eric Shamas is with Bayfront Health St Petersburg. He said when red tide is in the water, he also brings fresh water with him to the beach. He uses that water to wash his eyes out if they’re burning or itching. He also uses it to wash the toxins off his skin.
“If you are a person who uses inhalers, I would make sure you have it with you,” he said. “Also, if you are a person with allergies, bring some Benadryl with you just in case.”
