SAINT PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says red tide is likely to blame for massive fish kills around Snell Island in St. Pete.
"Its just unbelievable," said Greg Dunn who lives on the Island. "I looked out and I thought what are all those white dots out on the water, and the smell hit me right off the bat."
Behind his home that sits on the Pinellas County side of Tampa Bay, there were thousands of dead fish.
"It's a tragedy and I’ve seen dolphins coming through and eating the dead fish," said Dunn.
FWC says red tide is likely to blame. They say patches of the toxic algae have been causing fish kills in areas of Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties for the past week.
A USF forecast map shows the presence of the red tide algae in areas of the bay through the Fourth of July weekend.
FWC says Piney Point did not cause red tide in Tampa Bay, but it is possible that bloom conditions may have been exacerbated by these nutrient inputs.
Meanwhile, Dunn says he and his neighbors are stunned.
"Whatever happened, it’s criminal. I’ve never seen anything quite this bad before," said Dunn.
FWC encourages people to report fish kills to them so scientists can sample water in the area and determine the cause. You can report a fish kill by clicking here.
