It is one of those rare days people might not head down to the gulf all due to Red Tide in the air around the gulf.
Typically the algae bloom occurs in August and September, but Walton Beach Operations Director Brian Kellenberger said with such a wet summer, red tide showed back up.
“People ask if we clean up the mess that is caused by the red tide,” he said. “Actually, we don’t because the dead fish and the dead seaweed actually add to the beach dune ecosystem. The dead fish feed the little dune critters.”
The dead seaweed helps to restore and stabilize the dune system. Kellenberger said it can be hard to spot red tide at times, as it does not always turn the water a brownish-red tint.
- Courtesy WMBB-TV Panama City