Red tide menaces Matlacha

MATLACHA, Fla. — Residents of Sea Island Resort woke up to a horrendous smell Thursday morning.

High levels of red tide caused thousands of dead fish to wash ashore, leading to breathing difficulty for many people.

“It’s rancid, it is,” resident Joseph Nowinski said. “My windows are shut and everything over there.”

Residents are also wondering why only small fish are washing up.

“I would think there are more different kinds of fish being killed by it,” Nowinski said. “But it’s only the pin fish.”

Residents said incidents like these are normal, but they hope it gets cleaned up soon.