FloridaRed Tide

It’s been long known by citizens, especially in Florida,  that red tide kills pets and contributes to deaths of the elderly and the sickly that are bed ridden near red tide contaminated waters.  The latter is pretty rare, because usually, anyone that has the resources to live near the water in Florida, has the resources to move when their doctor says “You’re sick already, get away from the red tide!”

Pets and other land animals are a completely different story.  Not only are their mouths closer to the ground (the toxins are slightly heavier than air), but lots of animals have no choice but to stay.

Texas Officials are warning people to keep their pets away from the beach, as the red tide has killed several and sickened many many more.

Ever seen a pelican that appears to be drunk during a red tide bloom?

WARNING: It gets grim, sad and a little graphic below:

He’s not drunk, he’s dying slowly.  Red Tide kills by paralyzing  any cells it’s absorbed into.  This usually means the eyes, nasal passages and finally the lung cells.  It’s like some poisonous gas from WW1.  Animals that depend on the Gulf of Mexico and it’s bays for their food suffer slow horrible deaths when a large red tide is present.  for the smaller red tide blooms they just move to a different spot.

Sometimes they are able to fight off the effects of the airborne red tide toxins and then eat the fish.  Then the red tide toxins start paralyzing their bodies completely and slowly until they die.

Through all the years we’ve received numerous sad, sad tales of people who’s pets have died these kinds of deaths.  It only takes a few days, bu evidently it’s a horrible few days.  If only they would have contacted me or “believed” in red tide before their pet died.

I say “believed” because for a long while The state of Florida and the science organizations it funds was going around saying that red tide wasn’t so bad for you, tourists didn’t mind it, it’s not on the increase, not so bad for you and abovce all, pollutions has absolutely nothing to do with it.  This web site, the Sierra Club, a few pissed off  honest scientists, a lot of citizens and a few federal politicians have helped this situation and now the dangers of red tide are not viewed as some kind of left wing scare tactic.

Sorry for having to include that last sentence, but it’s important to answer the question: “If red tide so obviously kills things that breath, then why would anyone let there dogs, kids, or sick grand mother be exposed to it?”  It’s because the people they trusted their whole life told them people like me were lying and they believed them.  After all they had organizations like Mote Marine, Florida Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) local health depts and the Governors (Jeb Bush) backing them up.

Well now some of those same types in Texas (Texas Parks & Wildlife) are waring people plainly and clearly (but quietly) to leave your pets, kids and sick at home if you’re going to the beach on South Padre Island.

They had numerous reports of sickened and dead pets, coyotes, birds etc.

And please take it from someone who’s read these sad stories again and again, please believe them.