Naples Beach and Red Reef Park, The Contrast Between Red Tide and Clear Water Was Shocking

Just a quick post, as I am heading to the Miami Book Fair tomorrow. I was going to wait until I had time to process all the photos from my boat trip with the Collier County Waterkeeper and my visit to Naples Beach before I wrote anything, but when I walked along Red Reef Park in Boca Raton and saw and remembered what clear water looks like I decided to post a few photos now. The contrast was truly shocking. See for yourself. The nutrient pollution from Lake Okeechobee, dead zones in the Gulf, climate change, and all the water pouring into the Gulf from the Mississippi during last years rains have wrecked havoc on west coast waters again. It is so heartbreaking to witness. Growing up, I always thought the west coast of Florida was more beautiful, since it was less developed. Now I am afraid to touch the water in the Gulf of Mexico or even breathe near it. What have we done?

Sunning with Dead Fish, Naples Beach

When Harrison Langley and Colleen Gill and I went out on Harrison’s boat from the Naples Boat Club, we didn’t encounter fish kills on Keewaydin Island. Only in one back bay did we catch a whiff of really toxic air. I was actually relieved, as my dog was with us and I didn’t want him to get sick. Thankfully, we saw dolphins and bald eagles instead. They told me to go down to Naples Beach before I left town, as that was where the red tide was most prevalent. A nice lady from New Zealand watched Takoda for me in the van in the parking lot. She was waiting for her husband to pick her up because horrified by what they’d seen, they had no interest in spending any more time on the beach. I immediately started coughing when I got out there and took photographs as quickly as possible, since it was so unpleasant. I was shocked to see that some people were actually sunning, although the crowd was fairly light for the season and no one was along the shoreline where most of the dead fish were. These red tides definitely affect tourism and have an economic impact.

Red Tide, Naples Beach

The water was a really nasty color. At first I thought it was sand being churned up, but the water was not that rough and the reddish-brown tinge continued as far as I could see. This was not the color of the Gulf of Mexico that I remember seeing when I grew up or even when I was working on the last images for my book before the last red tide started in October 2017.

Turquoise Water, Boca Raton

Then late this afternoon, after my friend Janet and I were done working, we headed to Red Reef Park in Boca Raton. I about fainted when I saw the water. It was so clear and beautiful and blue. It looked like water should look, and I realized how terrible the water off Naples Beach yesterday truly was. The algae that causes red tide is less dramatic to photograph than Cyanobacteria. When water is green and has the consistency of guacamole, it is clearly visible in photographs. Red tide just looks dirty and is often pretty nondescript. But the contrast between what I saw yesterday and today was fresh in my memory and quite obvious. It made me feel better to see blue, clear water and not just because it didn’t smell bad and I wasn’t coughing.

The Atlantic at Sunset, Red Reef Park

During the golden hour of sunset, the light shimmered on the water and cast beautiful reflections. The foam of the waves was white and pure and the water was a beautiful blue as far as we could see.

Clouds, Red Reef Park Boca Raton

Then the sun began to set and the clouds lit up with gold and it was magical being there. The beach was not just beautiful above the surface of the water, the water itself was exquisite. This is why people move to Florida or visit. They don’t come to be poisoned by the water. I asked the Harrison and Colleen what they did to protect themselves from toxins and they said they took L-serine before they went out and activated charcoal when they got back to protect toxins from attacking their brains and organs. The signs they post during red tide outbreaks say it is caused by algae, is naturally occurring, may cause eye or skin irritation and may cause coughing or sneezing. They advise people with respiratory problems to avoid the beach. Actually, everyone should avoid the beach, as red tide contains toxins that cause gastrointestinal and neurological problems. As Colleen said in Naples, “Welcome to Paradise.” In contrast, Red Reef Park did feel like paradise this evening.