Photos show contaminated water plaguing southwest Florida

TAMPA – Aerial photos revealed massive plumes of red tide stretching along much of southwest Florida’s coast days after Tropical Storm Nicole passed over the state.

Photos released by Calusa Waterkeeper showed a deep reddish-brown discoloration of the water near Naples and Sanibel due to the presence of red tide “and other phytoplankton species,” the non-profit organization said in a Facebook post.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, beaches from Sarasota to Port Charlotte vary between low, medium, and high levels of red tide.

The harmful algal blooms are commonly known to cause mild and short-lived respiratory symptoms in humans such as eye, nose, and throat irritation like those associated with the common cold or seasonal sinus allergies, the Florida Department of Health said.

Blooms are also known to last for months, depending on wind conditions.