Red Tide in Naples FL

LAmbiance – Pelican Bay – Naples FL – If you are a member of our LAmbiance in Pelican Bay page on Facebook, you have seen all the posts I have made about the epic red tide that has hit our area this year. Those of you who know Don and I are aware we spend 90% of our summer after work at the beach, unless ThorGuard has prevented us from getting there. (ThorGuard is Pelican Bay’s lightning protection system. I could write a whole another article on ThorGuard.) Since about the beginning of August, we have been unable to go to the beach due to high red tide levels. In the twenty-two years we have lived in Naples, this was the worst red tide we have seen.

You may find yourselves coming back to Naples and be lucky enough that the red tide is not present.  Today I checked https://visitbeaches.org/ to determine if red tide is present on Vanderbilt Beach because I’d like to visit the beach today.  Luckily red tide is not present as of 10:43 AM this morning. One thing to keep in mind about red tide is that it can come and go. It can be nice in the AM and terrible in the PM.  I’ve put the above link on my phone’s home screen along with:

Collier County Red Tide Status

NOAA Gulf of Mexico Harmful Algal Bloom Bulletin

If you are returning to Naples and you are lucky enough to be here when there is no red tide, you might think “Oh it wasn’t that bad, the press must just have been playing it up.”  I am here to tell you as your neighbor, who has been here all summer, IT WAS THAT BAD.  Don and I had the unfortunate experience to be in the Gulf when the tides changed. We found ourselves being circled by dead fish, dead crabs as big as my hands and dead eels as long as my arm.  We quickly left the water and we haven’t been in the Gulf since that time.  If you really know the Wilbers, you know how much this had to hurt our summer.

“So what?” you might ask yourselves. “Red Tide isn’t here now, why should I worry about it?”  You should worry about it because red tide comes and goes.  While it might not be here while you are in town, it could reappear a week after you leave.

There was an excellent article in the TC Palm Treasure Coast Newspaper today.  In the article there is a link to a video of the blue-green toxic algal bloom flowing through Cape Coral.  One of the sentences in the article really stuck home with me, “Those of us who live here know paradise is in trouble.”  I thought to myself “Oh my God! This is so true!”  I live here and I have seen and smelt the dead fish. I heard from my friends about the black water down at Marker36 beach. I’ve seen the tram drivers wearing masks to protect themselves from red tide. I’ve seen the warning about high bacteria levels at Vanderbilt beach.  This is not fake news, it is a reality.

On September 24, 2018, I posted a podcast of a discussion of water quality in Southwest Florida. A former Lee County Commissioner, Ray Judah, was being interviewed about all  the aspects that affect our water problems.  If you haven’t listed to the podcast, please do so by clicking —–> PODCAST

I know some of our neighbors are registered to vote in Florida.  While I stem from a family who had constant political discussions, I loathe getting involved in discussions in today’s political climate. Red tide has been a problem going on for years. BOTH political parties have contributed to the lack of financing for red tide research and testing. BOTH political parties have taken campaign money from the sugar cane industry.   I would urge you to contact the candidates on our ballot and see where they stand on getting money for research and testing for red tide and blue-green toxic algal and how they intend to handle more pollutants going into our waterways. Both of our Senators are so excited they have found money, 1.6 billion, for a reservoir to hold the polluted run off from Lake Okeechobee. I still haven’t seen an answer as to what they intend to do with all the polluted water that will be held in the reservoir.

In my opinion, common sense should dictate that our money should be spent on reasearch as to what causes red tide, what feeds red tide and how can we prevent more pollutants from going into Lake Okeechobee.

I have given you a lot of information in this post.  Please take some time to listen to the podcast and read the articles I’ve referenced.  Your neighbor, who happens to be a Realtor, thinks it is important that you research your candidate’s stand on what they plan to do about red tide and pollution flowing into our waterways before you vote.  Your property values could depend on the quality of our water.

Please note that I receive not compensation for mention of any businesses or events.

About the author:

Lynn Wilber is a Real Estate Professional who lives in L’Ambiance in Pelican Bay. Her 40 years of real estate experience and her area expertise have been valuable resources to LAmbiance Sellers and Buyers. For more information, please contact Lynn Wiber via e-mail at Lynn@NaplesBuys.comor call 239-594-2780.

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