Gulf side of Lighthouse Beach on Sanibel sees fewest kills yet
AUG. 7
Heavier deposits of dead sea life are again being observed on the bayside of Sanibel today, while the volume on the Gulf side is slightly less than encountered yesterday, likely because it is high tide.
The city of Sanibel has released its first break of day reports. A higher volume of deposits have been reported on the bayside, which is challenging due to the limited access to some areas. In response, city officials have deployed both boats for water-borne crews and for hand crews in the bayside locations.
Officials noted that the lighter deposits of dead sea life on the Gulf side today is likely attributed to high tide as the greatest deposits occur at low tide. The city added that Lighthouse Beach is light in its volume for the first time today since the crisis began. Two shifts of clean-up crews are continuing to work the beaches each day in an effort to catch deposits after the second tide of the day.
On Aug. 6, the city removed one large carcass – a goliath grouper – and thousands of smaller dead sea life.
Large carcasses inventory for Aug. 6:
n Goliath grouper: One at 125 pounds
n Tarpon: None reported
Today’s first light of day report from city staff is as follows:
– Lighthouse Beach
Current Conditions: Poor
Red Tide: Present
Odor: Very strong
Deposits: Approximately 20 dead sea life every 10 feet
– Sanibel Boat Ramp
Current Conditions: Fair
Red Tide: Present
Odor: Yes
Deposits: Approximately 10 dead sea life every 10 feet
– Algiers Beach (Gulfside City Park)
Current Conditions: Very poor
Red Tide: Present
Odor: Strong presence
Deposits: Approximately five dead sea life every 10 feet
– Tarpon Bay Beach
Current Conditions: Fair
Red Tide: Moderate presence
Odor: Present
Deposits: Approximately zero dead sea life every 10 feet at high tide
– Bowman’s Beach
Current Conditions: Fair
Red Tide: Heavy presence
Odor: Present
Deposits: Approximately 10 dead sea life every 10 feet
– Blind Pass
Current Conditions: Fair
Red Tide: Slight to moderate presence
Odor: Slight
Deposits: Approximately 10 dead sea life every 10 feet
– Turner Beach Park
Current Conditions: Good to excellent
Red Tide: Not present
Odor: None
Deposits: Zero deposits of dead sea life
Based on tides, winds and currents, the conditions may alter quickly and significantly.
If you encounter any dead sea life washed ashore on private property that is too large to be removed by hand, email address and location to j.zimomra@mysanibel.com and attach a photo if possible.
A large portion of the dead fish on the beach are catfish. The pectoral (side) fins and dorsal (top) fin contain sharp venomous spines; extreme care should be used when handling the fish. Beach-goers should also avoid stepping on dead catfish as some sharp barbs can even penetrate the sole of a shoe.
Under the direction of the Sanibel Department of Public Works, the city has three basic operations underway to remove dead sea life from the island:
– Beach clean-up
– Canal clean-up and waterside removal
– “Rapid Response Team” primarily addressing large carcasses
The Sanibel Boat Ramp is the staging area for the canal and water-borne clean-up operations. All dead sea life is being loaded into dumpsters at the beach for transport off-island or transported back to the Public Works yard for disposal or to be hauled off-island by Advanced Disposal. Additional dumpsters have been deployed to Public Works for debris disposal. At this time, public access to the boat ramp is permitted.