Anyone from Siesta Key/Sarasota area? Red tide ?

[riu girl]

We will be staying in Siesta Key Dec 17-31 and have two kids with mild asthma. Can anyone who is familiar with the area please give me an update on the red tide situation.

 

[bsnyder]

Check out this site:

http://www.floridamarine.org/features/view_article.asp?id=12373#Comments

 

[riu girl]

Thanks for the link. Right now the Siesta Key/Sarasota area looks like there is a high red tide concentration.

To anyone who is familiar with red tide: based on the current situation in Siesta Key/Sarasota could you hazard a guess what December may be like? I thought I read that red tide is quite rare during the winter months. But hasn't red tide been at Siesta Key for months now? We are less then fours months away from being there.

I wonder if I should consider changing our holiday plans.
ANY advice/suggestions/ thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Suzy V.

 

[riu girl]

 

[floridaminnie]

We have had a really bad red tide season per say this year. We haven't seen it this bad ever. There are complete dead zones on the ocean floor and it's killing tourism right now. It has never lasted this long before either. Usually in Dec. we don't have it.

 

[lillygator]

We live right off the south bridge to Siesta Key - the red tide has been very bad this year. The smell does not seem to be as bad as it was say the beginning of summer or else we are used to it. We went down to walk the beach a few nights last week and DH and I both commented on our throats the day afterward...I am thinking that the scratchy throat feeling was directly related to the red tide.

 

[riu girl]

floridaminnie and lillygator:

Thanks for the info. Both of the kids have mild asthma (only flares up during bad cold/coughs). They are on puffers only about 5-10 days per year (during bad coughs/colds). I wonder if I should cancel my condo rental and rebook on the east coast. I have paid my deposit (only $140US which I'm not upset about losing) but have to pay the rest (just over $1000) by Nov 17.

What are the beaches like right now? Are people using the beaches/swimming inthe water? Are there obvious dead fish?

We are staying across the street from the beach (in the 6000s Midnight Pass Road). Do people have respiratory problems by being across the road, or just on the beach itself.

Any thoughts/info. would be greatly appreciated.
Sorry if these questions sound lame, but brand new to red tide.
Thank you
Suzy V.

 

[riu girl]

 

[twinscandc]

I would also like to know if the red tide is only bad on the beach or if it is bad by a pool that is right off the beach?

We are leaving for Siesta Key on Thursday morning. It is my DH and I's 10 year wedding anniversary trip!!

 

['Canes Fan]

we were at SK last weekend. we found a few dead blue crab, and there was the smell at the water's edge. nothing major. MOTE's website is showing small concentrations. I doubt you'll smell it up by the pool. the water was 85 degrees and kind of turgid, but still a great place to be. there were tons of ghost crabs and sealife in about 15 feet of water, so the bloom isn't close to shore. have a great time, and we'll see you at the Daiquiri Deck.

 

[riu girl]

canesfan:
thanks for the info. So it is ok to swim inthe ocean then? Also, is it ok to play on the beach?
Thanks
Suzy
PS - WE have a condo rented across the road form the beach. THe beach is actually a 3-4 minute walk away. So I assume that there would be no ill effects at the condo complex?

 

[lillygator]

we have been down to the beach(Siesta Key and Crescent Beach) a couple times in the past few days...no noticable dead fish and DH and DD swam in the water fine.

Which end of Siesta is your condo on?

 

[lillygator]

and the condo should be fine.

 

['Canes Fan]

the only area we noticed 'the smell' was about knee deep water on the way out and in. you'll be fine.

 

[riu girl]

Thank you so much for the info. I feel much better now. I booked this vacation months ago and am so looking forward to it. The Siesta Key area looks incredible. Not just the beach but MOTE, Myakka State Park, Pelican man bird sanctuary, the drum circle, mineral springs, the playground at the main public beach area, etc etc. We will be coming from north of Toronto and can't wait to spend Christmas out of the snow.

We will be staying across the street from the beach in the 6000s midnight pass road area. I think it is just south of stickney point bridge. I think we will be using either beach access #11 or #12 to get to the beach. I'm not sure, I have never been to Siesta Key, I'm just looking at a map and guessing. How is this part of the beach right now?

DS5 has mild asthma (uses puffer about 2-3 times per year, only when he has a bad cough/cold). Should I be concerned? Also, does the red tide situation often lessen in the cooler months? We will be in Siesta Key the last two weeks of December.
Sorry so many questions.
Suzy V.

 

['Canes Fan]

this bloom has been just about as bad as it gets. the sarasota area hasn't been as bad as up by us. we've got 'dead zones' on the ocean floor where nothing has survived. there's no oxygen in the water, all sea life is dead, down to coral. it's sickening to see. myakka is great, and we drop items at the pelican man sanctuary often. it's an awesome experience, pelicans are like dogs. so may different personalities. I like to fish and hand them what I catch.

for the drum circle and siesta beach, you'll want to drive up midnight pass a little to the main parking lot. water temps will be in the 70's. bring a ziploc bag to bring some of the sand home in.

I understand your concern with the asthma. last week's whiff's were the only I've experienced down there this summer. I was at a marina in ST Pete and it made my eyes water and tickled the back of my throat. nothing like that in SK all year.

 

[riu girl]

Thank you to everyone who posted on this thread. I have learned a lot. I can't wait to go to Siesta Key. I read somewhere that there is a phone # that you can call before you go to the beach and you will be advised about current beach conditions. I guess we will simply hope for the best and call the number before we want to go to the beach.


Suzy V.

 

[twinscandc]

I also want to say a great thanks to all those that responded. I'm so looking forward to a mommy/daddy trip!! We leave early in the morning.....it's nothing like the excitement before a Disney trip, but it's still nice to get away!! (no phones, no clients, etc!)

We are staying at the Palm Bay Club (I'm not sure where that is on the beach). We rented it from a website that lists rentals by owners. We got a great deal - $100 per night - that's it!!

So looking forward to it!! I've also been looking at different places to eat....The Broken Egg sounds good as well as the Daiquiri Deck!!

Does anybody else have a good suggestion - even in neighboring areas?

 

[lillygator]

Captain Curt's has great seafood as well...and a breakfast place - Granny's.

The Broken Egg and DD are in the "village" on Siesta Key along with Village Cafe...the north end....just off the south bridge is Coasters....and if you want to come off the island (not even a mile) come back up Stickney Point Rd...turn right on 41/Tamiami Trail and you will have your choice of Lonestar, Red Lobster, Ruth Chris, Sam Seltzer's, Shell's etc...there is also a Publix (grocery store) in Gulf Gate shopping center along with a Hooter's and some shops.
There are two grocery stores on the island - Crescent Beach Grocery and Siesta Market...you can get everything you need there...but it is much cheaper to go to Publix. There is also a place to rent boats if you are interested!

We live just off the south bridge to Siesta - so you may see us walking the beach in the evening!

 

[lillygator]

oh I forgot - a GREAT place for dinner is Javier's..it's Peruvian and American food and it is awesome!! It is located on the south end of Siesta Key in a little shopping plaze by Siesta Spirits and City Pizza....there is also Ophelia's down that way too..Ophelia's is $$.