“The red tide outbreak in Florida has left many travelers wondering if they should seek a beach holiday elsewhere.

“What is being called the worst toxic algae bloom in years has been killing turtles, manatees, dolphins, and other marine life.

“It is also creating respiratory and gastrointestinal issues for humans. Many of Florida’s popular west coast beaches from Tampa Bay to Sarasota to Naples are practically deserted as the red tide emits toxic gases.

“According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, red tide is a naturally-occurring microscopic alga that has been documented along Florida’s Gulf Coast since the 1840s.

“Blooms, or higher-than-normal concentrations of the red tide alga, known as Karenia brevis, happen nearly every year in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Red tide begins in the Gulf of Mexico 10 to 40 miles offshore but can move inshore thanks to winds and currents.”

Read more at USA Today