Beachgoers, business owners hope red tide doesn't get worse

It's a sight Raymond Orozco could live without: Dead mullet and other fish wash up and remain near his docks at Chadwick Cove and Marina in Englewood. 

"You can see the dead fish that are floating around," he said. "When it makes you cough, it’s unsightly. When the dead fish come in and die, it smells bad.”

It's a frustrating sight after last year's marathon red tide. 

"Red tide last year cost us a lot. We were without business almost six or seven months," he continued. 

Raymond noticed dead fish washing up two weeks ago. His fishing charter has seen more. 

"He said he found a lot of dead fish out by Stump Pass," he said. 

He can only laugh at the situation. 

"Hopefully it goes away soon, or hopefully they find a way to make red tide soup and we’ll start eating it and it’ll all go away." he joked.

Red tide has since registered in low amounts off Siesta Key Beach. In Venice and Nokomis, it's medium to high counts. An east wind has kept dead fish away, but 30 miles off north Venice, a fish kill of grouper was reported to the FWC. There's a slight irritation in the air in Venice.

This year, everyone is hoping for a mild and shorter red tide bloom.

"You can’t smell it and you can’t see any dead fish," said John Schabert, who made it out to Venice Beach, with his family, along with dozens of other visitors. 

The red tide signs have not kept people away, but many stay out of the water. They hold out hope, for a better year. 

"Especially for the tourists that come down, they want to come down and enjoy the beach and they couldn’t last year. Hopefully, it’ll be different," added Schabert. 

LINK: To report or search the Florida Fish and Wildlife's fish kill database visit: https://public.myfwc.com/fwri/FishKillReport/searchresults.aspx