Fort Myers Shores canal turns green due to algae bloom

FORT MYERS SHORES, Fla. – The water in a Fort Myers Shores canal has turned a shade of green due to blue-green algae.

The green stuff can be seen coming down the Caloosahatchee. 

“It’s surprising this early in the year to already have that. I’m used to it usually around August but in May? That’s kind of scary,” said boater Shaun Torrente. “I come to this dock 2-3 times a week because we’re usually messing with boats and stuff.  I got here today and it was just completely green.”

Boaters say last week there wasn’t any algae in at the Davis Boat Ramp and this week is a different story.

The canal is saturated with blue green algae particles.

“It’s like 3,000,000 little bubbles. It’s like say you throw breadcrumbs that’s what it looks like they’re floating,” said fisherman Gilbert Osbina.

Osbina spent the day fishing at the Franklin Lock where experts have spotted a healthy bloom.  He thinks the algae is the reason his line didn’t get much play today.

“When I come down here you can see them jumping and all of that and today nothing jumping. We don’t have any bites at all,” said Osbina. “I looked real close and you can see all over the water.  It comes from lake Okeechobee to the Gulf.”

But with no solution to the slow the algae.

“Maybe that’s what it’ll take to change this.  More people in the area or more people with expendable income that can grease the right wheels and talk to the right people,” said Torrente.

Boaters like shaun, are bracing for what could turn into another massive algae bloom.

Experts said it’s too soon to predict what will happen when summer storms move in.  They say the rain could fuel the algae bloom or break it up.  Either way, count on NBC2 to continue monitoring the algae.

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