Drone photos show the shocking scale of a harmful algae bloom that is killing huge numbers of fish around the Bay Area, including sharks and sturgeon, which is said to be “highly unusual.”
Photos from Getty’s Justin Sullivan taken above the Bay Bridge, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and at Alameda’s Ballena Bay, show the extent of the brown and green bloom that gives off a stench and is killing fish. The photos were taken on Aug. 22.
Environmental group San Francisco Baykeeper reported Sunday that hundreds of dead fish were visible at the Oakland Yacht Club and in the middle of the bay between the Dumbarton and San Mateo bridges.
High volume of reports to @SFBaykeeper's Pollution Hotline indicate that #SanFranciscoBay is experiencing a substantial #fishkill event. Probable cause = #redtide algal bloom we've been tracking for >1 month.
— Jon Rosenfield (@jarosenfield) August 28, 2022
See dead fish? Send pictures & report to:https://t.co/NuQtP5Xoga pic.twitter.com/x9GmIJSsBd
The group released photos to its social media accounts showing large dead fish on San Francisco Bay beaches.
The fish die-off was also visible at various shorelines, including Oyster Point, Baywinds Park in Foster City, Hayward, Alameda Estuary, Lake Merritt, Keller Beach, Point Molate and Sausalito.
"In other words, we have evidence from locations across South, Central, and San Pablo bays," the group said in a statement.
"This appears to be a substantial fish kill, most likely related to the unprecedented red tide algal bloom we have been tracking for the past month."
"We also have a report of a dead sturgeon on Stinson Beach," Baykeeper said. "Dead sturgeon washing ashore is really rare. Not sure if this fish died outside the gate or was transported by tides and currents."
Reports of multiple algae blooms have been made public on the California Department of Water Quality’s website. Urging caution, the department warns not to let pets eat any of the washed-up algae. The report also says not to eat any shellfish from or near the blooms.