As I walked the beach last night I couldn’t help but sing to myself that Dinah Washington song, “What a difference a day makes, 24 little hours…”

My serene sea from the previous night had been replaced by a turbulent one. Not only that but the wind was coming from the wrong direction. By blowing inland, it brought ashore the red tide that had previously been kept away.

Unlike last summer this year was a very moderate one for the large algae bloom known as red tide. Up until now, that is. With our unseasonably warm weather, water temperatures in the bay have yet to drop, leading to this late season outbreak.

It was a quick walk for me, since my eyes were watering and I was coughing from the foul air. I can get away from it but sadly, many of the fish cannot.