LEE COUNTY, Fla. - Excess algae that washed ashore produced some strong odors around Sanibel Island. Beachgoers noticed and had some complaints.
"As we were leaving Captiva, I was telling my son there was a rotten smell in the air," Robert Damron said.
Damron encountered excess algae before back in Ohio.
"We've had some pretty bad algae blooms up near Lake Eerie," Damron said. "The smell here reminded me of all all the rotten fish."
Others faced the smell on the way to the beach.
"I smelled it just off McGregor Road," Brenda Meadows said. "I even asked my daughter if she had to use the restroom," she added.
Damron's family couldn't stand the smell at Captiva. They sought refuge at Bowman's Beach.
"We stayed for a few minutes, but then had to leave," Damron said. "We thought we'd check out Sanibel."
People over at Bowman's Beach didn't have any complaints about the smell the algae brought.
"The smell dissipated the closer we got to the beach," Meadows said.
Beachgoers were grateful the strong winds kept the odor at bay.
"Even if it did smell a little bit, the ocean is so beautiful you can't stay away from it," Jim Laipply said.
