Posted on 03/08/2011 10:44:37 AM PST by TaraP
Billions of dead anchovies are blanketing the sea bottom and floating on the surface of the water this morning at King Harbor in Redondo Beach, and officials are trying to figure out what happened.
Fire, police and public works officials were on the scene, at this point working to remove the fish as quickly as possible.
"We need to get rid of them," said Sgt. Phil Keenan of the Redondo Beach Police Department. "This is going to create a terrible pollution and public health issue if we don't."
The cause is so far a mystery. It appears the fish may have died due to lack of oxygen, Keenan said.
But residents said they weren't aware of any red tides, an algae bloom that sucks oxygen out of the water, or other issues that could have caused such a massive killing.
"Yesterday everything looked absolutely normal," said Walter Waite, who lives at the harbor. "This morning when I got up, there were millions and millions of them floating everywhere."
He said he was at first struck by the fact the birds weren't feeding; apparently, they already gorged.
Chuck Sarracino, who has lived in the marina for five years, said he noticed that the pelicans were diving to the water all night.
The weather is expected to be warm today, adding to the urgency to remove the fish, officials said. The fish, about 6-inches in length, are scattered all over the harbor along Marina Way, already creating a potent stench.
Emanuel.
They couldn’t take listening to any more Charlie Sheen rants.
yummy
had that problem around here, the stench is something at a whole new level
Looks like a windfall to feed the starving victims of the Baraqqi Depression.
God does provide!
Billions of anchovies floated to the surface at Redondo Beach's King Harbor this morning. Early thought is that the large numbers of fish just depleted all the oxygen in the water.
Pizza anyone!
Jeez, and I thought that herding cats was difficult. How hard must it be to organize a fish invasion, using only dead fish!!!
No blaming of global warming in the article. I am surprised.
Some Seagull must have rubbed a lamp somewhere.
A six-inch long anchovy is a pretty big anchovy.
“Large pizza with extra anchovies por favor”
Clearly this is Obama’s fault. They refused to join the SEIU.
Leftist will be down there registering them to vote and signing them up for benefits in no time.
"ba ba ba billions?"
Nope, it wasn’t the Charlie Sheen rant - they must have listened to the NPR anti-conservative, anti-tea party, anti-Jew, anti-Christian rant... Oh - and the rant was in FAVOR of Muslim Brotherhood. That would float any fish.
“Early thought is that the large numbers of fish just depleted all the oxygen in the water.”
And what drove them in to the harbour? Dolphins? Killer Whales? Tuna?
They probably died from the warm water in the harbor. I’m more interested in what drove such a large school of deep sea, cold water fish to seek shelter in a warm water harbor?
God I hate those stinking things! I used to deliver Little Caesars pizzas when I was younger, and I absolutely HATED it when someone ordered an anchovie pizza. Stunk up my whole car.
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