DISCOVERY BAY — Bright orange streaks in the gray-green water here made some people think red — as in red tide.
But health and environmental specialists said Monday the water is fine — red tide has not come to Discovery Bay.
A zooplankton put on the colorful algal bloom, Jefferson County Environmental Health Specialist Lance Norton said.
“You normally can’t see it, but it’s there,” he said. “If you go swimming in Discovery Bay, you’re drinking it. It’s totally benign.”
Scientists from the Port Townsend Marine Science Center and state Department of Ecology are taking an interest because no one has ever reported such a large and vibrant algal display.
Full details appear in today’s edition of the Peninsula Daily News. Click onto “Subscribe” to have your PDN delivered to your home or office.