Crimson substance in ocean disrupts fishing, swimming alongside Grand Strand

GARDEN CITY, S.C. — A crimson sponge-like substance within the water is interfering with fishing and swimming alongside Grand Strand seashores.

The substance has been noticed in locations like Garden City and Atlantic Beach for a couple of days.

Fishermen say it will get caught on fishing hooks, and swimmers say they can not keep away from it.

Brian Rowsey, proprietor of the Dirty Myrtle Shark Fishing Company, stated the substance is affecting his enterprise.

“It’s affecting the business; you know you go out,” Rowsey stated. “You can make $300-$900 a day depending on how many groups you have going with you. Then you get down to the beach, and you can’t fish because this orange, red sponge stuff gets on your line as soon as your line hits the water; it washes it right back in.”

Rowsey provides that he doesn’t know the way lengthy the substance it’s gonna be there.

“We don’t know how if we’re gonna be out for days or we gonna be out for weeks. We just don’t know what this stuff is.”

Tristan Sheldon, a fisherman, described the substance as “red weeds.”

“I get a lot of stuff on me, red weed, and it’s not fun,” Sheldon stated. “Nobody wants to get a bunch of slime red weeds on them when they are swimming. Especially kids, kinda freaks them out probably. Feels like jellyfish tentacles.”

WMBF News contacted the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to determine the substance, however we’re nonetheless ready for a response.

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