Dead fish may spoil holiday weekend

Thousands of dead fish are washing ashore in the Salton Sea. As you can imagine it’s causing quite the smell, just in time for dove hunters hoping to enjoy the holiday weekend.

At the State Park on the North shore, there are thousands of dead tilapia. In some places, the groups of dead fish are two to three feet wide.

Tony Michel is visiting the Salton Sea while on a business trip. “It doesn’t smell very good today,” said Michel.

Julie Garbutt works near on the North Shore, “Its way terrible. It has been making me sick to my stomach.”

All of the thousands of dead fish here along the shore certainly contribute to the smell out but State Park rangers tell me this is all just a part of the cycle of life out at the Salton Sea.

Michel says, “It’s all a part of the natural wonder of the place right?”

Algae takes over the water during the hot temperatures of the summer. It uses up all of the oxygen in the water, leaving nothing for fish.

Richard Duthaler, a State Park ranger, says, “The fish that do wash up in our marina we will try and collect them, but with our reduced staffing, it’s basically impossible.”

Luckily Will Coonce is camping in comfort. “I don’t notice it.”

Coonce is waiting for the start of dove season. “It’s real nice. With dove season open on Saturday you got a three-day weekend, three days of bird hunting.”

Most of the hunters will arrive overnight and so far the smell doesn’t seem to be keeping them away.

Duthaler says, “There is not much that deters hunters.”

Garbutt says, “Hasn’t stopped them yet, and the smell’s been happening for years.”