EAST London beaches were closed to bathers yesterday by Buffalo City Metro marine services officials after a red tide algal bloom was seen in city waters.

Marine services assistant programme manager Siani Tinley yesterday said the closure was a precautionary measure to allow officials time to test the bloom that was blown on shore by days of north-easterly winds.

COASTAL ISSUES: Eric Ngwani says hell be fishing until somebody warns him not to. This is after the red tide flowed into East London yesterday Picture: MARK ANDREWS

She also warned surfers to stay out of the water until the tests had been conducted.

Red tide is the common name used for a colony of red-brown micro-organisms which bloom at certain times of the year.

Although the red tide is believed to be the same non-toxic species that has been off the coast from False Bay to the outskirts of East London for several months, Tinley said it would be best to conduct tests before giving local beaches the all-clear.

Tinley said it was difficult to determine whether it was the same species of red tide found off the rest of the coast without doing tests.

It could be the same as the Port Elizabeth red tide which is relatively harmless.

However, we decided to close the beaches as a precautionary measure, she said.

Tinley said cold water from north east winds resulted in an upwelling of nutrients, and this encouraged the algal bloom.

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Red tide invades EL beaches