With red tide gone from Miami local waters, visitors and businesses begin to thrive again

Manatee Public Beach hosted a huge crowd Friday afternoon in the wake of a persistent red tide bloom that hung around for months. For past few weeks, officials say, area has been free of harmful algae that left tons of fish dead & hurt local businesses © Ryan Callihan

A string of cars parked along the Palma Sola Causeway, a packed parking lot at Manatee Public Beach and shores packed with beachgoers Friday could only mean one thing visitors are enjoying the island again.

For several months, local beaches were plagued by a persistent bout of red tide that kept tourists, locals and most importantly dollar bills away from Manatee County's top travel destination. Weekend crowds, as well as an updated report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, confirmed that the algae bloom has largely dissipated from waters across the state.

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