Concerns rise over sea turtle deaths as red tide spikes in Bonita, North Naples

A ghostly red tide bloom that's drifted up and down the Southwest Florida coast for about six months may be responsible for a rash of recent sea turtle deaths.

Several sea turtle carcasses were collected from south Lee County beaches recently by the non-profit monitoring group Turtle Time Inc.

Turtle Time director Eve Haverfield said there were no outward signs of trauma and called the deaths "unusual."

Collier is seeing a higher-than-average rate of sea turtle deaths this year as well.

It's impossible to say exactly what the definitive cause of death is without conducting a necropsy, which is often impossible because the turtle has decayed or been scavenged.

But red tide has been lingering along the coast for months.