A red tide is spreading along the Nelson Mandela Bay coast‚ researchers have confirmed.

Dr Tommy Bornman‚ manager at the South African Environmental Research Network‚ based at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMUO)‚ said the brown-red discolouration in the water‚ stretching from Bird Island all the way around to Seaview‚ could be similar to the red tide experienced in 2014.

A red tide is spreading along the Nelson Mandela Bay coast‚ researchers have confirmed.

“We have eight research stations along the coast currently taking samples for testing. We need to have a look at it under a microscope first‚ but by tomorrow we should know if it was the same as last time and if it holds any danger for any animals or people‚” Bornman said.

In 2014 a toxic red tide was experienced in Nelson Mandela Bay waters for an extended period of time‚ leading to concern over eating certain shellfish caught along the affected coastline.