I live in one of the richest neighborhoods in America, but the ‘Red Tide’ mystery has us throwing up and wearing masks

Malibu is one of the most expensive, star-studded neighborhoods in the US.

But behind the glamor of the chic mansions and beach houses, the wealthy enclave is being terrorized by a harmful algae bloom known as ‘red tide’.

Not only does the natural phenomenon cause ‘an absolute stench’, locals are also falling ill and are forced to wear face masks to protect against the harmful toxins it produces.

The red tides have also caused dead animals to wash up on beaches and shocked locals have reported seeing dead sea lions, turtles, dolphins and even raccoons and dogs.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, British-American actress and Malibu resident Holly Horner says watching the red tides is “like watching a horror movie,” with the entire coastline plagued by blood-red water.

Her film director husband recently had to move to a nearby hotel because the smell was so nauseating that it gave him severe migraines and vomiting.

Describing the smell, Mrs Horner explained: ‘The stench is so disgusting. It’s like rotten death, rotten eggs and imagine the worst breath you’ve ever smelled on someone multiplied by 100,000.

“No amount of incense, sage and candles can hide it and it’s blowing through the apartment from the shore.

“I’ve tried to plug all the holes, but it’s a very old building, so it just keeps coming in.”

Red tides occur when colonies of algae – plant-like organisms that live in the sea and fresh water – grow out of control.

As the algae die in large numbers, hydrogen sulfide gas is released, causing a strong rotten egg smell.

The process also causes the production of a powerful neurotoxin that can be suspended in the air near beaches.

This poison can kill fish, while causing people and pets respiratory symptoms including shortness of breath, coughing and sneezing.

In extreme cases, inhaling red tide toxins can cause serious respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia, bronchitis and worsening asthma.

Last week, Ms Horner, 43, said the smell was so bad she had worn a face mask and had also bought nose clips meant for swimming in the hope of blocking the air.

She said: ‘I’m worried it could also affect our dog and cat, who keep sniffing their little noses in the air. It’s mean!

‘When it comes to the smell, there is nothing else like it.

‘I ordered so many swimmer nose clips on Amazon overnight – they arrived today but they are too tight to use on my nose in an attempt to stop the smell.

A bioluminescent red tide begins to bloom off the beaches of San Diego

“I wear a mask on and off and when walking my dog ​​to avoid breathing in the air deeply, which can also cause breathing problems.”

Red tide can become fatal when respiratory symptoms become severe, or when a person consumes shellfish such as clams, oysters, clams, crabs and lobsters because they are contaminated with these toxins.

This consumption can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), which is fatal in about one in twelve cases.

While living in Malibu, Ms. Horner has seen the devastating impact the red tides have had on wildlife.

The toxic red tides can produce domoic acid, which attacks the brains and hearts of marine mammals, causing seizures and heart failure.

Mrs Horner describes some of the terrifying scenes she has witnessed: ‘In the two years I have lived here I think seeing a headless dead dog on the beach was one of the strangest things I have come across.

“Two weeks ago there was a huge, dead raccoon.

‘I have also come across carcasses in the water and recently I was frolicking in knee-deep waves while walking my dog ​​when I almost bumped into a dead bird.

‘Last year I think the algae were more powerful and it was like a horror movie.

‘There were dying seals that slowly went crazy on the sand while eating contaminated fish and it affected their brains.

‘The poor dolphins were also equally affected. It was terrifying and gruesome.”

In 2023, more than 100 dolphins and more than 100 sea lions died in the Santa Barbara area due to domoic acid poisoning from algae blooms.

Ms Horner says animal shelters “do their best to help” but are often “overwhelmed” by the high number of victims.

Malibu is one of the most expensive, star-studded neighborhoods in the US, with a median home price of more than $5.9 million

She claims there were no warnings on the beach about the recent red tide and it was only after talking to neighbors and the landlord that she realized where the foul odor was coming from.

A week later, she says the odor has subsided some, but the water is “brown, muddy and frothy.”

Experts say red tides in California are increasing in frequency and strength.

Climate change is said to be a contributing factor, with increased storms and rainfall, while nitrogen runoff from fertilizers and failing septic tanks could be causing the phenomenon.

Ms. Horner says she has witnessed human waste washing into the ocean near her Malibu home.

She added: “I have seen first-hand how certain landlords maintain the condition of their septic tanks here, sometimes without any lids on them.

‘Although this is illegal, they are very lax and nonchalant about the situation and often cut corners on patchwork jobs.

‘The septic tanks here are close to the ocean, at sea level. meaning human waste washes into the ocean when the tide gets high.

This fall, algae blooms were visible all along the California coast. Above is an aerial view of the Santa Monica Pier

‘When we moved in, the lid on the septic tank of the house next to us was not properly secured.’

As well as human waste, Ms Horner says dog owners must also take responsibility because ‘sometimes there is so much dog poop on the beach it’s like walking through a landmine.’

“This cannot be good for the health of our ocean,” the actor adds.

After two years of dealing with Malibu’s red tides, Mrs. Horner and her husband are moving to “somewhere with less smelly shores.”

She concludes, somewhat muffled by her face mask, “I really like the irony that Malibu is this place that you can never really complain about because it’s so desirable and everyone wants to live here.

“Every Lyft and Uber I take, so often people are mesmerized and their goal is to live here.

“It’s almost like social gaslighting, and you can’t complain about these things because, for God’s sake, you live on the edge of the ocean and you’re so lucky. But nature is not always beautiful.

“I’ve discovered this is a place with a dark and smelly underbelly.”