Siesta Keys aqua-blue surf has turned to a rusty dull brown following the increase in algae bloom (red tide) spanning the southern Gulf Coast. The algae blooms occur when large amounts of algae rapidly populate and the more algae there is the more organisms die such as fish, dolphins, manatees and sea turtles.

Florida’s worst red tide in more than a decade has left lifeguards wearing gas masks and resulted in tourists coughing, itching eyes and suffering sore headaches from the toxic fumes. Dead fish scattered along the shore line has left the USA's number-one beach Siesta Keys deserted and business owners in the hardest-hit counties report they have lost nearly $90 million.

"I have no way of knowing if this is going to last two weeks or four more months, this may shut us down permanently."

Around 300 workers have been laid off due to the decline in tourism and one business owner said "I have no way of knowing if this is going to last two weeks or four more months, this may shut us down permanently.”

7,600 water samples have been processed since they began monitoring the bloom in November 2017, yet it is not clear whether climate change and pollution from humans near the shore has made this outbreak even worse. However, scientists have found that the algae thrive in warmer waters and increased carbon dioxide levels.

There has been more than 2,000 tons of dead marine life and the price of cleanup in the Sarasota County has reached more than $96,000 and other counties are working with state agencies to clean their beaches. Manatee County just received a $750,000 grant they'll be using for expenses relating to the cleanup. Lee County received some $1.3 million in assistance from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

A new experiment ran is being run by Mote Marine Laboratory scientists in Bombenger’s canal to clear up the red tide. Two pumps have been installed on the canal which removes the toxins by mixing the water with ozone.

“This system gets rid of the red tide, gets rid of the toxins, gets rid of the access organic matter that’s decomposing and it deoxygenates the water so it’s really a win-win situation,” said Mote Marine Laboratory senior scientist Dr. Richard Pierce. The system is already being used to clean water in small tanks at their marine life hospital on Longboat Key, however researchers say their biggest challenges are the size of the area they are testing the system in and how it will work in a natural ecosystem.

After visiting various theme parks such as Busch Gardens, Aquatica, Seaward, Volcano Bay and Universal Studios, I would have to say SeaWorld was my favourite. It has thrill seeking rides such as Mako (Orlando’s fastest, tallest and longest coaster), Manta, Kraken (a virtual reality coaster), Journey through Atlantis and Infinity Falls featuring the world's tallest river rapid drop. The queues were far shorter than in Universal, which allowed me to ride far more.

I found SeaWorld more relaxing then the other parks and found it more enjoyable as it was better suited towards teenagers. Throughout the park there is information in the various animal habitats as well as in the dolphin and orcas shows and other attractions like the 3D show ’TurtleTrek’, showing the life of sea turtles. It has one of the world’s largest underwater viewing tunnels and a touch pool where you can learn all about sharks from SeaWorld’s experts.

You are told how to help marine life, the environment and in turn, the planet. SeaWorld inspires millions of people to learn about animals they otherwise would never see. They donate a lot of money to animal rescues, which means your ticket goes to a generous organisation. So far $15 million has been donated and all of the money has been given to conservation projects, thanks to the help of SeaWorld’s Parks and Entertainments administrative support. SeaWorld has separately given $10 million to fund research and conservation of killer whales in the wild.

For years, SeaWorld’s parks have been finding homes for adoptable pets by offering two complimentary tickets to people who adopt a cat or dog in need from a participating animal shelter. Since launching the Happy Tails program, SeaWorld has helped over 30,000 cats and dogs find forever homes.

On arrival at Universal’s Volcano Bay waterpark, I was given a Tapu Tapu wristband and instructions on its use. The waterproof device is exclusive to Volcano Bay and its main aim is to avoid standing in long lines and provide interactive fun.

Some of the interactive surprises available throughout the park include; control streams of water spurting from whales in Tot Tiki Reef, shooting water cannons at other guests snaking down Kopiko Wai Winding River and illuminating images in the volcano’s hidden caves. My locker was easy to use with Tapu Tapu as it opened and locked my locker for me.

Universal Studios has already been testing Virtual Lines with a few attractions in their other theme parks, but at Volcano Bay, all rides offer virtual lines. When you approach a ride or attraction, you'll find a totem that interacts with your Tapu Tapu. When you tap, the totems will scan your band and let you know the wait time for that attraction. You are then free to play, swim, eat etc. Once it’s your turn to enjoy the ride, the Tapu Tapu will buzz and send you a reminder to let you know.

One of the most useful features of the Tapu Tapu is that you don’t need to carry cash or credit cards around the park. Through the Universal Orlando official app, you can link your Tapu Tapu to your credit card and purchase anything around the park with just your band. You can also have multiple people linked to the same credit card and even assign them budgets or limits on purchases. In addition, throughout Volcano Bay, you will notice special spots that allow you to take photos and automatically save them to your account with just your Tapu Tapu.

When visiting themeparks and waterparks, you expect to do a lot of standing in queues. At Volcano Bay, Tapu Tapu lets you get the most from your day while ensuring that you don't miss out on the best rides. Other themeparks take note!!!