We were devastated. Maya, our other standard poodle, is still very subdued.
Kalani and I walked on that beach because it was safe. Unlike the other local beaches there had never been any sign of the micro alga bloom in the water or on the beach.
The toxic micro algae bloom has been sitting along the coast of South Australia — from the southern Fleurieu Peninsula to the Eye Peninsula — for most of 2025. It has shifted from K. mikimotoi to the more concerning, toxin-producing Karenia cristata and it had recently returned to Victor Harbor.
After eight months, this harmful algal bloom has affected 30 per cent of South Australia’s coastline and it is the longest and one of the most environmentally devastating events ever recorded in Australian waters. It is unlikely to dissipate this summer as modelling suggests that the algal bloom will remain a permanent feature of the South Australian coastline for many years.