Malibu is one of the most expensive and star-studded neighborhoods in the United States.
But behind the glamor of lavish mansions and beach houses, the wealthy enclave is being terrorized by a harmful algae bloom known as “red tide.”
Not only is the natural phenomenon causing “an absolute stench,” but locals are getting sick and are forced to wear face masks to protect against the harmful toxins it produces.
Red tides have also caused dead animals to wash up on beaches and horrified 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 red tides take hold is “like watching a horror movie”, with the entire coastline riddled with blood-red waters. .
Her husband, the film director, recently had to move to a nearby hotel, as the smell was so nauseating that it caused severe migraines and vomiting.
Describing the smell, Mrs Horner explained: “The stench is so disgusting.” It’s like rotting death, rotten eggs, and imagine the worst breath you’ve ever smelled on someone multiplied by 100,000.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, British-American actress and Malibu resident Holly Horner says the entire coast is plagued by a twice-yearly blood-colored “red tide.”
‘No amount of incense, sage and candles can hide it and it blows from the boardwalk through the apartment.
“I’ve tried to block all the holes, but it’s a very old building, so it 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 algae die in large numbers, they release hydrogen sulfide gas, causing a strong rotten egg smell.
The process also causes the production of a powerful neurotoxin that can become suspended in the air near beaches.
This toxin can kill fish and leave humans and pets with respiratory symptoms including difficulty breathing, coughing, and sneezing.
In extreme cases, breathing red tide toxins can cause serious respiratory conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, and worsening asthma.
Last week, Mrs Horner, 43, said the stench was so strong she had been wearing a mask and also bought nose clips designed for swimming in the hope of blocking it.
She said: “I’m afraid this could also affect our dog and cat who keep sniffing their noses in the air.” It’s vile!
‘As far as the smell goes, there is nothing like it.
‘I ordered so many overnight swimmer nose clips on Amazon; They arrived today, but they are too tight to wear on my nose in an attempt to stop smelling.
Bioluminescent red tide seen beginning to bloom on San Diego beaches
“I have been wearing a mask inside and outside and when walking my dog to avoid taking deep breaths of air, which can also cause respiratory problems.”
Red tides can become deadly when respiratory symptoms become severe or when a person consumes shellfish such as mussels, oysters, clams, crabs, and lobsters that have been contaminated with these toxins.
This consumption can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), which is fatal in approximately one in 12 cases.
While living in Malibu, Ms Horner has seen the devastating impact red tides have had on wildlife.
Toxic red tides can produce domoic acid, which attacks the brain and heart of marine mammals causing seizures and heart failure.
Detailing some of the disturbing scenes she has witnessed, Mrs Horner says: “In two years of living here, I think seeing a dead, headless dog on the beach was one of the strangest things I’ve encountered.
‘Then two weeks ago there was a huge dead raccoon.
‘I’ve also come across dead bodies in the water and the other day I was frolicking in knee-deep waves walking my dog when I almost collided with a dead bird.
‘Last year, I think the algae must have been more powerful and it was like a horror movie.
‘There were dead seals that were slowly going crazy in the sand while eating contaminated fish and that affected their brains.
‘The poor dolphins were equally affected. “It was disturbing and horrible.”
In 2023, more than 100 dolphins and more than 100 sea lions died in the Santa Barbara area due to the toxicity of domoic acid from algal blooms.
Ms Horner says animal rescue centers “do everything they can to help” but are often “overwhelmed” by the high number of victims.
Malibu is one of the most expensive and star-studded neighborhoods in the US, with a median home price exceeding $5.9 million.
She claims there were no warnings on the beach about the recent red tide and that it was only by talking to neighbors and the owner that she realized where the bad smell was coming from.
A week later, he says the smell has calmed down a bit, but the water is “brown, muddy and foamy.”
Experts say red tides in California are increasing in frequency and power.
Climate change is said to be a contributing factor, with more storms and rainfall, while nitrogen runoff from fertilizers and septic tank failures can trigger the phenomenon.
Mrs. Horner says she has witnessed human waste wash into the ocean right next to her home in Malibu.
He added: ‘I have witnessed first-hand how some homeowners maintain the condition of their septic tanks here, sometimes without any covers.
‘Although this is illegal, they are very indifferent and unconcerned about the situation and often proceed to take shortcuts with patchwork.
‘The septic tanks here are right next to the ocean, at sea level. which means that human waste reaches the ocean when the tide rises.
This fall, algae blooms were visible along the California coast. Above, an aerial shot of the Santa Monica Pier.
“When we moved in, the septic tank in the house next to ours did not have a properly secured lid.”
As well as human waste, Ms Horner says dog owners also need to take responsibility as “sometimes there is so much dog poop on the beach it’s like walking on a land mine”.
“This can’t be good for the health of our ocean either,” adds the actor.
After two years of dealing with Malibu’s red tides, Mrs. Horner and her husband are moving to “a place with less stinky shores.”
She concludes, slightly muffled through her mask: “I really love the irony of Malibu being a place you could never complain about because it’s so desirable and everyone wants to live here.”
‘Every Lyft and Uber I take, people are often 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 very lucky.” But nature is not always pretty.
“I have discovered that this is a place with a dark and stinky side.”