Beloved kangaroos euthanised as algae bloom persists in Fleurieu Peninsula

Sick and dying iconic Aussie animals are being found along an SA coastline with government officials being forced to euthanise. Find out why.

An investigation has been launched on the Fleurieu Peninsula after authorities euthanised 50 sick kangaroos close to a toxic algal bloom that forced the closure of many popular beaches.

Victor Harbor surfer Anthony Rowland has been monitoring the wildlife along the Fleurieu coastline and visited Tunkalilla beach where he came across sick, dying kangaroos.

There is a creek nearby to where the kangaroos were found that could have “picked up something nasty that’s infected the roos”, Mr Rowland told 7News.

Surfer Anthony Rowland talks to 7NEWS about a sludge-coloured foam and several dead fish have been sighted on the beaches of Waitpinga Point to Victor Harbor . Picture: 7NEWS

“I feel a little bit of peace, knowing that all those roos ... are at rest now,” he said.

“To me it makes more sense that whatever’s going on with that marine life could have an impact on these coastal mammals.”

After euthanising the sick animals, PIRSA is testing the kangaroos, as well as swabs from a nearby creek, a brackish lagoon and the ocean, 7News reported.

The Fleurieu Peninsula has been tackling the microalgal bloom since March 18, and it has forced the closure of many popular beaches in the region, as well as the Victor Harbor horse drawn tram that travels between the town and Granite Island.

A sludge-coloured foam and several dead fish have been sighted on the beaches of Waitpinga Point to Victor Harbor, causing a stir in the community. Picture: Facebook

Speaking to The Advertiser on Tuesday, Victor Harbor fisherman and owner-operator of a fresh fish shop and charter business, Rod Ness, said he’d had to cancel charters due to the toxic foam, losing him about $15k in revenue.

On Tuesday, the state government announced that the toxic foam found across the Fleurieu had been identified as Karenia mikimotoi, an algae toxic to fish and invertebrates that can cause flu-like symptoms if exposed to humans.

Environment minister Susan Close urged people to avoid the water and shoreline along the affected beaches, and said that Waitpinga and Parsons beaches would remain closed until the bloom dissipates.