Virginia Beach, Va. - Boaters are being asked to use extreme caution near the Rudee Inlet.
According to the Coast Guard, there are serious shoaling conditions, which means that the water is extremely low.
The Rudee Inlet is utilized by all kinds of people in the community and in the military, including the Navy SEALS. The Navy said they use the water as part of their training.
Rudee Tours, a whale watching business, told NewsChannel 3 they had to cancel some of their tours because the water is too shallow for their boats.
With a beautiful, warm day, Skip Feller with Rudee Tours was hoping to take some groups out to go whale watching and make some cash.
“We had to cancel several trips because of the low tide," said Feller.
He said they've lost probably almost $10,000 by canceling three tours and rearranging three others so they could go out during high tide.
“It's just one of those things were shoaled up tight," said Feller.
Jeff Swallow, with the Army Corps of Engineers explained the cause. “It's mainly caused by the heavy surf advisories and surf that we've had in the last month in the winter storms. They had been off the coast and have produced high waves."
The water was so low the Army Corps of Engineers will be dredging the area on Monday.
They say it will cost about $60,000 dollars.
“I describe it as a big vacuum cleaner, it's got a little arm on the side and it comes in and it sucks all the sand up,” said Sallow.
They said they'll move the sand to closer to 9th Street on the beach.
They said they're moving about 5,000 cubic yards, which they say would equal the same as about 250 large trash trucks.
“It is disappointing. It's very disappointing because were having this great weather this time, but it's kind of out of everybody's control really,” said Feller.
Members of the Army Corps of Engineers say anyone coming in and out of the out inlet should use extreme caution.
