Why Parts of Westport Suddenly Smell Like Rotten Fish

If we've learned anything from the Blizzard of '26, it's that people love to complain. We complained when the snow was not plowed fast enough in our neighborhoods. When the plows finally reached our driveways, we complained that they were too loud while working through the night. Now, many people are complaining that the five snow days from the historic storm will push summer vacation too far into June.

Blizzard Talk Is Over in Westport

In Westport, however, the town has already moved past blizzard talk. That is so last week. This week, the conversation around town is all about a pungent smell that has taken over part of the town.

If you live in or travel through the area near Route 177, the old Westport High School, or Main Road, chances are you have already encountered what some are calling "the beast."

Residents describe the odor in colorful ways. Some say it smells like rancid eggs baking in the sun. Others compare it to dead animals or rotting fish.

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What Is Causing the Smell in Westport?

One popular theory circulating around town is that fish fertilizer was spread on nearby fields before the Blizzard of '26. Because the historic snow has begun to melt, the fertilizer is releasing the unbearable rotting fish smell into the Westport air.

While the exact source has not been officially confirmed, many residents believe the melting snow has intensified the smell.

Westport Businesses Are Noticing the Smell, Too

The odor has been hard to ignore for people working in the area. Tusher Patel, owner of Harry’s Country Store, said customers started talking about it almost immediately after he opened today

“I mean it smells like really rotten eggs,” Patel told Fun 107. “It has been smelling since I came in at six in the morning. Every customer is complaining about it.”

Patel said the smell is noticeable every time someone opens the door.

“When a customer opens the door some of the smell comes inside,” he said. “No one needs that at six in the morning.”

For now, Westport residents may simply have to wait out the stench. Here's hoping the warmer temperatures don't make it worse.

Westport's Version of "Never Have I Ever..."

Westport and SouthCoast people, it's time to play the game where you start with 10 fingers, then continue to put them down one by one for each item you have done as you read through these 25 "Never Have I Evers." There's no way you'll make it through them all without running out of fingers. Hands up!

Gallery Credit: Gazelle