BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) - Marine waters off Blaine have been closed to recreational shellfish gathering because of high toxin levels from an algae bloom.

The closure of Drayton Harbor and the shoreline around Semiahmoo Spit was announced Wednesday by the Whatcom County Health Department.

According to a news release from the agency, dangerously high levels of marine biotoxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning have been found in clams, mussels, oysters, scallops and other mollusks.

The closure does not apply to crab, but health officials say only the meat should be eaten and the so-called "crab butter" should be discarded.

PSP is potentially deadly and the toxins that cause it are not destroyed by cooking or freezing. Shellfish become contaminated with the toxins from naturally occurring algae.