Due to the strong east-to-west flowing winds, the monitoring network is anticipating that this mass of 5,000 km2 (3,100 mi2) will hit the waters of the Mexican Caribbean in the coming weeks. They expect that the mass will arrive in waves hitting mainly in the Southern Zone of the State, in about two weeks.

Join or FB Seaweed Reporting Groups:

• Mexico Sargassum Seaweed Updates (Cancun, PDC, Tulum, etc.)
• Dominican Republic Sargassum Seaweed Reports (Punta Cana, Cabarete, etc.)
• Sargassum Seaweed in Caribbean | Monitoring and Daily Updates
• Sargassum Seaweed Florida: Daily Updates and Photo Reports

This comes after approximately 135 tons were expected to wash ashore on the tranquil waters of the Mexican Caribbean in mid-April. In total, this year there is expected to be between 200 and 300 thousand tons of sargassum washing on the coasts of the Mexican Caribbean according to the Sargassum Monitoring Network.

The rotting, stinking algae is composed of gas-filled structures that keep the brown seaweed buoyant and make its way to all Caribbean islands, the Gulf of Mexico, and Southeast Florida. When washing ashore, not only does it stink, but it is not advised to swim next to it as it can cause the skin to turn red and into an itchy rash.

While it is harmful to humans, the seaweed helps with shoreline stability and is home to many marine species and the algae helps with erosion and provides beach plants with nutrients.

Along with the Mexican Caribbean, the massive amounts of sargassum have impacted other destinations in the Caribbean region, such as the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and even the Florida Peninsula.

In the Dominican Republic, hoteliers and local authorities are cleaning beaches every morning and installing ocean barriers as sargassum peaks between May and August on the country’s shores.

The post Seaweed Alert: 5,000 Square Kilometers Of Sargassum Heading To Mexican Caribbean appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

“You can’t swim. Boats are stuck. Rocks are buried. There is no human force that can handle this sargassum,” said @chachorivera in a viral YouTube video last week.

A short version of that video has over 1.6 million views on his TikTok account.

The YouTuber explains that the biggest arrival of seaweed is concentrated in the center of Playa del Carmen and that other beaches in the municipality are almost clean, like Playa Mamita.

In the footage, workers are operating heavy machinery to collect algae. But there are so many tons of organic material that those efforts look pointless.

“Hoteliers only want to profit from the beaches, but they do not invest to solve the problem,” a user lamented.

But the thing is that they do. Some resorts have even hired hundreds of workers to keep their own beaches clean.

“Some hotels have up to 300 employees ready to collect sargassum, depending on the resort’s size, because there are some with very large beach fronts,” said Jesús Almaguer Salazar, President of the Hotel Association of Cancun, Puerto Morelos and Isla Mujeres.

For their part, national and local authorities have invested millions in new “sargasero” vessels, ocean barriers and heavy machinery to collect sargasum in the open sea as well as on the beach.

The Navy Region is “installing up to 8,600 meters of anti-sargassum barriers. This reinforces the labor of 22 small boats, an ocean vessel, four beach sweepers, 11 algae collectors, and eight amphibious bands to control sargassum in 2024.”

Another Facebook user reports a worrisome situation in Playacar, where waters look absolutely brown and uninviting.

“…And this is just two km up towards the ferry pier at Playacar beach as well – Impossible to enter the water last two days and it’s piling up – maybe less cleaning going on the weekend ..,” Nora K.

The hard truth is that sargassum is increasingly becoming an uncontrollable issue. Its arrival is impacting marine life and tourism from West Africa to South Florida.

The tourism sector is being heavily impacted because sargassum makes aquatic activities difficult or impossible. Let alone that, when it decomposes, it releases hydrogen sulfide gas that smells like rotten eggs.

Marsh’s team, some researchers from the University of York, the West Indies, and Ghana have created SARTRAC, a multidisciplinary team to forecast and monitor sargassum.

According to these experts, by 2050, sea waters would be too hot for sargassum to survive in the Atlantic Ocean, so it might start invading the coasts of Portugal and the Canary Islands in Spain.

The post Shocking Videos Of Sargassum Invading This Popular Mexican Beach Town Go Viral appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

“Some hotels have up to 300 employees ready to collect sargassum, depending on the resort’s size, because there are some with very large beach fronts. However, if sargacero vessels are put in operation, collection will be much easier. They have worked,” said Jesús Almaguer Salazar, President of the Hotel Association of Cancun, Puerto Morelos and Isla Mujeres.

Resorts managers have also spoken to authorities regarding the ocean barriers to prevent the seaweed from washing ashore.

“We have been talking for months with the Naval Region Admiral, and thanks to that, anti-sargassum barriers are being placed from Puerto Morelos to Mahahual… These barriers significantly reduce the arrival to the beach,” Almaguer stated.

Some of the most popular beaches in Quintana Roo are installing up to 8,600 meters of anti-sargassum barriers. This reinforces the labor of 22 small boats, an ocean vessel, four beach sweepers, 11 algae collectors, and eight amphibious bands to control sargassum in 2024, according to REPORTUR.mx.

For its part, the Secretary of Navy (Semar) has 22 smaller vessels ready to support the “Natans” ship operations, according to El Heraldo.

Hoteliers are also lobbying for the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) to rethink the type of population the state houses so the national government allocates more funds for the particular issues this region has, sargassum, for instance. 

Meanwhile, due to low temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean, sargassum season in Quintana Roo started several weeks later than usual.

So far, the most affected beaches include Playa del Carmen, Sian Ka’an, Cozumel, Tulum, and some coasts between Cancun and Puerto Morelos.

But it doesn’t mean these beaches are dirty all day long. Authorities work unstoppably to clean them as soon as possible. 

For the time being, tourism projections have been positive and hoteliers expect figures to continue growing during the rest of the year.

“We had a very good (Easter) season. That serves as a base for the rest of the year. It is very important to have passed Holy Week without serious incidents,. We all know that it is complicated because there is a lot of land tourism. But we are very happy. We are having good results and we hope to continue like this,” Almaguer stated.

The post Mexico’s Beach Resorts Increase Staff To Fight Sargassum Ahead Of Summer 2024 appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

A few days ago, over 120 tons of sargassum impacted Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and Cozumel beaches. Over the next few weeks, Playa del Carmen will receive up to 300 tones per day.

Northeastern winds on the Caribbean Sea produced by a cold front from a few days ago had kept sargassum at bay. 

However, an anticyclone plus new southeastern winds combined with higher temperatures will inevitably attract more sargassum, according to the Oceanographic Institute of the Gulf and Caribbean Sea.

“We know from experience that higher temperatures are correlated to the quantities of sargassum that will arrive. So, we are prepared to increase the collection, because from today the arrival will definitely begin to intensify,” said María de Lourdes Várguez Ocampo, Secretary of Sustainable Environment and Climate Change of Solidaridad.

The amount of seaweed washing ashore depends on multiple human factors as well as unpredictable weather conditions in the Atlantic Ocean.

This time around, sargassum volumes have seen a reduction. In the first two months of the year, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Tancah, Cobá and Pole beaches collected 800 tons less than in the same timeframe in 2023. 

But the government won’t let its guard down. The Mexican Navy, along with State and private organizations, have geared up to combat sargassum months before the season began.

Cleaning heavy machinery and special vessels have been purchased to help the army of staffers who collect the seaweed right on the beach.

But that’s not all. Since April 1, the Navy has also been installing 8,600 meters of barriers to collect seaweed in the sea before it washes up on Cancun, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and other Caribbean beaches, said Admiral Rafael Ojeda.

“Regarding Operation Sargasso, it began on April 1. We have four sweepers, 22 small vessels, 11 sargaceras, a sargacero ocean vessel, eight compacting band machines, and barriers,” said Admiral Ojeda.

Although beachgoers can find sargassum all year long, the arrival season as such, typically goes from April to August.

This seaweed is no longer a merely aesthetic issue. According to studies, its unusual overproduction is wreaking havoc on the Mexican coral barrier and destroying vital nurseries for the conservation of marine species. 

While sargassum can mess up with your Instagram pictures, rest assured that Mexican authorities are working non-stop to provide you with the best beach experience possible while you take in the sun, gastronomy, and culture of this incredible destination.

The post Officials Raised Sargassum Alert For Cancun And The Rest Of The Mexican Caribbean appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

Since the beginning of April, the Secretary of the Navy has been tasked to install 8,600 meters of ocean barriers to catch sargassum in Cancun, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and other hotspots before it washes ashore, as informed by Navy Secretary Admiral Rafael Ojeda Durán.

This is only another tool that adds to the arsenal of technological equipment Quintana Roo State uses every day to help keep beaches suitable for local and international tourism.

“Regarding Operation Sargasso, it began on April 1. We have four sweepers, 22 small vessels, 11 sargaceras, a sargacero ocean vessel, eight compacting band machines, and barriers,” said Admiral Ojeda.

“Sargaceras” or “sargacero” vessels are ships equipped with special technology systems capable of suctioning sargassum and sometimes even packing it without negatively impacting marine life in the process. 

Authorities have also announced the works won’t end with the placement of ocean barriers, but also with the cleaning, collection and transport of the material to Technological Institute Felipe Carrillo Puerto, as well as other institutions to transform it into biodiesel.

Since the day the sargassum season kicked off in 2024, over 950 tons have been collected. Playa del Carmen expects to be receiving around 300 tons of sargassum per day over the next few weeks, as satellite reports show there’s a mass moving towards the Yucatan peninsula.

Although the Navy works hard to collect as much sargassum as they possibly can, the reality is that visitors will find beaches covered with it from April to August.

That’s why it’s so important to keep yourself updated about the changing conditions of beaches because they are not entirely clean or dirty every day. It depends on multiple factors.

The bright side is that this year has the potential to see less sargassum due to favorable weather conditions in the Atlantic Ocean.

Join our Mexico sargassum monitoring FB group to receive and share information about the sargassum situation across the Mexican Caribbean.

The post Mexican Navy Installs 8,600 Meters Of Barriers To Fight Sargassum In The Caribbean appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

The seaweed alert, which was at a “very low” level from the end of 2023, had to be elevated to “low” last week, according to the Oceanographic Institute of the Gulf and Caribbean Sea, which is part of the Mexican Navy.

Although the main coastal stretches remain clean, an increasing number of beaches have already been affected by the arrival of large amounts of sargassum, as reported by Traveling Lifestyle journalists and members of our Mexico sargassum monitoring FB group. However, this is about to change.

Rising temperatures and an anticyclone featuring southeastern winds in the Caribbean will begin to have visible effects on the number of seaweed tones washing ashore over the next few weeks.

“We know from experience that higher temperatures are correlated to the quantities of sargassum that will arrive. So, we are prepared to increase the collection, because from today the arrival will definitely begin to intensify,” María de Lourdes Várguez Ocampo, Secretary of Sustainable Environment and Climate Change of Solidaridad, told reporters.

To do so, every morning, Federal Land Maritime Zone (Zofemat) cleaning teams collect the algae from the beaches, although it’s impossible to remove it from the water.

Some ocean anti-sargassum barriers are expected to be set by the end of the month. 

“I’ve contacted one of Semar captains to find a space to accommodate the barriers and keep them protected,” said Lili Campos Miranda, President of Soledad Municipality.

Travelers must be aware that this new “natural” phenomenon will have an inevitable impact on their beach experience. And most importantly, it will only get worse until major international actions are taken.

It’s crucial to keep yourself informed about the changing situation. Some beaches can be clean today but dirty tomorrow and vice-versa.  

A Regional Issue

Sargassum in Mexico is more than an aesthetic problem affecting tourism. It is also further stressing the coral barrier, suffocating turtle nesting sites and destroying mangroves, which are vital nurseries for marine species. 

The daily alga removal with heavy machinery has resulted in eroded beaches that have started to affect local fishermen.

According to a study conducted by Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2018 animals from 78 wildlife species were unable to fight back and died during the last sargassum season.   

The post Playa Del Carmen To See 300 Tons Of Seaweed A Day In Upcoming Weeks, Say Officials appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

The seaweed situation in Mexico had been very positive in the first 3 months of 2024. Various reports showed notably less sargassum than in the previous seaweed seasons but that changed on April 6. Travelers in the Mexican Caribbean and our journalists in the area started uploading photos to our Facebook seaweed reporting group of what seems to be a major increase in sargassum arrival on popular beaches like Playa del Carmen, Playacar, Tulum, etc.

Video recorded by our journalist on April 6 showcases the first arrival on Coco beach in Playa del Carmen which was absolutely clean the day before.

On April 8, a seasoned traveler Brendan H., lamented how much beaches in Mexico have changed in the last 20 years: “My wife and I have been vacationing in Playa for over 20 years. Sargassum ruined it. So sad!”

“Last time I was there [Playacar], the beach was loaded with it [sargassum], the hotel had a tractor to clear it driving back and forth all day, it didn’t help much. Climate change in action,” said a beachgoer named Simon R., on April 9.

Other beaches like Isla Mujeres, which historically have been protected from sargassum for its privileged geographical position, have also started to receive some amounts of the smelly seaweed: “Actually. [I] was there today on the south side. Was not good. Cloudy, seaweed and ugly,” said Patty Drinkwater on April 8.

Other tourists have caught cleaning personnel on camera acutely operating heavy machinery to get rid of the algae invading some beaches of Playa del Carmen, but it seems just impossible to get it all out of the water.

Video recorded by our journalist on April 9:

Why is the seaweed season only starting now?

Authorities, beachgoers, and local vendors have been reporting a significant reduction in sargassum arrival throughout the beginning year.

According to Bartolo Canché, an aquatic tour seller, by the end of January 2023, Tulum was covered with sargasum. This year instead, the first sargassum blobs started to arrive at the end of March.

Sargassum collected on Tulum, Cobá, Playa del Carmen, Tancah, and Pole beaches between January and February 2024, was 800 tones less than in the same timeframe in 2023.

So far, mild temperatures in the ocean have kept sargassum at bay. But summer is around the corner and the inevitable will happen and the Mexican Caribbean will start seeing more sargassum in weeks and months.

What’s causing sargassum seaweed?

Martín Meléndez, Professor at the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (INTEC), explains that the rise in water temperatures, global warming and an excess of nutrients discharged into oceans by the agricultural industry are causing sargassum to grow uncontrollably and head to Caribbean beaches “without the help of cyclones.” 

That’s why, he says, we are seeing sargassum throughout the year and not only during summer when high temperatures favor its reproduction.  

Sargassum originates at the north end of the Amazon River and the coasts of West Africa, from Sierra Leone to Ghana. Then, thermohaline currents (caused by temperature and salt) bring it to the Caribbean.

Regardless, this time around, the forecast is not as obscure as it was in previous years.

Diego Reina Anduze, Director of “The 7 Natural Wonders of America,” stated that the fight against sargassum requires synergy among governments, scientists, local communities, and the private tourism industry. 

The post Mexican Caribbean Is Seeing The Biggest Seaweed Arrival Of 2024 Season appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

Due to the serious nature posed by the sale of drugs in tourist destinations in the State, the council joined forces to inform their guests of the risks when buying and consuming drugs in Mexican territory.

The Tulum Hotel Association was the first to adopt this measure as they gave each guest a document to sign explaining the risks. 

Toni Chaves, President of the Mexican Caribbean Hotel Council, stated these measures came to action to not only keep tourists safe but to educate tourists about the laws of the country and the trouble they could face for drug purchasing and consumption. The Mexican Caribbean Hotel Council worked together with the state government, security and tourism authorities to enact these measures. 

The recommendation is that hotels are to present a document to travelers upon check-in so they are aware of the risks, as most tourists are ignorant to what may occur. Whilst the hotels are not obliged to follow, it is a recommendation that the council is hoping that all hotels will follow. 

Along with notifying tourists, other joint activities between the private sector and security authorities have banded together to combat drug dealing. There has been a larger presence of surveillance of police and federal forces on the beaches along with checkpoints throughout the state. 

According to data from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System, authorities received the report of 441 cases for the crime of drug dealing during January and February of this year. This is a big drop from the 2,202 cases reported during the same year in 2023. 

The post Hoteliers Of The Mexican Caribbean Join Forces Against Drug Dealing appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

This time around, environmental and human factors are coming together for visitors to encounter cleaner beaches. 

Favorable Environmental Conditions 

First and foremost, between January and February 2024, 1000 tons of sargassum were collected on Tulum, Cobá, Playa del Carmen, Tancah and Pole beaches, according to local authorities. 

This means that there has been a reduction of almost 800 tons of sargassum washing ashore when compared to the same period in 2023.

“Higher temperatures result in a massive reproduction of the algae. Consequently, it arrives in larger quantities as a result,” explained Lourdes Várguez Ocampo, Secretary of Sustainable Environment and Climate Change of Solidaridad. Other factors include the presence of strong swells and the excess of nutrients in the water.” She concluded.

Photos From 2023 and 2024 Confirm Decrease In Sargassum This Year

Photos from the FB reporting group confirm a massive drop in the amount of sargassum seaweed on the beaches of the Mexican Caribbean.

January, February, March 2023

January, February, March 2024

Increased Cleaning Personnel

Solidaridad’s authorities have repeatedly announced they have taken the necessary measures to fight the imminent arrival of the sargassum season. 

As per Antonio Chambé, head of the Wells and Beaches Directorate, 180 workers are currently taking daily care of the area’s public beaches.

However, he acknowledges that the current workforce won’t be able to collect all the sargassum it is expected to arrive in the upcoming weeks.

To ensure beaches will be well taken care of, the Directorate will bring in 200 more workers to reinforce the cleaning team at the end of this month. 

More Anti-Sargassum Ocean Barriers

Both, the local authorities and the community are certain that keeping Mexican Caribbean coasts sargassum-free is a war that must be fought on multiple fronts.

To do so, the Secretary of the Navy, the different ports, and hotelier industry leaders are joining efforts to install a large number of containment barriers in the ocean, especially in Quintana Roo. 

Meanwhile, the Port Authority in Playa del Carmen has installed a 1,480-meter sargassum containment barrier to protect the bays of Chemuyil and Chemuyilito.

New Anti-Sargasum Vessels

Until 2024, the Quintana Roo Navy had to fight sargasum arrival with only 11 coastal and 13 smaller vessels. Some of them were not even working any longer because they were not in good technical condition.

However, at the end of last year, the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit approved the purchase of 14 brand-new vessels to join the anti-sargassum fleet in 2024.

All these actions reflect the commitment maritime authorities and tourism executives have so visitors can continue enjoying memorable holidays, and keep choosing this destination for being one of the most stunning in the Caribbean.

The post Mexican Caribbean Reports A Massive Seaweed Reduction On The Beaches In 2024 appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

The issue’s severity has been documented through videos shared on social media by those directly impacted. Despite prompt reports to the authorities by those within the tourism sector, there has been a noticeable lack of response or remedial action to address this pressing matter.

The ongoing situation is visibly troubling to tourists, who are confronted with the continuous discharge of wastewater, compromising the local environment.

Stakeholders have noted that this issue becomes particularly pronounced following rainfall, impacting both the renowned Fifth Avenue and the adjacent beach areas.

Explanation of the former secretary of public services on the overflows in Playa del Carmen

Carlos Segura Espadas, the former Secretary of Municipal Public Services, clarified that rain often leads to the drainage system’s saturation, resulting in overflows at the city’s lower elevations. This recurrent problem not only impacts those offering tourist services but also significantly tarnishes the reputation of Playa del Carmen as a premier tourist destination.

The post Tourist Service Providers In Playa del Carmen Alarmed By Another Water Problem appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.