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In case you’re planning a seashore trip and are apprehensive concerning the present seaweed circumstances in Cancun and Riviera-Maya, this submit has necessary details about seaweed season.
It additionally has the most recent updates on the Cancun seaweed downside and particulars on sargassum seaweed in 2024 and the seaweed forecast for 2024.
Over the previous 10 years, I’ve personally walked the seashores of Mexico’s Caribbean coast throughout seaweed season many occasions.
This report is from my journey to Cancun Riviera Maya in June 2024. The excellent news is that there’s LESS seaweed than was forecast!!
Whereas the amount of seaweed coming to shore varies yearly, sure seashores have extra sargassum seaweed than others.
Listed below are my skilled recommendations on planning the perfect seashore trip to Cancun and Riviera Maya in 2024!
It contains options on find out how to discover the perfect seashores for swimming, even throughout the peak of seaweed season in Cancun.
Be aware: This can be a recurring submit up to date with authentic images, sargassum seaweed maps and data on seaweed circumstances and the standing of the present seaweed downside in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Puerto Morelos, Isla Mujeres and Tulum.
Contents of This Information to Cancun Sargassum
Cancun Seaweed Season Proper Now – A Fast Snapshot
June 2024: The forecast is by July 2024 onward, Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean coast will see a lower in sargassum.
February 2024: The outlook for 2024 by College of South Florida steered that there may very well be a main bloom of sargassum in 2024.
The college’s monitoring system recognized a big mat of sargassum seaweed within the Central Atlantic in February 2024.
The abundance was much like circumstances noticed in 2017 and 2020, each of which preceded main seaweed blooms.
Nonetheless seaweed on Cancun, Tulum, Playa del Carmen seashores in 2024 has been decrease than predicted.
Nonetheless, a lot is determined by ocean and wind currents.
Learn on to see authentic images and study which areas may very well be in danger.
Sargassum Seaweed Info
What precisely is sargassum seaweed and why is it an issue?
Sargassum (also called sargazo and sargasso) is a sort of brown algae that typically lies within the open ocean within the Sargasso Sea within the North Atlantic.
Wrapped by ocean currents, this mat of seaweed floats on the floor of the water. It serves as a resting space and spawning floor for an enormous array of life from eels to sea turtles.
Whereas sargassum seaweed is a pure phenomenon that has been occurring for hundreds of years, the inflow of sargassum lately have been bigger, thicker and extra widespread.
Since 2011, blooms of sargassum have been showing within the tropics sweeping up from South America by means of the Caribbean alongside the coast of Mexico and into the Gulf of Mexico and Florida.
The summer time of 2018 witnessed the worst inflow of sargassum brown algae in latest historical past. In 2022, the seaweed downside was equally as dangerous.
The amount of the sargassum seaweed mixed with variations within the composition of the seaweed itself, poses issues.
Massive portions of seaweed float on the floor of the water, wash up on seashores, lure marine life within the seaweed itself and deplete the oxygen that fish must breathe.
Numerous methods — from raking it manually to utilizing limitations to catch the sargassum earlier than it reaches the shore — have been devised to attempt to take care of the unprecedented waves of seaweed which have engulfed areas of the Caribbean and Mexico in 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Is it Harmful to Swim in Sargassum Seaweed?
Sargassum seaweed in itself doesn’t pose an issue, says Dr. Jeffrey Rapaport at Holy Identify Hospital in Teaneck (Emeritus head of Dermatology). As an alternative, it’s what the seaweed harbours that may trigger pores and skin irritations and different dangers.
The seaweed when floating on the high of scorching, shallow waters, can begin to play host to microbes and strains of micro organism the pores and skin isn’t accustomed to coming in touch with. Additionally, it’s a must to do not forget that fish usually use sargassum as a breeding grounds — leaving toxins and eggs in seaweed.
With freshwater in addition to saltwater swimmers ought to be careful for the expansion of Cyanobacteria (which may usually be seen altering the water’s color to mild inexperienced).
Cyanobacteria can launch neurotoxins, which not solely can have an effect on the pores and skin however could cause the dying of neurons that management a lot of the muscle tissues and actions in your physique.
One other danger happens when sargassum seaweed gathers in giant portions, washes up on seashores and begins to decompose. It releases hydrogen sulfide gasoline, or H2S, a colourless, toxic gasoline with an disagreeable rotten-egg odor,
In line with Eric Najarro, Administrator on the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II in Belize, inhaling small doses of the gasoline can set off irritation of the eyes, respiratory points and nausea, particularly amongst at-risk folks comparable to these with bronchial asthma, the aged, infants and pregnant girls.
Sure animals, particularly canine, are additionally delicate to the inhalation of hydrogen sulfide.
One other well being danger to swimming with giant portions of sargassum seaweed is the potential for pores and skin irritations and rashes.
So when you’re questioning if it’s protected to swim in sargassum seaweed, in response to the specialists I’ve consulted, it’s not advisable.
Be aware that purple tide and sargassum seaweed are two completely different issues. A purple tide is a bloom of algae that discolours coastal waters and releases harmful toxins.
Consuming shellfish or different seafood throughout an algal bloom is dangerous to people.
When is Seaweed Season within the Caribbean and Mexico?
Within the Caribbean, seaweed season is usually Could to October. The worst time for seaweed in Cancun, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad & Tobago and far of the Caribbean is throughout the summer time months.
In search of trip concepts on Caribbean islands not affected by sargassum seaweed? Take a look at our Information to Caribbean Seashores with out Sargassum Seaweed.
The seaweed season in Cancun is usually over by the top of October. Nonetheless, some cities comparable to Puerto Morelos typically proceed to obtain sargassum seaweed previous that date.
Nonetheless, the state of Quintana Roo has been engaged on methods to deal with the seaweed downside.
Along with aerial surveillance, they’ve issued contracts to rent corporations to gather and eliminate the seaweed.
Seaweed Circumstances in Cancun
The portions of seaweed in Cancun and alongside the Caribbean coast will differ relying upon ocean currents, the dimensions of the sargasso seaweed mat, seasonality, ocean currents and wind circumstances.
If you wish to keep away from the worst time for seaweed in Cancun and scale back the probability of it ruining your trip, it’s value contemplating which seashores to decide on on your trip.
For instance there may be giant portions of algae in Petempich Bay, in Puerto Morelos, Recodo Seaside, within the municipality of Solidaridad (Playa del Carmen), in addition to Punta Mosquitos on Holbox Island.
But the remainder of the coast may be comparatively clear.
The place in Cancun is There No Seaweed?
The perfect guess for seashores close to Cancun with no seaweed is to go to the island of Isla Mujeres or to the leeward coast of Cozumel by ferry.
Lovely Playa Norte (north seashore) on Isla Mujeres is sort of at all times away from seaweed. Most of the inns on the southwest coast of the island are additionally seaweed free.
We simply returned from the newly-opened Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets and techniques and liked its small non-public seashore.
For extra info on this all-inclusive, adults-only luxurious resort, learn our full assessment of Impression Isla Mujeres.
An alternative choice is Playa Mujeres on the mainland north of Cancun.
Additionally on the mainland, Coral Seaside stretches alongside the northern shores of what’s generally known as Punta Cancun or probably the most northerly level of the Cancun Lodge Zone.
This public seashore sometimes will get hit by seaweed however often it’s nothing main.
Subsequent door on the Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Seaside Cancun Resort & Spa, the non-public seashore is usually fully away from sargassum. It options powder comfortable white sands and clear turquoise waters.
It’s often protected against seaweed by close by Isla Mujeres. Nonetheless wind and ocean currents can change and seaweed circumstances at Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Seaside Cancun can change shortly.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE LATEST MAP OF SEAWEED CONDITIONS in Cancun
A bonus of Coral Seaside is that the waters are calm and the entry is gradual with no steep drop-off. This makes it excellent for individuals who aren’t skilled swimmers.
For my part, that is the greatest seashore in Cancun for swimming. Newbie swimmers, young children and seniors will all take pleasure in swimming at this lovely seashore.
Greatest Cancun Seashores With out Seaweed – Playa Gaviotas and Playa Gaviotas Azul
One of the standard public seashores in Cancun, Playa Gaviotas Azul is positioned on the northern tip of the resort zone.
Seaside entry is between Coco Bongo and the Mandala Seaside Membership reverse Hooters by way of a slender alleyway. Present seaweed circumstances at Playa Gaviota Azul depend upon the depth of the ocean currents.
Most small clumps of seaweed on the sand are raked up by resort workers. There’s usually little or no sargassum seaweed floating offshore. However this isn’t at all times the case.
Nonetheless wind and ocean currents can change and seaweed circumstances can change shortly.
The main inns on these seashores embrace the all-inclusive Krystal Cancun and the Hyatt Ziva Cancun on the level of the peninsula.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE LATEST MAP OF SEAWEED CONDITIONS in CANCUN .
Greatest Cancun Seashores With out Seaweed – Playa Delfines / Dolphins Seaside
This lengthy, broad public seashore on the southern finish of the Lodge Zone is named Playa Defines. It’s probably the most standard seashores in Cancun.
You’ll additionally see line-ups of individuals ready to get a photo-op in entrance of the CANCUN signal.
The quantity of seaweed on Playa Delfines varies significantly from week to week. See beneath for a photograph of what it regarded like in 2018.
Nonetheless wind and ocean currents can change and seaweed circumstances can change shortly.
If there’s a variety of seaweed at Playa Delfines, a superb choice is to take a ferry to Isla Mujeres or Isa Cozumel. The leeward seashores on these islands nearly at all times haven’t any sargassum seaweed.
Test our listing of the greatest all-inclusive resorts in Cancun Riviera-Maya.
Present Cancun Seaweed Circumstances – Sargassum Forecasts for 2024
Seaweed forecasts by the specialists have traditionally been fairly correct.
A report by Brigitta Ine van Tussenbroek, an ocean researcher from the Institute of Marine Sciences and Limnology on the Nationwide Autonomous College (UNAM) steered giant portions of sargassum seaweed would return to Mexico’s Caribbean coast. Her report was fairly correct.
For seaweed season in 2024, the Sargassum Early Advisory System (SEAS) forecasting challenge confirmed a number of giant floating plenty of seaweed within the Atlantic between southern Africa and Brazil.
Whether or not it lands in Cancun, Chetumal, Tulum or the Riviera Maya depended a lot upon atmospheric circumstances comparable to commerce winds.
In line with the College of South Florida’s Outlook of Sargassum blooms within the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, primarily based on offshore circumstances, the seaweed forecast for 2024 steered it could be one other main Sargassum yr.
The forecast is by July 2024, Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean coast will start to see a lower in Sargassum.
So it’s smart to maintain a watch on seaweed circumstances as landings of sargassum can change from everyday.
Present Seaweed Circumstances in Tulum
How is the federal government coping with the seaweed downside in Tulum, Playa del Carmen and Mexico’s Caribbean Coast?
When wanted, the federal government of Quintana Roo points an emergency declaration for the municipalities of Lázaro Cárdenas, Isla Mujeres, Benito Juárez, Puerto Morelos, Cozumel, Solidaridad, Tulum, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Bacalar and Othón P. Blanco.
Declaring a State of Emergency allows native authorities to entry funding to fight the amount of seaweed by eradicating accumulations and blocking it by numerous strategies.
For seaweed season in 2024, evaluation by the College of South Florida’s Outlook of Sargassum blooms within the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico steered there may very well be a great amount of sargassum in 2024. However the actuality is it’s been decrease.
Tulum and Chetumal have usually been hit the worst. However it’s necessary to notice that from Tulum to Cancun seaweed circumstances can change every day relying on tides and water temperature.
If sargassum circumstances are dangerous on Tulum’s seashores, it’s value making an attempt the seashore membership at Caleta Tankah. The ocean right here usually has clear waters.
Playa del Carmen Seaweed in 2024
The favored resort city of Playa del Carmen has been experiencing a double whammy of challenges lately.
The principle issues are the erosion of its seashores and the inflow of sargassum seaweed alongside the coast. Seaweed in Playa del Carmen tends to get trapped and decompose.
This makes it odor and launch harmful gases comparable to hydrogen sulfide gasoline, or H2S, a colourless, toxic gasoline with an disagreeable rotten-egg odor,.
The seaweed season often ends in October in Playa del Carmen.
However when you’re visiting Playa del Carmen in seaweed season, it’s attainable to keep away from seaweed issues in Playa del Carmen by staying at resorts which have created inland seashores.
Each the Xcaret Lodge Arte (adults-only) and Xcaret Lodge (family-friendly) have created a number of inland seashores so friends can keep away from main sargassum mats.
One other all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen, Impression Moxché by Secrets and techniques, additionally created a synthetic inland seashore the place you possibly can take pleasure in comfortable sand and clear water in seaweed season.
Additional south, a improbable all-inclusive resort with out seaweed is the Laborious Rock Lodge Riviera Maya in Puerto Aventuras. It’s among the finest locations to remain in seaweed season in Cancun and Riviera Maya.
Right here, the inland seashore has no seaweed as a result of it’s protected by a rocky breakwater. However the tidal swimming pools enable recent seawater to enter. The water is obvious sufficient to snorkel amongst tropical fish and has an added bonus of being fairly calm.
Any sargassum seaweed that manages to sneak into the seashore zone is promptly eliminated by workers. So there’s no seaweed to build up and decay.
Sargassum Forecast for Seaweed Season in Mexico in 2024
In Mexico, sargassum seaweed season is usually between Could and October annually.
In case you journey to the Caribbean coast of Mexico outdoors of that point interval you possibly can typically keep away from giant mats of seaweed on the seashores.
June 2024:
Get the most recent seaweed maps on the Pink de Monitoreo del Sargazo Cancun Fb Web page .
July 2021:
March 2022
If you’re planning a trip throughout seaweed season (Could to October), monitor present seaweed circumstances all through the Caribbean, Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico by consulting the next sources.
Sargassum Seaweed 2024 Forecast Sources
The sources may also assist plan a seashore trip by offering forecasts on seaweed in 2024.
- Test the forecast on the College of South Florida’s Outlook of Sargassum blooms within the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
- Seek the advice of the Sargassum Early Advisory System (SEAS), a forecasting challenge primarily based in Texas supposed to assist predict the motion of sargassum blooms. Initially created in 2013 to assist with forecasting of the massive Sargassum landings in Texas, by 2017 the SEAS challenge had expanded to offer forecasting for the Gulf Coast, Mexico, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Haiti, Saba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and plenty of different Caribbean islands. The SARGASSUM EARLY ADVISORY SYSTEM can forecast sargassum seaweed plenty as much as eight days upfront.
- Get seaweed maps, updates and a Seaweed Report from the Pink de Monitoreo del Sargazo Cancun Fb Web page . This not-for-profit group is made up of engineers, biologists and different specialists who’re volunteering their time to offer monitoring experience and companies. They publish a map of areas affected by sargasso seaweed in Cancun, Riviera Maya, Cozumel and Tulum.
- Test Riviera Maya and Cancun Seaside Webcams at Stay Webcam to see dwell video frames up to date each 15 seconds.
- Subscribe to get drone views and updates on sargazo seaweed in Playa del Carmen on the Doctry 360 YouTube channel.
- Seek the advice of our article on Caribbean Seashores With out Seaweed for trip choices in Mexico and several other Caribbean islands.
- Subscribe to the free A Style for Journey e-newsletter for updates on the perfect seashores, seaweed circumstances and different journey suggestions!
- Take into account resorts at seashore locations on Mexico’s Pacific Coast the place there is no such thing as a sargassum. Fashionable seashore locations embrace Huatulco, Puerto Escondido and Puerto Vallarta.
FAQs
Seaweed season in Cancun is Could to October so in case you are visiting throughout these months in 2024 you might encounter sargassum seaweed on the seashores and/or within the water. Primarily based on the amount of sargassum seaweed at the moment within the Atlantic, there may very well be a significant seaweed downside in 2024 within the Caribbean Sea (affecting Cancun, Tulum and Playa del Carmen) relying on wind and ocean currents.
The quantity of sargassum seaweed in Cancun varies by season and even every day. Typically the worst months for seaweed are July and August.
Tulum, Mexico has a historical past of receiving influxes of sargassum seaweed throughout seaweed season. Seaweed season is usually between Could and October. Primarily based on the massive measurement of the sargassum mat at the moment within the Atlantic, specialists forecast that Tulum might have a significant seaweed downside in 2024, relying on ocean and wind currents.
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Dividing her time between Canada, Guatemala and Mexico (or the closest tropical seashore), Michele Peterson is the founding father of A Style for Journey. Her award-winning journey and meals writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s cookbook Mexico: From the Supply, Nationwide Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s and 100+ different publications.
Learn extra about Michele Peterson.
