Playa del Carmen, Mexico, (EFE).- The Mexican Caribbean is facing one of its worst sargassum seasons in recent years, with over 20,000 tons of seaweed already collected in the first half of 2024, a troubling sign as the summer tourist season begins, officials warned Wednesday.
“We’re already exceeding 20,000 tons this season. We’ve seen especially high influxes in the southern zone, particularly here in Playa del Carmen,” said Oscar Rébora, head of the Quintana Roo State Environment Secretariat, in an interview with EFE.
Throughout 2024, authorities have gathered more than 25,000 tons of sargassum along the state’s coastline, and projections suggest the worst is yet to come.
According to the Sargassum Monitoring Network, a local NGO that tracks seaweed levels and issues a “traffic light” warning system for beaches, arrivals could surge by more than 40% in the coming weeks.
Beaches such as El Recodo and Punta Esmeralda have experienced particularly severe accumulations, prompting an emergency cleanup operation involving Mexico’s Navy, state and municipal agencies, as well as minor offenders who are working on beach cleanup instead of jail time.
Despite the disruption, tourism operators remain cautiously optimistic.
“The impact has been strong, especially in April when we had cancellations and had to rearrange itineraries,” said José Gómez Burgos, secretary of the Caribbean Sea Tourist Cooperative. “Still, we managed to operate during Easter. We’re optimistic, summer could still bring strong visitor numbers.”
Gómez Burgos noted that most water activities like diving and fishing remain unaffected, as they take place in deeper water where sargassum doesn’t reach.
However, adaptations have been necessary. “We’ve had to change boarding locations to ensure tourists don’t have to wade through the algae,” he added.
“Everything depends on the weather”
Samantha Álvarez, Municipal Secretary of Environment and Climate Change in Playa del Carmen, reported that nearly 8,000 tons of sargassum have been collected so far this year just in that area.
“These beaches are never 100% clean, what we do is mitigate the impact so it doesn’t smell or damage the visitor experience,” said Álvarez. “We ask tourists not to panic. Sargassum is a natural phenomenon. One day it’s here, the next day it’s gone. Everything depends on the weather.”
The sargassum season typically runs from early spring through September or October, peaking between April and May.
However, the arrival and intensity of the macroalgae vary widely depending on ocean currents, weather patterns, and the tropical storm season.
In 2024, Mexico welcomed 45 million international tourists, a 7.4% increase from the previous year, with Quintana Roo, home to popular destinations like the Riviera Maya and Cancún, continuing to draw millions despite environmental challenges.
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