Mexican Caribbean is one of the most popular tourism regions around the globe! Its pristine beaches and crystal blue waters bring millions of visitors from all around the world. Unfortunately, the beaches are not in the top condition all year round due to the sargassum seaweed annual arrival.
This phenomenon started happening around 12 years ago and it’s been gradually worsening each year. The exact cause why sargassum seaweed outbreaks in such amounts is not exactly proven yet. Scientists assume it’s a combination of human pollution and global warming.
When is Sargassum Seaweed Season in Mexico?
Sargassum seaweed season in Mexico usually starts between January and March and ends between July and September. The peak of the season is around May-June but each year differs.
Optical Oceanography Laboratory and Quintana Roo Sargassum Monitoring Network (Satellite Images & Maps)
The Optical Oceanography Laboratory at the College of Marine Science is part of the University of Florida which focuses on monitoring sargassum seaweed using U.S. NASA and USGS satellite images.
Red de Monitoreo del Sargazo de Quintana Roo (Quintana Roo Sargassum Monitoring Network) is an NGO in Mexico focusing on monitoring seaweed in the region of Cancun and Riviera Maya. They release distribution maps across the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean and also maps of the situation on 100 beaches along the coast.
NOTE: As mentioned on the Optical Oceanography Laboratory website, these data are only a general estimation and outlook for the sargassum seaweed situation and should not be used for exact prediction or forecast for a particular beach destination.
Latest Sargassum Seaweed Map and Traffic Light Across 100 Beaches
Sargassum seaweed map and traffic light (showcasing levels of seaweed) across 100 beaches on the Mexican Caribbean coast.
Latest Map Released on April 17, 2025:
The sargassum seaweed situation has slightly improved between April 12-17, but according to satellite images below a massive arrival is about to reach the coast in around a week!
Sargassum Distribution and Abundance Map In The Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean + Predicted Flow / Forecast for 2025
Satellite image from Florida’s University has been showing massive sargassum distribution accross the Atlantic Ocean moving towards the Caribbean. Many experts warn that this could be the worse sargassum season ever recorded.
According to these latest satellite images from October 14 – 20 by the Optical Oceanography Laboratory of the University of South Florida, there is a massive sargassum seaweed formation in the Atlantic Ocean. This formation is considered to arrive in the Caribbean in 2025 but it’s hard to predict when exactly and in which locations.
Facebook Monitoring Group
Mexico Sargassum Seaweed Updates (Cancun, PDC, Tulum, etc.) is a Facebook monitoring group with more than 34,000 members uploading photos and commenting on the sargassum seaweed conditions in the popular areas of the Mexican Caribbean.
Latest Photos, News And Updates
April 18, 2025: Sargassum Seaweed Season in Full Swing in the Mexican Caribbean
Sargassum seaweed season 2024 picked up really strong already in early March and latest forecasting doesn’t show massive upcoming arrivals in the end of April / beginning of May.
Latest images & videos from the Mexican Caribbean (April 1 – 18, 2025):
January 10, 2025: Latest Photo Updates
All the beaches in the Mexican Caribbean are currently sargassum-free but some part might accumulate some sargassum when not cleaned for a while (as on the Tulum picture below).
95% of the travelers in our monitoring FB groups are reporting clean beaches.
January 1, 2025: Playa del Carmen Prepares for 2025 Sargassum Season
Playa del Carmen’s ZOFEMAT (Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone) is proactively planning for the 2025 sargassum season, aiming to mitigate the impact of the seaweed on the region’s beaches and tourism industry. Officials have outlined strategies to improve collection efforts and manage disposal efficiently. Preparations include enhanced coordination with private sector stakeholders and the use of specialized equipment to ensure cleaner coastlines during peak sargassum influx periods. These early measures underscore the importance of preserving Playa del Carmen’s beaches as a cornerstone of its tourism appeal.
October 2024: Latest Seaweed Updates & Photos from the FB monitoring group in the Mexican Caribbean
The latest images from the beach webcams from October 2024 in Cancun, Akumal and Tulum show no signs of sargassum seaweed.
August, September 2024: Latest Seaweed Updates & Photos from the Mexican Caribbean
Since July 2024, the sargassum seaweed situation has been very mild in the Mexican Caribbean. The official maps (above) show almost no seaweed but there have been quite few massive arrivals during August and September (especiall in Tulum).
Sargassum seaweed season is expected to completely finish by the end of September/ beginning of October and start again in January 2025.
July 3 to July 18: Latest Seaweed Updates & Photos from the Mexican Caribbean
Beaches of the Mexican Caribbean are looking very clean post-Hurricane Beryl. The experts predict sargassum-free summer 2024 season in Cancun and other parts of the Mexican Caribbean.
July 3: Hurrican Beryl heading towards the Mexican Caribbean
Hurricane Beryl is the first of many predicted hurricanes of the season 2024. As of now, it’s categorized as LEVEL 4 and moving towards Jamaica after making devastating landfall on the island of Grenada. NY Times headline says: Hurricane Beryl Caused ‘Unimaginable’ Damage in Grenada, Leader Says. Hurricane Beryl left at least 6 dead on the island.
July 25 to July 3: Latest Seaweed Updates & Photos
Beaches of the Mexican Caribbean are looking very clean at the end of June / beginning of July.
June 25: Latest Seaweed Updates from Tulum and Playa del Carmen
June 24: Latest Photo Updates from Cancun and Tulum
NOTE: the seaweed photo updates should also be taken as an estimation as the sargassum seaweed is very unpredictable and can change from the lowest level to the highest within one day!