Isla Mujeres recorded the first massive arrival of sargassum this season, with more than 150 metric tons. Although Quinta Roo has received hundreds of tons this year, Isla Mujeres hasn’t been too affected by the phenomenon and it’s usually listed as one of the few beach destinations without sargassum near Cancun.
The Wednesday “inundation event” happened due to an unfavorable “circulating weather system” that prompted the unusual arrival of algae to Playa Norte and El Riíto.
The Federal Maritime-Terrestrial Zone (Zofemat) immediately activated the “Temporary Employment Program,” which hires locals, especially fishermen, to clean beaches right away.
“Due to changes in sea currents, on Wednesday morning, an atypical sargassum wash-up was recorded on Playa Norte, generating immediate action by the Municipal Government through the work crews of Zofemat Isla Mujeres and volunteers from the Isla Mujeres City Council,” reads a City Hall statement.
Until yesterday, crews were still pitchforking mountains of sargassum, according to local media outlets. Some 200 people have been tasked with removing sargassum since Tuesday, when the island saw the first 30 tons.
“There is an atypical wash-up of sargassum on the north beach where more than 70 people are working to remove the remaining 30 tons,” said Alejandra Pérez Medina, the Director of Isla Mujeres Zofemat.
Sargassum inundation events happen when masses of algae arrive on beaches due to strong winds and currents. “These events can adversely impact coastal ecosystems, tourism, and public health,” says the US National Ocean Service.
Regarding the causes of this unusual event, Atenea Ricalde Gómez, the Municipal President of Isla Mujeres, said: “This happened due to strong winds generated by the storm that passed near our coasts during the weekend. That’s why we are having this atypical wash-up, but it’s just a contingency we are solving.”
The affected area covered 120 linear meters and was located next to the Mía Reef Hotel.
Cleaning work is expected to be fully completed on Friday. Large amounts of sargassum should stop washing up because weather conditions have improved, said Pérez Medina.
According to the Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of the Navy (Semar), there was a significant reduction of algae between June 19 and 20. However, federal authorities stated that sargassum cannot be seen due to large accumulations of clouds, so this information may be incorrect.
For its part, the Mexican Navy Secretariat announced that a greater arrival of sargassum is expected in Quinta Roo in the upcoming days.
The alert level in the state went from low to moderate (level 4), due to strong winds in the southeast.
“The [sargassum] alert level for the Mexican Caribbean region is “moderate” (CAT-4), with approximately 12,680 tons of algae,” reads the report.