Mexico has been dealing with sargassum inundation events for almost a decade. This season, famous beaches across Quintana Roo have been covered by algae due to a combination of environmental factors. But that’s about to stop, authorities have announced.
According to Jesús Amaro, a hydrobiologist who chairs the Environmental Monitoring and Climate Change Network of the Caribbean Sea, a major change in the ocean currents’ direction and speed has driven massive sargassum blobs to the North, away from the Mexican coasts.
If the meteorological situation in the ocean remains stable, Quintana Roo’s beaches will be sargassum-free for the rest of the year.
“Quintana Roo coasts won’t have any more sargassum for the rest of 2024. What was left of this macroalga in the waters of the Mexican Caribbean has already washed ashore thanks to Hurricane Beryl,” said Amaro.
This expert is not the only one who has reached such a conclusion.
According to the Secretary of the Navy’s weekly report, the sargassum alert has been downgraded to “Level 1: Scarce.” This means that the presence of algae is “sporadic” and “imperceptible.”
Other data worth checking out reveals that, as of right now, there are 190,865 tons of algae in the Central Atlantic; 70,019 in the Eastern Caribbean; and only 1,318 in the Mexican Caribbean.
Sargassum-Free Beaches at the Moment
According to recent reports, Isla Contoy as well as Playa Centro, Playa Punta Sur and Playa Lancheros in Isla Mujeres are algae-free.
Beaches Presenting Very Little Algae
Virtually all beaches in the Cancun Hotel Zone are currently sargassum-free.
The entire area between Cancun and Tulum, passing by Playa del Carmen and Cozumel, has very low amounts of sargassum, with some exceptions.
Beaches Presenting Moderate Quantities of Algae
The most affected beaches in the Mexican Caribbean include Playa El Recodo in Playa del Carmen, Playa Coral in Cancun, Isla Blanca in Costa Mujeres and Puerto Morelos Norte as well as Punta Molas, Playa Xhanan, and Playa El Castillo in Cozumel.