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Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean are getting much-needed respite from unusually high sargassum levels this week as the Easter holidays kick off.
Previously, environmental experts had warned that the region could potentially see record quantities of sargassum wash up on beaches this year.
For now, it appears that the situation will not escalate so far, and beachgoers can look forward to some excellent swimming conditions over the following week.
Here are the latest sargassum updates for Cancun:
Sargassum Levels Diminish By Up To 75% This Week
The latest figures suggest that the amount of sargassum cleaned up in Cancun has decreased from 60 cubic meters to just 15 per week. The huge decrease is much-welcomed news for Cancun travelers headed to the seaside destination this week.
While February and March have been some of the worst months for sargassum in a long time, April has gotten off to a good start. Officials expect the optimistic situation to continue for at least a week, if not longer.
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According to Antongio Chambre de la Torre, director of the city’s Public Services, Cancun’s southern beaches are currently the most heavily affected by sargassum, although Playa Ballenas and Chal Mool have also reported above-average amounts of the macroalgae.
Even so, the situation pales in comparison to numbers reported back in February. “Sargassum levels rose suddenly at the start of the year when we least expected it, and in one day, we cleaned up the same amount we usually would in a month,” the official said in a statement.
For the time being, sargassum levels appear to be decreasing drastically, and only around 15 cubic meters are being cleaned up each week in Cancun.
Environmental officials have added that factors like temperature, ocean currents, and wind can all affect sargassum levels.
These Mexican Caribbean Beaches Are Currently The Cleanest
Based on the latest sargassum forecast, published on April 3, all of Cancun’s beaches are currently categorized as having very low seaweed levels.
The situation in Isla Mujeres, just east of Cancun, is even better, where authorities are reporting sargassum-free beaches.
Travelers headed to the idyllic island of Holbox can also look forward to picture-perfect beaches; the island destination has since long been one of the best places in the Mexican Caribbean to avoid sargassum, and the situation is no different this week.
Beachgoers in the Riviera Maya can expect anywhere from moderate to very abundant levels of sargassum seaweed over the coming week.
The situation appears to be especially critical around Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen. The same can be said for Tulum’s beaches, all of which are reporting very abundant sargassum levels.
Officials across the region have stepped up anti-sargassum efforts. In Playa del Carmen, one of the area’s main resort hotspots, authorities have installed containers to temporarily store sargassum for removal.
Meanwhile, Tulum has installed several kilometers of barriers to shield popular public beaches from the foul-smelling seaweed.
Experts from the Mexican Navy may expand the city’s sargassum barriers by up to 100 kilometers in late April.
In Cancun, officials are teaming up with a high-tech company that is promising to transform sargassum seaweed into biofertilizer and other industrial products. The new program could potentially further help Cancun to keep its beaches sargassum-free this summer when a record number of travelers are projected to visit the coastal resort town.
As sargassum levels rise, travelers are increasingly opting for cenotes or theme parks – some of the most popular alternatives to seaweed-filled beaches include the likes of Xcaret Park or Ventura Park.
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