Tourists do not want piles of decaying seaweed and brown waters to ruin their idyllic vacation photos in the Caribbean. This sentiment significantly impacts the number of visitors choosing Mexico as a holiday destination. The current sargassum season in the Mexican Caribbean is shaping up to be one of the most intense in recent years. In the first semester alone, over 2,000 tons of this seaweed were collected at the start of the summer tourist season, as reported by Oscar Rébora, head of the Quintana Roo Ministry of Environment, Efe informs.
"We have already surpassed 20,000 tons for this season. We have had a higher influx of sargassum in the southern area, especially in Playa del Carmen, where we have had quite a bit," Rébora stated in this locality, one of the main tourist destinations in the Mexican Caribbean.
According to official data, 25,000 tons of sargassum were collected along the coasts of Quintana Roo in 2024, and projections indicate that the worst stage is just beginning, with an expected increase of over 40%, according to the Sargassum Monitoring Network, an NGO that creates a traffic light system for tourists and service providers to identify the most affected areas.
Excessive levels of sargassum washing up on beaches like El Recodo and Punta Esmeralda prompted an emergency operation involving personnel from the Navy Secretariat and state and municipal agencies, as well as minor offenders who opted to exchange jail time for beach cleaning duties.
José Gómez, Secretary of the Caribbean Sea Tourist Cooperative, mentioned that the impact of sargassum is significant, but they hope for a respite during the summer.
"Improvement is expected for the summer: July and August are usually calmer and cleaner, thanks to climatic changes," Gómez expressed.
He also assured that water activities such as diving and fishing can be carried out without issues since they take place in deep waters where sargassum does not reach. However, he acknowledged that they have had to make many changes at boarding sites to prevent tourists from having to navigate through the seaweed.
"The arrival in April hurt us, causing cancellations and itinerary changes. Nevertheless, we worked during Easter. We are optimistic: we know that summer can bring a large influx of visitors," he commented.
From El Recodo beach, one of the most affected by sargassum in Playa del Carmen, Samantha Álvarez, Secretary of Environment and Climate Change of the municipality, reported that around 8,000 tons of sargassum have been collected so far this year.
Authorities and volunteers participate in sargassum collection in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo (Mexico).Lourdes CruzEFE
"It never stays 100% clean. What we do is mitigate the problem to prevent it from smelling bad and continuing to affect the visitor experience. We ask tourists not to be alarmed; it is a natural seaweed that comes and goes. One day it may be present, the next day not. It all depends on the weather," Álvarez pointed out.
Every year, the massive arrival of sargassum occurs in early spring and extends until September or October, with a higher incidence between April and May.
However, this seaweed displays erratic behavior depending on climatological changes, ocean currents, and even tropical storm and hurricane seasons.
In 2024, Mexico welcomed 45 million international tourists, representing a 7.4% increase from the previous year, with Quintana Roo (Riviera Maya and Cancun) as one of the main destinations.