by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:05 AM ET, Mon April 10, 2023
Cleaning up sargassum in Akumal Bay, Mexico. (Photo Credit: wanderluster / iStock / Getty Images Plus)
Travelers heading to Florida, Mexico and Caribbean
destinations this summer should be prepared for the influx of sargassum
expected to make landfall on beaches.
According to the Miami
Herald, the University of South Florida’s (USF) Optical Oceanography Lab
revealed that The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt contained an estimated 13
million tons of seaweed at the end of March, a new record for the period.
As the stinky seaweed continues to increase in size,
officials said the massive bloom would reach its peak between June and July,
with Weather.com
experts revealing that major beaching events are “inevitable” in Florida, the
Caribbean and Mexico throughout the summer.
“Given the complexity of its motion, growth, and decay, it
is not possible to forecast the timing of beaching,” a National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) spokesperson said. “However, given the size
and number of the current Sargassum patches, there is a strong chance that
Sargassum carried by the Florida Current may reach the Florida coast despite
wind and wave conditions.”
In response to USF’s report, the Quintana Roo Sargassum
Monitoring Network said the largest landfall this summer would measure an estimated
650,000 tons and impact beaches in Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos,
Cancun, Mahahual and Xcalak.
According to Reportur.com,
the monitoring network’s director Esteban Amaro believes that only five percent
will reach Mexican beaches, while another 90 percent would “continue on its way
to the Sea of the Sargasso.”
Sargassum seaweed begins to release hydrogen sulfide as it
rots, which can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, in addition to a rotten
egg odor. Travelers are advised to avoid touching or swimming near the seaweed.
In March, Mexican Secretary of the Navy Jose Rafael Ojeda
Duran announced the installation of 9,050 meters (around 29,691 feet) of anti-sargassum
barriers, including 1,850 meters in Othon P. Blanco (Chetumal and
Mahahual), 2,400 meters in Puerto Morelos, 2,500 meters in Solidaridad (Playa
del Carmen and Puerto Aventuras) and 2,300 in Tulum.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe
to the daily TravelPulse
newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
