This year is said to be the worst year, so far, for influxes of sargassum seaweed to the beaches in this part of the world. Last year apparently was the record to that point in time. Deposits of seaweed on the beaches are said to stretch from Galveston, Texas, down the coast of Mexico and Belize all the way to Honduras. In the HZ there is money to deal with it and crews work daily, removing the night's accumulations. I saw them at work today, at 7 AM, at work in front of the hotels. Deposits were worse, it seemed, on the north end of the beach, from Punta Cancun down to and past the Bayview Grand, where great masses of seaweed were waiting their turn to come ashore. The NOAA and others are tracking the seaweed by satellite and give warning when unusual amounts are gathering offshore: this week it was said that there was a Cozumel Island sized massed floating towards our shores and HZ hotel operators met to stratagize how to deal with it. Because it's being cleaned up, regularly, we don't have the problem now being encountered in Puerto Morelos to the south, where the problem has overwhelmed the financial resources of the small community, and the stench of decaying vegetation makes it hard to fully enjoy being at the seaside. So far, and thanks to the efforts of the hotels and other, visitors to the HZ continue to arrive in record numbers. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/03edge/background/sargassum/sargassum.html http://www.newsweek.com/2015/07/10/sargassum-ruining-beaches-texas-tobago-347735.html
This image shows the area I spoke of in the HZ where accumulations of sea grass were present, at Punta Cancun. The nearest tall towers in the distance are the Bay View Grand. South, from there, the hotels are doing a good job of clearing this up, daily. There is no disagreeable odor of decay, as a result of this vigorous effort, and tourists are enjoying themselves at seaside. http://www.webcamsdemexico.com/webcam-punta-cancun.html
The problem is all the way down the Caribbean in Barbados and islands north and south of there. So this is all over the place right now.
What is the current condition on the beaches? Its the seaweed still a problem? Does anyone have any further information? Thanks, KatieK
No let up in the sea weed invasion and there is a degree to which the battle is being lost, even in the hotel zone, at this point. There is now an odor of decomposing sea weed in the air: much of it has been buried in the sand on the beach as part of the removal process but it needs time to decompose, and the odor is part of the process. Still, the situation in the hotel zone is better than most points south, as there is more money to pay crews to clean it up and bury it. I was at Puerto Morelos yesterday (30 min by car) and some would say the odor there was overpowering: it was at least unpleasant. This is a place which lacks the resources to do much of anything about it. Tons of sea weed sat at the edge of the water and great rafts of it lay just off shore. Fishermen were taking advantage of it as the sea weed at water's edge was attractive to certain species of fish, making a good catch, even with a hand line easy. Few ventured into the water however and those who were staying at the hotels and resorts were sitting well back from water's edge, as far removed from the smell as possible. What is the smell like? Similar in a way to horse manure- a grassy, shitty smell....
Hi V, Thanks for the update. I just saw this online and wanted to hear from someone that is local. Ihttp://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/08/14/paradise-lost-caribbean-beaches-face-a-massive-seaweed-invasion-ahead-of-winter-tourism-season/ I realize tourism is the main attraction for Cancun and there are many other things to do instead of frolicking in the ocean from your hotel. I truly feel sorry for anyone visiting Cancun for this first time this year and will not be able to see the beautiful pristine white sandy beaches. I know we can't predict mother nature but I read about a huge plume of seaweed that was as big as a state headed your way. Has it hit Cancun yet? I also read that they are putting millions into the cleanup. What is the local news saying? Thanks, KatieK
