- by Barbados Today March 10, 2023. Barbados is losing vast tracts of beachland annually due to the almost continuous influx of Sargassum Seaweed on its shores.
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Due the flow of ocean currents around Barbados, the beaches on the east coast and the south south (short of Hilton hotel on the south-west point) were the most badly affected. West coast beaches were mostly unaffected, remaining with crystal-clear waters and pristine sandy shores.
Rockley Beach – or Accra Beach, as it's often known – can't be beaten when it comes to family-friendly beaches in Barbados. Little ones can safely play in the calm waters on the southern end, while older children can boogie board the livelier waves further up the cove.
Sargassum season in the Mexican Caribbean typically runs from May through October, with July and August generally being the worst months for its arrival.
Palm Beach in Aruba, Dutch CaribbeanIt's one of the most reliable Caribbean islands without sargassum. While there are several small, boutique-sized hotels in Aruba, here are two of our favourite large resorts on Palm Beach and Eagle Beach.
For example, in 2022, when mainland of Playa del Carmen, Mexico had a severe sargassum seaweed problem, the leeward beaches of Isla Mujeres and Cozumel were free of seaweed. And in Barbados, Carlisle Bay often has no issues with sargassum.
Swimming safetyCurrents can be deceptively strong, including on some of the popular beaches on the south and west coasts. Some beaches do not have lifeguards or warning flags. Swimming is not recommended on many of the east coast beaches where currents are particularly strong. Follow local warnings.
Since 2011, 2023 still ranks in the top half of the worst sargassum seaweed seasons. With the latest data, USF researchers say in June, sargassum will likely decrease in the Gulf of Mexico, meaning beachgoers may not have such a smelly experience. The USF lab forecasts the decrease to continue through August.
How did sargassum affect Mexico last year? It follows near record-breaking amounts of the seaweed last summer, on beaches from Puerto Rico to Barbados, which threatened the region's tourism recovery post-COVID. Mexico's Navy and local workers were drafted in to remove it from the water and sand.
Sargassum is type of brown seaweed that drifts on the ocean surface accumulating along beaches and coastlines throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, Texas and Florida, including Miami-Dade County annually from March to October.
Sargassum inundations occur mainly on the windward coast of Saint Lucia like most Eastern Caribbean Island States, with occasional landings occurring on the southwest coast. This influences which assets are impacted.
I had island tour guests visiting from Margaritaville over in St. Thomas earlier this week, and they said that the sargassum was very bad over there, and that makes sense. The winds here typically blow east to west, which means they are blowing directly toward Margaritaville, Sapphire, and the Ritz, for example.
Palm Beach in Aruba, Dutch CaribbeanIt's one of the most reliable Caribbean islands without sargassum. While there are several small, boutique-sized hotels in Aruba, here are two of our favourite large resorts on Palm Beach and Eagle Beach.
In the Caribbean, seaweed season is generally May to October. The worst time for seaweed in Cancun, the Dominican Republic and much of the Caribbean is during the summer months.
Popular resort hubs, including Playa del Carmen and Tulum, have ramped up efforts to deter sargassum from affecting travelers. What is this? Both destinations have set up temporary barriers and hired more cleaners in an effort to attract more travelers.
St.Thomas, unfortunately, is a different story. The beaches at Margaritaville, Sapphire and the Ritz, for example, all face east. This means that sargassum often affects those resorts.
While the overall amount of potentially toxic seaweed is declining, some beaches will still get hit with waves of it, the researchers said. Last month, for example, Mexico's Yucatan coast and the west side of Jamaica actually saw more sargassum, even as most places saw less.