The Cayman Islands is one of many countries increasingly impacted by large Sargassum blooms over the past decade.
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Along Grand Cayman's North Coast, it is not just causing an unsightly malodorous mess but is killing fish and everything else in the ocean under the dense mat of vegetation. As it pushes inland, it is now threatening the mangroves and fish nurseries.
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.
So though the East End is beautiful and a great option, you need to keep in mind that the beaches could be covered with sargassum seaweed. With that said, once you get past the sargassum seaweed, the water is crystal clear and absolutely beautiful!
In Grenada, Grand Anse regularly tops the list of the world's best beaches due to its crystal clear waters and its 2 kilometre long stretch of white sand dotted with palm trees. It's also blessedly free of sargassum seaweed.
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.
With no rivers on the island and little or no water running from the land into the surrounding ocean, the sea water has an unusually pure and clear quality offering ideal conditions for swimmers. And with warm weather year round, it is a wonderful venue for outdoor water pursuits.
Over the past few years, a brown seaweed called sargassum has floated onto the beaches of much of the Florida Keys and the Caribbean. The beaches here on Ambergris Caye have been significantly affected as well.
USF reports it remains difficult to predict exact timing and location for individual beaching events but substantial amounts of the seaweed are expected in May in both the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. June is forecast to be the likely peak of the 2023 season, but impacts are expected to continue into July.
Sargassum threatens tourismJamaica, The Bahamas and the Dominican Republic are sought-after tourist destinations in the Caribbean and tourism is a major industry for these Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Unfortunately, sargassum can threaten this industry.
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.
Sargassum can collect on windward coasts in the Turks and Caicos, such as on much of South Caicos, Grand Turk, the eastern side of North Caicos, and the Ambergris Cays.
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.
All of the islands in the Caribbean are in the target zone for where sargassum might wash shore, he says, with the Southern Lesser Antilles (which includes islands such as Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Margarita Island, and Trinidad and Tobago) likely to be slightly less impacted than elsewhere in the Caribbean.