What are the worst months for sargassum in the Caribbean?
The amount of sargassum seaweed in Cancun varies by season and even daily. Generally the worst months for seaweed are July and August.
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From October to May to avoid seaweedIf you want to dip into sargassum-free beaches, the best season is from October to May. Fun Fact: Some resorts like Seadust Cancun have made efforts to keep the seaweed from arriving at the shore by implementing a marine-life-friendly barrier.
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.
Barbados depends heavily on coastal tourism and consequently tourism assets are impacted by sargassum inundations. Tourism assets located on the affected coasts are impacted sargassum inundations.
It's especially important to think about in 2023. There's been a record-breaking sargassum seaweed bloom in 2023 in the Caribbean Sea. In order to help you plan your beach vacation, we've created a list of Caribbean beaches not affected by sargassum seaweed historically.
In Mexico, sargassum seaweed season is generally between May and October each year. If you travel to the Caribbean coast of Mexico outside of that time period you can generally avoid large mats of seaweed on the beaches. Cancun to Tulum seaweed map in March 2022.
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.
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.
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.
However due to ocean currents, the amount of seaweed landing on beaches in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico in June and July 2023 was lower than expected. There's more good news! The sargassum seaweed forecast for September 2023 is minimal seaweed in the Caribbean Sea.
In 2018 Antigua and Barbuda recorded its worst year to date resulting in several hotels being forced to close due to piles of the stinking seaweed amassing on beaches. Conditions have however improved in the last couple of years, with a significant decrease in 2021.
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.