Morne Rouge Beach, GrenadaGrenada, which is more than a spice island, is home to the gorgeous Morne Rouge Beach. It's a white sand paradise free of seaweed and has a laid-back vibe compared to the popular Grand Anse Beach.
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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.
This seaweed has been growing in excessive amounts in the Caribbean since 2011, and now growing in Mexico and parts of Florida, as well. Earlier this year, scientists detected a record bloom. Half Moon Bay is a famous beach in Antigua and Barbuda that is now covered sargassum, a type of large, brown floating seaweed.
Every beach in the world will have seaweed, but the Bahamas does not have the same problem as many places that are swamped in deep seaweed piles on beaches and in the sea. We are Atlantic-facing, so don't have the same kind of issues as many of the Caribbean and Central American countries.
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.
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.
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.
Sargassum seaweed is a type of macroalgae that forms over the Atlantic Ocean each year in large quantities. The foul-smelling but harmless seaweed is a perennial issue for Caribbean destinations like Cancun, which see huge quantities of the macroalgae wash up on their shores yearly.
Researchers blame multiple factors for the increased levels of sargassum - including climate change, human sewage, fertilisers being washed from Brazil's rivers into the Atlantic Ocean and dust blowing west from Africa's Sahara Desert.
The beaches in Playa del Carmen experience a seasonal seaweed influx that can change throughout the year. While efforts are being made to address the situation, visitors should know that the seaweed may impact their beach experience.