It identified heavy influxes of sargassum in 2018, 2019, 2022 and early 2023. Caribbean islands most affected by sargassum seaweed in the past include beaches in Barbados, Tobago, Guadeloupe, Dominican Republic and Martinique.
People Also Ask
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. This article was originally published in 2019.
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.
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.
7 September 2023 Update: The Turks and Caicos is experiencing medium levels of sargassum at this time. Grace Bay, Leeward Beach, Sapodilla Bay, Taylor Bay, and the Bight Beach remain largely free of sargassum. Sargassum that washed onshore in late August has largely dissipated.
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.
The upcoming 2023 summer vacation holiday season for Cancun and Riviera Maya are forecast to be sargassum-free according to Esteban Jesús Amaro Mauricio. The Director of the Quintana Roo Sargassum Monitoring Network reported that daily monitoring shows a lack of sargassum arrival for the next three 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.
Sargassum is at its worst between April and August, peaking in July and August, although this year saw the seaweed arrive early, with some beaches being hit heavily in March. What is this?
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.