If the one thing you love most about a warm tropical weather vacation to the Mexican-Caribbean travel hotspot Tulum is the seaweed, then this was the year for you.
According to Riviera Maya News, the amount of Sargassum seaweed has disappeared from Tulum’s beautiful white sand beaches fell by almost 70 percent this year. This was a substantial decrease in macroalgae washing up on beaches compared to the period a year ago.
A drop of Sargassum
The latest figures from Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone (ZOFEMAT) officials show that the municipality of Tulum collected only 1,278 tons of Sargassum from local beaches between 2024 and October.
Last year, more than 4,000 tons were collected from the beaches of Tulum.
More than 50 workers took care of the collection of the Sargassum this year. Their efforts focused on Tulum National Park, Punta Piedra and Akumal.
“Fortunately we had an atypical landing of sargassum this year. It has been less than in previous years, so we are doing well, nature has treated us very well, it has been kind this year,” Juan Antonio Garza, municipal director of the Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone (ZOFEMAT), told Riviera Maya News.
Cancun called in the Navy
Although workers have collected less Sargassum on Tulum’s beaches this season, some of the reduction can be attributed to the Mexican Navy.
They were called in by the Quintana Roo state government earlier this season to patrol the coast and install barriers to prevent the Sargassum from reaching the coast.
More than 300 naval boats, a Sargassum ship, 22 Sargassum boats and a fleet of smaller ships, in addition to containment barriers, beach sweepers and collection bands were all deployed this year in the annual battle against the pesky macroalgae.
“This work, which ranges from the collection of the sargassum to its eventual disposal, has been essential to preserving the beauty and biodiversity of these tourist and ecological areas,” added Director Garza.
The Sargassum season is coming to an end
According to Vice Admiral CG Alfredo Ramón Enríquez Delgado, commander of the 9th Naval Region, and Navy Captain CG DEM Mario Alberto Barrera Navarro, coordinator of the Sargassum Response Strategy, the Sargassum season ended in November with a record number of the seaweed collected on the beaches of Quintana Roo.
Only 37,000 tons were collected across the state, including Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel and Tulum.
At the announcement officially declaring the Sargassum season in the Mexican Caribbean closed in November, Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama thanked everyone for their commitment to tackling the sargassum and stated that “we will continue to work tirelessly 24/7 to guarantee clean beaches.”
