With its soft, clean sand and turquoise blue waters, Playa Mamitas is known as one of the best spots to swim and relax by the sea in Playa del Carmen. However, over the past few days, the ocean has been “eating away” at it, as it has been disappearing due to torrential rains and waves that have recently hit the Yucatan Peninsula, making Hurricane ‘Beryl’ another threat to this paradise.
Cyclonic developments that bring intense to torrential rainfall contribute to erosion, which is when waves disappear from the sand of beaches, bringing the sea closer to tourist complexes. And this has already started happening at Playa Mamitas, where the sea is “eating away” at it by gaining ground, as some areas have already been affected.
The famous Club Playa Mamitas has also been seriously affected by erosion on the beach and various parts of the area have already collapsed due to the effects of seawater hitting the building. According to TikTok user Chacho Rivera, multiple businesses located near Playa Mamitas have had to abandon the area due to the arrival of waves in the beach area, making it impossible to enjoy swimming in what were once tranquil waters.
In addition, images shared by users on social media show that the water has turned murky, with debris and no longer visible coastline. Videos circulating on various internet platforms leave evidence that the sea has practically “eaten away” at Playa Mamitas and erosion is expected to worsen with torrential rains brought by Hurricane ‘Beryl’, which is expected to hit the Yucatan Peninsula in the coming hours and affect other beaches in this region of southeastern Mexico.
According to Reforma, due to erosion, some restaurants and hotels have placed sand barriers, forming a wall to prevent the ocean from advancing and destroying concrete constructions. In previous years, wind, rain, and currents have caused the beach to disappear, but as time passes, it is restored. However, with the disappearance of mangroves, this natural barrier ecosystem, some beaches do not recover their original extent.
This and other beaches along Mexico’s coastline are also expected to be affected by this and other cyclonic developments in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which began on June 1 and will end in November.
Source: Diario de Yucatan
