In the midst of peak tourist season, Tulum’s beaches are already experiencing a significant influx of sargassum, a phenomenon that is arriving earlier than usual this year in the Mexican Caribbean, according to Esteban Amaro, director of the Sargassum Monitoring Network in the state.
Amaro noted that the presence of this macroalga has been detected for several days, primarily in southern Quintana Roo, including Mahahual and Xcalak, although arrivals have also been reported in the northern part of the state, including Tulum, Puerto Morelos, and the east coast of Cozumel.
“The sargassum is already starting to arrive. It’s beginning to appear on some beaches, and it’s expected to arrive early this year. The arrival is expected to become more consistent toward the end of January, with an increase during February and a greater intensification in March and April,” he explained.
Amaro explained that the Sargassum Monitoring Center, located at the C5 command center in Cancún and under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, is already analyzing the phenomenon using satellite images from the European Space Agency. The goal is to estimate the routes, speed, amount of biomass, and areas of greatest impact.
He indicated that, although cloud cover hampered the analysis at the beginning of the year, the first clear images have recently been obtained, confirming the proximity of the sargassum to the Quintana Roo coast.
He also noted that the early arrival is not unique to Quintana Roo, as sargassum accumulations have also been reported in various parts of the Caribbean, including the islands of Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica.
“We are already seeing the first signs of arrival, especially in the southern part of the state. We are working to determine how much sargassum will arrive, where it will come from, and in what quantities. In approximately 15 to 20 days, we should have more precise preliminary data,” he concluded.
Although the 2025 sargassum season was practically over, in November, cold fronts that crossed the Caribbean reactivated the arrival of the seaweed at Playa del Niño and Las Perlas, confirmed José Antonio de la Torre, director of municipal public services, at the time.
Source: reportur
