Rincón de Guayabitos beach, in the municipality of Compostela, was covered in sargassum seaweed yesterday morning. “This has never happened before,” commented residents and boat operators who joined in the cleanup efforts.
They expressed hope that this situation would be a one-off event and would not affect tourism, as they believe the amount of seaweed that arrived is minimal compared to what has previously reached the coasts of Quintana Roo.
Locals reported that the phenomenon began during the first week of July, and since then, cleaning crews and tourism service providers have been removing it, but what was seen yesterday is considered unprecedented.
On social media, local news pages shared images showing the magnitude of the problem and demonstrating that the cleanup efforts have not been enough to contain the accumulation of seaweed. “From one day to the next, sargassum invaded the Guayabitos beach area—because it had never arrived in such quantities before. It’s something that has never happened before,” lamented a vendor.
He said he hoped it would be a one-off event, and since it wasn’t as bad as in other tourist destinations, he encouraged visitors to enjoy the sea.
Sargassum is a floating macroalga that forms colonies that can cover large areas of land and sea, moving with ocean currents. It accumulates in masses and drifts in shallow waters, eventually ending up on beaches, according to information from the University of Veracruz.
Although sargassum does not pose a health risk, when it accumulates, it begins to decompose and generates unpleasant odors. This phenomenon occurred in Guayabitos in previous years, as well as in 2021.
This phenomenon occurred in Guayabitos in 2021, but not on this scale.
According to residents, the sargassum initially accumulated in the area around the Los Cocos hotel and subsequently spread to a large portion of the beach.
Due to the problem, last Wednesday and Thursday, Mayor Gustavo Ayon launched a cleanup campaign to “protect one of Compostela’s most important tourist destinations.”
Throughout Sunday morning and into the afternoon, boat operators and residents worked to remove the seaweed.
A video circulating online shows tourists walking along the beach, trying to avoid stepping on the seaweed, which is worrying authorities and hotel owners because the summer vacation period has just begun.
The video also shows children running and stepping on the seaweed without any apparent concern, as they head into the sea.
Source: jornada
