This year's Sargassum seaweed season on the beaches of Mexico's Caribbean coast could be the largest on record. According to the University of South Florida and NASA, the volume of algae recorded by satellite monitoring is already equal to more than 75% of the maximum values observed in previous years (), although the peak of the season is still far away.
The season traditionally begins at the end of March, however, this year the first accumulations of algae began to be recorded already in the first days of January, in other words, several months earlier than usual.
Satellite data shows the presence of three large clusters of Sargassum seaweed in the Western and Eastern Atlantic, as well as in the western Caribbean Sea, in other words almost everywhere. This means that the influx of algae will continue uninterrupted throughout the season and will affect the coasts of several countries in the region, including Belize, Honduras and the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. 2026 could be the busiest sargassum seaweed season for all key Caribbean countries.
Experts estimate that the total volume of sargassum seaweed likely to reach the Mexican coast this year will be between 50,000 and 60,000 tons. This is approximately twice as much as in the previous season.
The situation is already visible on many beaches of the Riviera Maya. In some places, the accumulation of algae is so large that it is almost impossible to enter the water. In some areas of the coast, algae form dense stripes several meters wide. Travelers complain, actively discuss algae on social networks and look for clean beaches.
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In a number of municipalities, authorities have begun intensive work to clean up beaches. In particular, in Tulum, more than 600 tons of sargassum algae were collected in just one day.
To combat the influx of algae, the municipality of Playa del Carmen has begun expanding its sea barrier system. It is planned to install additional protective lines with a total length of about 5 kilometers, which are required to trap algae before they reach the shore.
Massive appearance of Sargassum algae on Mexican beaches has become a regular occurrence relatively recently. Before 2011, such events occurred only sporadically. However, since the beginning of the 2010s, the volume of algae began to increase sharply. The largest surges were recorded in 2015, 2018 and 2022.
The causes of the massive appearance of algae are believed to be changes in ocean currents, rising water temperatures and rising nutrient levels in the Atlantic Ocean. In recent years, the so-called «Great Atlantic Belt» has even formed in the Atlantic. — a giant seagrass zone stretching thousands of kilometers between Africa and the Caribbean. It is from this zone that a significant part of the algae reaches the shores of the Caribbean Sea.
Consultants predict that the sustained algae growth observed from November to February, coupled with the current record levels, will create a significant environmental and economic burden on Mexico's travel regions throughout the year.