TULUM, Quintana Roo – In a recent interview, Esteban Jesús Amaro Mauricio, director of Quintana Roo’s Sargassum Monitoring Network, revealed that the next three months, including the summer vacation season, are expected to be blissfully free of the notorious seaweed invasion along the Quintana Roo coastline. These promising forecasts are based on the daily monitoring efforts conducted from Africa to the shores of the Yucatán Peninsula.
Amaro Mauricio explained that the distance from the Antilles Arch to the Yucatán Peninsula spans approximately three thousand kilometers. With sargassum traveling at an average rate of one thousand kilometers per month, the absence of significant sargassum presence in this area during the mentioned period is highly likely.
Furthermore, he highlighted the abundance of sargassum in the Atlantic Ocean, which may shift northwestward, resulting in pristine beaches for the remainder of the year. If any sargassum does make its way to the shores, it would be of minimal intensity, making it easily manageable for cleanup operations.
Amaro Mauricio attributed this change in trajectory, spanning a range of 20 to 30 degrees, to variations in water temperature—a phenomenon also observed with hurricanes.
“These will be the last influxes of the season. Based on satellite observations, the region appears to be exceptionally clean, with very little sargassum between Jamaica and the Yucatán Peninsula. As the sargassum has been moving northward, we can expect several months of pristine beaches, free from any significant presence,” he elaborated.
With this outlook, a sargassum-free summer vacation season is anticipated across the entire state—an undoubtedly welcome piece of news for the local hotel industry. However, Amaro Mauricio acknowledged that some residual sargassum remains, particularly in Tulum, where the monitoring system indicates medium to high influxes. The affected areas include nearby beaches such as Mezzanine, Pescadores, and Maya, close to the ancient ruins.
The latest update on the sargassum monitoring system reveals that nearly all beaches in the state are categorized as green, indicating low influx. However, there is still a substantial presence of sargassum along the eastern coast of Cozumel and the area between Puerto Morelos and Punta Nizuc, classified as yellow (abundant).
Regarding Cancún, Amaro Mauricio reported minimal influxes, and thanks to the continuous efforts of the Zofemat (Federal Maritime Zone Authority), the beach areas have remained relatively untouched by sargassum. The mainland area of Isla Mujeres has also remained sargassum-free.
As the summer vacation season approaches, Quintana Roo’s tourism industry can look forward to pristine beaches, drawing visitors from around the world to experience the coastal paradise free from the grip of sargassum. With ongoing monitoring efforts and continuous cleanup operations, the region is committed to ensuring a memorable and sargassum-free experience for all who visit.
