Tulum’s Sargassum Dilemma: Cleanup Efforts Doubled

The first few months of 2025 have seen a significant increase in sargassum seaweed on the beaches of Tulum, compared to the previous year. However, this increase has not reached the critical levels experienced in 2022 and 2023. Juan Antonio Garza, director of the Federal Maritime Land Zone (Zofemat), has stated that efforts to collect and dispose of the seaweed have been doubled to minimize its impact on the popular tourist destination.

Official data indicates a rising trend in sargassum accumulation along the Tulum coast. In January 2024, 36 tons of sargassum were collected, while in the same period in 2025, the figure rose to 79 tons. By March 12, the accumulated volume had already reached 87 tons. Despite this increase, these numbers remain lower than the most critical years of 2022 and 2023, when up to 500 tons were collected in January alone.

In response to the increasing sargassum arrivals, Zofemat has stepped up its collection efforts on public beaches. Meanwhile, the cleaning of leased beachfronts remains the responsibility of hoteliers and tourism service providers. The cleanup strategy includes daily manual collection in priority areas, the use of a light tractor with a sweeper, mini trailers for quicker seaweed transportation, and the installation of containers and a final disposal site. A team of approximately 30 workers is tasked with keeping the public beaches clean, minimizing the impact on tourists and residents.

In addition to these land-based efforts, the Navy Department (Semar) is also involved in the sargassum containment strategy. They are responsible for installing barriers at strategic points along the coast. Maintenance work is currently underway on the moorings where these devices are expected to be placed between April and May.

While the current situation is less severe than in previous years, authorities remain vigilant for a potential increase in the coming months. The Zofemat director emphasized the need for continued vigilance and daily cleaning, monitoring, and certification of various areas of the municipality to ensure clean beaches.

He also called on the community and tourism service providers to contribute to the maintenance efforts. He stressed the importance of not littering on the beach and taking responsibility for their coastal fronts. Zofemat remains available to provide any necessary support or advice on this task.