Tulum Beaches See Sargassum Decline Due to Climate

TULUM, Mexico — The beaches of the Mexican Caribbean, particularly those in Tulum, have registered a notable decrease in sargassum in recent weeks, a phenomenon specialists attribute to changes in climate and the direction of ocean currents.

According to Esteban Jesús Amaro Mauricio, director of the Sargassum Monitoring Network in Quintana Roo, this temporary respite is due to the reduced force of the trade winds that blow from the southeast, which under normal conditions push the macroalgae toward the coast. As their intensity has weakened, the accumulations have remained away from the coastal strip.

The specialist specified that ocean currents also play a role; over the last two weeks, they have begun to orient themselves toward the north. This shift has diverted significant masses of sargassum away from the beaches of the Riviera Maya, allowing destinations like Tulum to present a cleaner image for visitors.

“A large quantity of sargassum still exists in the sea, but the currents are displacing it toward other zones. This trend could continue through the autumn, which would mean fewer impacts for the state’s most visited beaches,” explained Amaro Mauricio.

However, the director of the Monitoring Network underscored that critical zones still exist where sargassum is accumulating in large quantities. Among them are the eastern coast of Cozumel, the northern area of Puerto Morelos, and the southern Quintana Roo resorts of Majahual and Xcalak. In these areas, brigades and permanent monitoring remain in place to address the situation and provide updated information.

The Monitoring Network, which operates in coordination with local authorities and tourism service providers, reiterated that it will continue its daily surveillance of the phenomenon to warn of sudden changes and to guide tourism operators and the public.

Although the relief is visible in several destinations across the Mexican Caribbean, the sargassum phenomenon remains a constant concern. Its behavior depends on changing factors such as water temperature, winds, and the strength of currents, leading authorities and specialists to insist on maintaining attention and not lowering their guard.

With the arrival of autumn, current conditions are expected to continue, and the arrival of sargassum to beaches like those in Tulum is anticipated to remain at low levels, offering a more favorable scenario for both residents and the tourists who visit the region each year.