Tulum, Quintana Roo — Sargassum arrivals on Tulum’s beaches have surged nearly 80% compared to last year, prompting local and state authorities to deploy heavy machinery and specialized vehicles to keep the coastline clean.
The Tulum city council, working with the Quintana Roo state government, has added tractors with beach sweepers, dump trucks, and motorcycles with trailers to its cleanup fleet. Officials said the new equipment will allow crews to reach areas where traditional containers and standard vehicles cannot operate.
Mayor Diego Castañón Trejo highlighted the coordination with state authorities to address what he called an atypical year for the seaweed, which has set historical records.
“We are working hand in hand with the state government, and I thank them for this support, which will allow us to work better on the sargassum issue. We are experiencing an atypical year with a high arrival of the algae,” Castañón said.
David Buchanan, head of the Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone (Zofemat) in Tulum, detailed the new fleet: four motorcycles with trailers, two tractors equipped with sweepers, and three dump trucks.
The urgency is backed by collection data. In the same period of 2025, Tulum collected 1,378 metric tons of sargassum. So far in 2026, that figure has jumped to 2,458 metric tons — a 78.3% increase.
Castañón also praised Zofemat personnel, who work daily from early morning to keep tourist infrastructure in optimal condition.
