Tulum, Quintana Roo — Cleanup crews removed over 600 tons of sargassum from Tulum’s beaches in a single day as the popular tourist destination faces a constant influx of the seaweed during this year’s heavy season.
Operational staff from the Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone Directorate (Zofemat) deployed brigades early in the day to clear the organic material accumulating on the sand, aiming to prevent prolonged buildup at main access points and tourist areas.
David Buchanan, general director of Zofemat Tulum, said records from previous years indicate 2026 will see greater sargassum presence compared to past seasons, prompting reinforced collection efforts along the coast.
“Currently we have 10 containers installed in the hotel zone, which allow us to concentrate sargassum removed by hotels and cleanup brigades,” Buchanan explained.
Authorities have filled and removed 45 containers with sargassum from various hotels as part of a coordination strategy with the tourism sector to expand response capacity against the constant seaweed influx.
The cleanup effort includes collaboration with the Mexican Navy, whose personnel are participating in seaweed removal tasks at different points along the coastline. Naval personnel are conducting cleanup work in the Jaguar Park area and will later join operations in the hotel zone in coordination with municipal brigades.
Cleanup crews are also focusing on public beach accesses including Playa Conchita, Playa del Pueblo, Punta Piedra, and Akumal—areas that see higher visitor traffic where officials aim to maintain suitable conditions for recreational use of the coastline.
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