The Riviera Maya gears up for a seaweed-y Semana Santa

The turquoise waters of Cancún, successful the Riviera Maya, are threatened by the accomplishment of a monolithic magnitude of sargassum starring up to Easter.

The section metropolis assembly said it volition contiguous a contingency program for Holy Week — which begins Sunday — successful collaboration with the authorities Government and the Naval Ministry (Semar) to code the problem.

“We’ll contiguous the contingency program successful lawsuit of a important accomplishment [of seaweed],” Municipal Public Services Director José Antonio de la Torre Chambé said. “We’ve already established schedules for sargassum response, and monitoring volition commencement astatine 5:00 a.m.”

Sargassum is simply a brownish seaweed that floats connected the unfastened ocean, providing food, protection, and situation for galore marine species. However, it tin beryllium harmful erstwhile ample quantities scope the shores, arsenic it decomposes and produces hydrogen sulfide, a state that smells similar rotten eggs and whitethorn origin respiratory issues.

In the Riviera Maya, sargassum play usually lasts from May to November, though it varies each year. In 2024, the play officially ended connected Nov. 14.

De la Torre said that sargassum postulation has accrued successful caller weeks owed to beardown winds from the south, which person carried the algae to shores. In the past fewer days alone, helium said 80 cubic meters of sargassum person been removed, chiefly from Playa Delfines, 1 of Mexico’s astir visited beaches.

Playa del Carmen has besides been affected by sargassum. The buildup has impacted astatine slightest 60 maritime work providers astatine El Recodo Beach successful Playa del Carmen, further complicating larboard closures for smaller vessels owed to upwind gusts of up to 40 kilometers per hour. The Regional Harbor Master’s Office has suspended nautical and recreational activities successful Puerto Juárez, Isla Mujeres, Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen.

These climatic conditions person led to cancellations successful the tourism industry, with estimated economical losses of US $300,000 per day, affecting everything from summons income for tours and different services to clients’ and employees’ quality to entree businesses located successful locations similar Isla Mujeres. .

Municipal workers of Playa del Carmen person removed sargassum, utilizing dense machinery and different tools to support the beaches cleanable earlier the Easter holidays. Data from the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur) shows that Cancún is anticipated to acquisition 1 of the highest occupancy rates during the vacation season, with an estimated 85%.

Apart from seaweed arrivals, bully formation upwind is expected for Holy Week. The National Meteorological Service (SMN) forecasts partially cloudy skies and scattered showers successful Quintana Roo, with lukewarm to precise blistery temperatures during the afternoon.

With reports from Reportur and 24 horas Quintana Roo