Over 50 tons of sargassum were removed from Cancún’s Chac Mool Beach in just 24 hours, as authorities ramp up cleaning efforts across three key public beaches.
Cancún’s white-sand beaches are under pressure once again as an unusually large volume of sargassum has washed ashore in the last 24 hours, disrupting tourism and triggering a full-scale cleanup response from municipal authorities.
The most severely impacted location is Chac Mool Beach, where cleaning brigades removed more than 50 tons of the foul-smelling macroalgae in a single day. Local officials confirmed the numbers and emphasized that conditions had rapidly worsened following heavy rains and strong winds earlier in the week.
“Just last Sunday, Chac Mool looked relatively clean,” said a spokesperson for Fátima Vázquez Digital, a local media outlet that has been monitoring beach conditions. “There was sargassum present, but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. What we’re seeing now is a sudden and massive change.”
The Benito Juárez City Council confirmed that three of the city’s most frequented public beaches—Chac Mool, Playa Ballenas, and Playa Marlin—have experienced substantial sargassum accumulation. Of the three, Chac Mool has been hit the hardest.
In response, the city has not only increased cleaning shifts but has also deployed more personnel to the brigades tasked with collecting and removing the sargassum. Local officials have additionally established a specialized cell dedicated to the final disposal of the collected algae, which must be handled carefully to avoid secondary environmental damage.
Despite annual preparations to handle seasonal sargassum, the sudden volume of seaweed has caught many off guard. Tourism businesses, particularly those along the hotel zone, are feeling the impact as visitors find beaches less attractive and swimming conditions less pleasant.
“This is our reality every year, but when 50 tons arrive in 24 hours, it puts an immense strain on our resources,” said a municipal worker from one of the beach cleanup brigades. “We’re working double shifts, and more people are being brought in to help.”
Tourists strolling along the shoreline were seen dodging brown piles of the seaweed, and several visitors expressed disappointment at the unexpected condition of the beaches. Some hotels have even taken the initiative to bolster city efforts by hiring private crews to clean the sand in front of their properties.
Marine scientists have long warned about the increasing sargassum invasions across the Caribbean due to warming waters and nutrient pollution that fuel algae growth. While Cancún has invested in barriers and boats to intercept the sargassum before it reaches the shore, weather patterns and ocean currents can render these efforts less effective.
Authorities say they will continue with heightened cleanup efforts in the coming days and are asking the public to be patient as they address the situation.
Over 50 tons of sargassum were removed from Cancún’s Chac Mool Beach in just 24 hours, as authorities ramp up . . .
