As sargassum continues to inundate Cancun beaches, local authorities urge citizens and hotels to join a massive cleanup effort on June 28, 2025, to protect the coastline.
Facing a spike in the arrival of sargassum along its coastline, Cancun is organizing a large-scale beach cleanup day on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Local officials, led by the municipal president of Benito Juárez, Ana Paty Peralta, are calling on hotels, civil associations, and the general public to unite in this environmental response as the city works to protect its beaches during the peak of the summer season.
In a recent coordination meeting with the Hotel Association of Cancun, Puerto Morelos, and Isla Mujeres, Mayor Peralta emphasized that Cancun is already deploying 290 municipal workers every morning starting at 5:30 a.m. to keep its seven public beaches clean. However, with the volume of incoming sargassum continuing to rise, that number could soon increase to 400 to meet the mounting demand.
“This is a shared responsibility,” Peralta said. “We need full collaboration from the hotel sector and the community to maintain our beaches not only for tourists but for the people of Cancun. This is about preserving our environment, our economy, and our identity.”
The initiative is part of a broader effort to manage the sargassum crisis through both manpower and education. Workers are being trained in environmentally friendly harvesting techniques, and new logbooks are being implemented to track the use of equipment and resources more efficiently.
The municipal president also noted that early and organized response is crucial to managing the macroalgae before it accumulates and causes more significant problems, such as foul odors, degraded marine ecosystems, and diminished tourist experiences.
The June 28 event is expected to draw hundreds of volunteers and will span the city’s most visited beaches, including Playa Delfines, Playa Tortugas, and Playa Gaviota Azul. The goal is not only to remove as much sargassum as possible but also to raise awareness about the importance of community involvement in protecting the region’s natural resources.
During the same meeting, Óscar Rébora Aguilera, the State Secretary of Ecology and Environment, highlighted the environmental and logistical challenges posed by the unpredictable nature of ocean currents. While Benito Juárez is not the municipality with the highest forecast for sargassum arrival, it remains vulnerable to sudden shifts in marine conditions that can change the outlook rapidly.
“This isn’t just about what’s happening now — it’s about preparing for what could happen tomorrow,” said Rébora Aguilera. “We have to stay ahead of the curve if we want to protect our coastline.”
Since October 2024, more than 3,326 tons of sargassum have been removed from Cancun’s beaches using a mix of 25 mechanized units and over 180 hand tools. And the numbers keep growing. According to Mexico’s National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO), the national volume of sargassum collected in May alone has skyrocketed — from 25,000 tons in 2018 to 95,000 tons in 2025.
The algae bloom, which originates in the Atlantic Ocean and travels west via ocean currents, has become a yearly challenge for coastal communities across the Mexican Caribbean. Scientists attribute its explosive growth to rising sea temperatures, excessive nutrient pollution from agricultural runoff, and changes in ocean circulation patterns.
For Cancun — one of the country’s most popular destinations for both domestic and international tourists — the stakes are high. Tourism is the city’s economic lifeblood, and clean, swimmable beaches are central to that industry.
The cleanup on June 28 is expected to set the tone for the remainder of the summer season. City officials are encouraging participants to bring reusable gloves, hats, sunblock, and plenty of water. Equipment such as rakes and bags will be distributed at several collection points.
As Cancun braces for what could be another record-setting summer of sargassum accumulation, the call to action has been loud and clear: everyone must pitch in.
“Cancun belongs to all of us,” Peralta concluded. “Protecting it should be something we all care about — and something we all act on.”
As sargassum continues to inundate Cancun beaches, local authorities urge citizens and hotels to join a massive cleanup effort on June 28 . . .
