Cancun officials report a dramatic surge in sargassum seaweed, with a month’s worth washing ashore in just three days, disrupting tourism and straining cleanup crews.
Authorities in Cancun say the beaches have been overwhelmed by a massive wave of sargassum, with more seaweed washing ashore in just three days than is typically seen in an entire month.
José Antonio de la Torre Chambé, general director of public services for Cancun, confirmed the increase, noting that not only has the volume surged, but the frequency of sargassum arrivals has also spiked compared to the same period last year.
“What we’ve had in two or three days this year, last year we had in a month,” de la Torre Chambé told Riviera Maya News. “The arrival amounts are more frequent, closer together.”
He added that local authorities begin monitoring sargassum conditions as early as 5:30 a.m., and by 10:00 a.m. daily, the municipal government decides which beaches require cleanup and how many personnel will be deployed.
Currently, a team of 290 workers from the Public Services Department and the Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone (Zofemat) is assigned to clean the city’s seven public beaches. De la Torre Chambé emphasized that removal efforts begin the same day the seaweed arrives. “We don’t allow it to accumulate. If it piles up, it becomes nearly impossible to manage,” he said.
According to city officials, the beaches most affected in recent weeks include Playa Delfines, Playa Marlin, Playa Ballenas, and Playa Chac Mool—some of Cancun’s most iconic and frequently visited stretches of sand.
Record sargassum levels across the Caribbean
The situation in Cancun reflects a larger regional crisis. In May 2025, satellite monitoring detected a record 37.5 million metric tons (41.3 million short tons) of sargassum floating in the Caribbean Sea, according to the University of South Florida’s Optical Oceanography Lab. This unprecedented volume has created serious challenges for coastal communities from Puerto Rico to the Yucatán Peninsula.
The floating macroalgae, while ecologically important in open waters, becomes a problem when it washes ashore. It decomposes rapidly in the sun, releasing foul odors and smothering marine life in the shallows. It also deters beachgoers and tourists, threatening local economies that rely heavily on travel and hospitality.
In Mexico, the Navy predicts approximately 37,600 tons of sargassum will reach the coastline of Quintana Roo this year. The state, which includes major international destinations such as Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum, has already deployed barriers, boats, and daily cleanup crews in an attempt to manage the crisis.
Despite these efforts, the speed and volume of recent arrivals have outpaced even well-coordinated removal operations. Cancun’s beaches are cleaned each morning, but with fresh sargassum washing in almost immediately after, it’s a relentless race against nature.
Long-term impacts and concerns
While cleanup crews are doing what they can to preserve Cancun’s image as a tropical paradise, the sargassum problem isn’t going away. In fact, it’s becoming more intense each year.
Scientists attribute the phenomenon to a combination of factors including warming sea temperatures, deforestation, agricultural runoff, and changes in ocean currents. These conditions feed vast sargassum blooms in the Atlantic Ocean, which are then carried westward into the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.
Local businesses are feeling the pinch. Tour operators report cancellations, hotel managers struggle to keep beachfronts pristine, and beach clubs are spending thousands of pesos each week just to clear their properties. Environmentalists, meanwhile, warn that the accumulation of sargassum could alter coastal ecosystems if left unchecked.
For now, Cancun’s cleanup crews are working tirelessly to keep the beaches usable and safe. But with peak summer tourism season underway and forecasts pointing to continued arrivals, the challenges are far from over.
