Can you sail through sargassum?


Can you sail through sargassum? I've been sailing on bareboat charter trips for over 10 years in the Caribbean, and we regularly sail past sargassum patches, or step over it on beaches. It's usually not too big of a deal, but some years are worse than others.


Where in Caribbean to avoid Sargassum?

The Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba is best known for its white sand beaches, luxury resorts and cooling trade winds. In addition to being located outside the hurricane belt, its famous beaches such as Eagle Beach, Palm Beach and Baby Beach also have the good fortune of being outside the sargassum seaweed belt.


Can you swim in sargassum seaweed?

If you don't have any open wounds, you should be OK to swim in oceans with sargassum, since that environment is moving saltwater instead of brackish water, he added. But if you see a clump go by, stay away from it.


Does St Lucia have a sargassum problem?

Sargassum inundations occur mainly on the windward coast of Saint Lucia like most Eastern Caribbean Island States, with occasional landings occurring on the southwest coast. This influences which assets are impacted.


Does St Thomas have sargassum?

I had island tour guests visiting from Margaritaville over in St. Thomas earlier this week, and they said that the sargassum was very bad over there, and that makes sense. The winds here typically blow east to west, which means they are blowing directly toward Margaritaville, Sapphire, and the Ritz, for example.


Does Grand Cayman have sargassum?

The Cayman Islands is one of many countries increasingly impacted by large Sargassum blooms over the past decade.


Which Caribbean beach has no sargassum?

In Grenada, Grand Anse regularly tops the list of the world's best beaches due to its crystal clear waters and its 2 kilometre long stretch of white sand dotted with palm trees. It's also blessedly free of sargassum seaweed.


Does sargassum affect Turks and Caicos?

Some island destinations, such as Barbados, have experienced huge influxes of the seaweed. Most beaches in the Turks and Caicos are free of sargassum, notably the world-famous Grace Bay.


Is Aruba affected by sargassum?

All of the islands in the Caribbean are in the target zone for where sargassum might wash shore, he says, with the Southern Lesser Antilles (which includes islands such as Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Margarita Island, and Trinidad and Tobago) likely to be slightly less impacted than elsewhere in the Caribbean.


Does Montego Bay get sargassum?

From Montego Bay to Miami, sargassum is leaving stinky brown carpets over what was once prime tourist sand.


Does Cozumel have sargassum?

This means that Cozumel continues to be one of the least sargassum-affected municipalities and maintains clean western beaches (different from the landscape of other Quintana Roo destinations).


Do resorts clean up sargassum?

Popular resort hubs, including Playa del Carmen and Tulum, have ramped up efforts to deter sargassum from affecting travelers. What is this? Both destinations have set up temporary barriers and hired more cleaners in an effort to attract more travelers.


Is sargassum in the Caribbean 2023?

There's been a record-breaking sargassum seaweed bloom in 2023 in the Caribbean Sea. In order to help you plan your beach vacation, we've created a list of Caribbean beaches not affected by sargassum seaweed historically. This article was originally published in 2019.


What are the worst months for sargassum in the Caribbean?

The amount of sargassum seaweed in Cancun varies by season and even daily. Generally the worst months for seaweed are July and August.


Is there sargassum in the Bahamas 2023?

Yes – this year's 2023 Caribbean sargassum bloom in the looks like it will be one for the record books, surpassing many other recent seasons.


What is the sargassum problem 2023?

2023 is shaping up to be a banner year for sargassum, a type of brown macroalgae now starting to wash up on beaches across the Caribbean. The thick dead tangled heaps of seaweed stink like rotten eggs and could cost many millions in holiday revenues this summer.


Will sargassum hit Florida 2023?

USF reports it remains difficult to predict exact timing and location for individual beaching events but substantial amounts of the seaweed are expected in May in both the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. June is forecast to be the likely peak of the 2023 season, but impacts are expected to continue into July.