Algae in Playa?

[MissDaisy]

Have been reading news reports about the foul smelling algae - anyone at the Royal HAciendas at the moment? If so... can you update on the condition of the ocean?

Thanks..

 

[pittle]

It was bad last year at Vidanta RM when we went in late April early May. The staff was continuously work on cleaning it off the beach. Some days it smelled awful and other days, you did not smell it. There was a long thread last year about it up and down the coast near Playa. Search for Seaweed.

 

[MissDaisy]

Thank you! I searched for "algae" and nothing came up.... will try with seaweed!

 

[VanX]

Sargassum is the term to search

 

[Karen G]

Sargassum is the term to search

I googled that and found this article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/05/decomposing-algae-ruining-beaches-mexico-190510091141763.html

 

[cheech]

Just got back from a resort "fairly" close to the Royal Haciendas and it was horrible. The entire coast from Puerto Morales all the way down to Akumal is covered. They are working diligently to clean it up, but it appears to be a losing battle.

 

[rpennisi]

This past February at the GB RM, there was Sargassum all along the beach. The workers were collecting it and dumping the seaweed in a huge pile at the south end of their beach property with all sorts of detritus mingled in, but no smell.

 

[RNCollins]

What to do with that stinky sargassum?
https://www.travelweekly.com/Mexico-Travel/What-to-do-with-that-stinky-sargassum

By Arnie Weissmann / Mexico / Travel Weekly / travelweekly.com / May 14, 2019

“When life deals you sargassum ... well, you won't find a market for sargassum-ade.

But it turns out that there are potential positives in this bothersome seaweed, according to Dario Flota, general director of Caribe Mexicano, the tourism promotion board for Mexico's Quintana Roo state, which includes Cancun, Riviera Maya, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Puerto Morelos, Holbox and other tourist magnets.

The Mexican navy has been sent to intercept the millions of pounds of sargassum looking to beach itself on the Quintana Roo coastline by placing barriers into the ocean to prevent the plant from reaching shore. The project began yesterday off Puerto Morelos....”

A sargassum cleanup in Playa del Carmen.
Photo Credit: Lduarte/Shutterstock

 

[DannyTS]

we were at Lagunamar in Cancun 3 times in the last 14 months: March and late October 2018 and again in March 2019, absolutely no issue with the seaweeds. I hope they will be able to do something about it thought, i heard that in Playa del Carmen it was pretty bad.

 

[DannyTS]

this is a live feed from Hard Rock Cancun, not far from Westin Lagunamar

 

[KathyAH475]

we were at Lagunamar in Cancun 3 times in the last 14 months: March and late October 2018 and again in March 2019, absolutely no issue with the seaweeds. I hope they will be able to do something about it thought, i heard that in Playa del Carmen it was pretty bad.

View attachment 11856

Hi- We were at Vidanta RM April 27- May 4. Sargassum was being raked and piled constantly. Yes, I heard it was pretty bad in PM and PDC. There was a smell on one of the days at the Beach Club Pool, but it didn't last. None of this spoiled our glorious 2 weeks there, though. Weather was perfect, great friends and family travelled with us, food & drink (at the few restaurants that were opened!) was delicious, and I can't wait to return.

 

[terces]

Is the Sargassum more prevalent in certain months of the year? Has anyone experienced it on the Mayan Riviera in November?

 

[vantovidanta]

It was there when I was there last October /november