Huge quantities of sargassum are flooding the coasts of the Riviera Maya

Quintana Roo, Mexico — The Spanish newspaper El País is raising the alarm with a video claiming that “massive amounts of Sargassum are arriving on the shores of the Riviera Maya, disrupting tourism and local businesses in Playa del Carmen, according to local workers.”

Drone footage captured piles of brown Sargassum covering pristine beaches, replacing the turquoise waters that have traditionally attracted international tourists. State and federal authorities have stepped up efforts to clean up the seaweed, the report notes.

Remember that “a report from the Optical Oceanography Laboratory at the University of South Florida, published in January 2026, projected high levels of sargassum throughout the Caribbean this year. Sargassum volumes in the region increased from 0.45 million metric tons in December 2025 to 1.7 million metric tons by January 2026.”

“The bulletin predicted further increases in February, with record volumes in all regions except the eastern Atlantic. Rear Admiral Topiltzin Flores Jaramillo, in charge of sargassum removal, expressed confidence in the existing cleanup strategies,” it adds.

Furthermore, it emphasizes that “however, local tourism workers highlighted the challenges posed by sargassum. Ángela Robles , a seasonal worker between Los Cabos and the Riviera Maya, described the impact on tourism as significant despite the constant number of visitors.”

“We’ve seen a considerable decrease, especially in areas where maintenance isn’t provided,” Robles said, adding that cleanup efforts are often “overwhelmed.” Tourists have also been affected by the seaweed. Tatiana, a visitor from Puerto Rico, expressed her disappointment: “We didn’t realize the entire stretch of beach was covered in seaweed…”