Isla Mujeres, Q.R. — Islanders hauled out their beach cleaning tools Thursday to remove the first sargassum landfall of the season. Due to its strategic location, the island is not as affected by the seaweed as other areas in the state, however, recent strong winds had left one of their main beaches covered.
On Thursday, a system that left much of the coast with wind and rain also left the coast with a fresh batch of washed up sargassum. For the first time this season, the current pushed the seaweed onto Playa Norte.
Crews were out in full force forklifting the seaweed off the sand and into wheelbarrows from where it was deposited into waiting trucks. According to Isla Mujeres Zofemat Director Dayana Alejandra Pérez Medina, 32 tons was removed in a single day.
“In response to the atypical washout of sargassum that occurred at Playa Norte due to weather conditions, the Municipal Government, headed by Mayor Atenea Gómez Ricalde, promptly addressed the situation through Zofemat Isla Mujeres personnel,” Pérez Medina said.
Pérez Medina emphasized that thanks to the efforts of the beach warriors, more than 32 tons of sargassum was successfully removed from Playa Norte, preserving the unparalleled beauty of one of the destination’s main tourist attractions.
“Every day before sunrise, Zofemat staff clean the beaches and remove sargassum so that our beaches look clean, beautiful and algae-free from the start so they can be enjoyed by island families and visiting tourists,” said Pérez Medina.
The municipal official highlighted the mayor’s commitment to keeping Isla Mujeres’ beaches pristine. Therefore, cleanup efforts have been strengthened at Playa Norte and Playa Centro, which have earned the Blue Flag and Platinum awards, recognizing them for their water quality, cleanliness of their beaches and safety, among other criteria.
Isla Mujeres Zofemat has organized another day of sargassum removal from Playa Mar Caribe in La Guadalupana on the municipal mainland. Pérez Medina said in light of the atypical sargassum occurrences reported in recent days, Zofemat has organized a second cleanup for June 21.
“It’s important to remember that this fight against sargassum is everyone’s responsibility,” she said. That same beach was part of the simultaneous mass sargassum removal along Quintana Roo coast Tuesday where volunteers also removed tons of the seaweed.
