Tulum, Q.R. — Recent weather conditions have left several Tulum beaches covered in sargassum. Winds that accompanied a passing tropical wave helped to push the incoming seaweed ashore.
David Buchanan García, the Tulum Director of the Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone (Zofemat), says already this month, 837 tons of sargassum has been collected from the municipal coast.
He reported with that September haul, Tulum brigades have removed approximately 4,400 tons of the seaweed from beaches this year. The municipality had been enjoying a few days of decreased sargassum arrival when tropical wave 33 arrived.
“We had had several days without any sargassum which allowed us to make progress with the cleanup efforts and see a positive change in the water color. On Wednesday, we woke up to a heavy presence.
“We continued working from early in the day to remove the algae and prevent it from accumulating on the shore,” the Tulum Zona Federal Marítimo Terrestre (Zofemat) Director explained.
He said one of the areas hardest hit by the recent recall of sargassum is Playa Santa Fe in the Tulum National Park. According to Buchanan, the area is rocky and naturally captures the seaweed. It is an area, he said, that the Navy helps to clear of sargassum, improving the beach for tourists.
