Sargassum. Could it ruin your trip?
Sargassum Seaweed has had an enormous impact on almost every square inch of the Caribbean for almost a decade now.
It began as an infrequent nuisance, and has evolved into a stinking, rotting, horrible mess.
How do you avoid it? You do not. Even places that prior to a few years ago never had it, now periodically do. Tides, winds, etc have driven it into corners that here-to-fore had been celebrating and advertising their lack of it.
Some of my favorite resorts are located on beaches that historically never got hit with sargassum. Then two years ago one of my favorites had the unfortunate experience of a big storm at sea, shifting tides and an unusual wind direction. Sargassum rolled in for hundreds of yards. There was literally no way to get into the water and swim past it. It was a plague of biblical proportion. And of course, as luck would have it, I had my entire team of agents staying at the resort with me at the time. What a disappointment.
We always ask our customers during their initial consultation what components of their vacation are most important? Is it the beach? Marine life? Ability to snorkel? Nightlife? Dancing? Gourmet food quality? Do they love to hear the ocean but prefer to swim in a great pool? How about beach and pool butler service? Plenty of shade? Availably of beach beds and palapa’s? State of the art spa?
As you can see, we get into the details to deliver the very best experiences. But the one thing we must allow for these days is sargassum.
If snorkeling is the #1 priority, we must plan for the worst and make sure snorkeling is available nearby if not from the actual beach at the resort in case sargassum is rolling in.
If just laying on a beach bed listening to the waves is a priority, we must find resorts with beds some distance from the water line in case sargassum has rolled it. It has a horrific stench.
Resorts do their best to remove sargassum from their beaches almost as soon as it hits the sand. But when it’s coming in island-sized masses, it may take days to get ahead of the problem.
Be prepared. Do not chose a Caribbean resort based solely on a great beach. Sargassum seems to love to be unpredictable, and it’s always better to be safe than sorry.