Some of the great attractions of the Riviera Maya are its beaches with white sand and turquoise blue seas, unfortunately these have been affected by a species of algae called sargassum in recent years.
You have probably heard of this and the truth is that many media outlets have opted to exaggerate the magnitude of this problem, this is not fair to the thousands of businesses affected by bad advertising. But we live here, we will tell you things as they really are. Understanding this problem is key to knowing the delicate balance of the ecosystem in the Riviera Maya.
The Riviera Maya is a very rich area
The Beach is not the only attraction available, we also have cenotes, lagoons, archaeological ruins, natural reserves, theme parks, world class shows, exclusive restaurants, award-winning golf courses, pre-hispanic towns…
Considering all this, visiting the Riviera Maya is still a life-time experience and there is no reason to cancel your reservation or your flight, you would be missing out on many other beautiful and unique things in this region.
The sargassum is seasonal
The sea currents that bring the sargassum are greatly influenced by “el niño.” But the currents change direction in the last months of the year taking all the sargassum away to give us clean beaches starting from November. And that way we are clean for at least half of the year.
It is not the fault of Mexico
Something that we have to be clear about is that the sargassum is not a consequence of pollution in Mexico.
Many people think that the sargassum forms on the coast of Mexico due to the pollution generated by hotels, but that is not true. On the contrary, Riviera Maya is an international leader in ecotourism and there is a huge collaboration between hotels, environmental organizations and local people to prevent garbage and other types of pollution from reaching the sea!
Sargassum forms offshore near Bermuda and is dragged to the coast of Mexico by sea currents. In recent years it has grown because the ocean temperature has risen, another sad consequence of global warming.
The government is fighting this problem
The president of Mexico has left the national army in charge of cleaning and collecting sargassum. There is great interest so that this problem does not affect the tourist activity or the economic development of the area, it is common to see soldiers and army ships on the beaches of The Riviera Maya.
And the results are visible, the people who live here have seen a breakthrough in recent years.
Many uses are being found for Sargassum
From biofuel to ingredient for concrete. It turns out that sargassum has many uses like raw material for these shoes. With a little investment and creativity you can take a positive turn to this awkward situation.
