The beautiful beaches of Punta Cana, a popular tourist destination in the Dominican Republic, are facing a major challenge in the form of a massive seaweed bloom. A seaweed blob, twice the width of the US, is currently making its way through the Atlantic Ocean towards Punta Cana. It is estimated that three million tons of seaweed, equivalent to over 400,000 elephants in weight, will enter the region this year. This influx of seaweed, known as sargassum, has the potential to ruin your vacation if not properly managed.
Sargassum is a type of brown algae that floats in island-like masses and never attaches to the seafloor. While the Caribbean would usually experience a few small mats of sargassum washing ashore in a given year, the situation changed in 2011 when unexpectedly large waves of seaweed started arriving. Since then, similar pileups have occurred almost every year, with especially bad blooms in 2015 and 2018.
Initially, sargassum was contained to the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean due to ocean currents. However, an unusual bloom in 2011 saw sargassum proliferate across the entire Atlantic. This new area has been named the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt and has become an annual feature. The ocean currents carry the sargassum belt over the Caribbean, Eastern United States, and Mexico, smothering beaches along the way.
Punta Cana, in particular, is expected to face the worst sargassum influx of the season in July and August. However, this seaweed season is predicted to end by the end of September. The hotels in Punta Cana have taken measures to combat the seaweed problem by assigning dedicated staff to remove seaweed from the beaches daily. Some hotels even use tractors to keep the beaches sargassum-free. It is worth noting that the effectiveness of seaweed removal varies among different hotels, so travelers should consider this when selecting accommodation.
To prevent seaweed from reaching the shores, many resorts in Punta Cana have installed seaweed barriers. These barriers aim to stop the seaweed from reaching the beaches in the first place. Outside of the seaweed season, Punta Cana is typically sargassum-free, offering pristine beaches for visitors to enjoy.
It is important to understand that the sargassum problem is a natural phenomenon, and the levels of seaweed can vary from beach to beach, season to season, and even day to day. To plan your vacation better, there are several tools available to track the sargassum situation in Punta Cana. Sargassumonitoring.com provides real-time information on affected beaches, along with an experimental weekly sargassum inundation risk tool by NOAA and the University of South Florida. These resources offer color-coded satellite maps for accurate weekly tracking of sargassum. Additionally, the Facebook group “Centro de monitorio de sargasso and Bavaro Punta Cana” is a platform where people upload daily pictures of the beaches in Punta Cana, allowing travelers to stay updated on the current sargassum conditions.
When planning a vacation to Punta Cana, it is crucial to stay informed about the seaweed situation. By utilizing the available tools and resources, travelers can make informed decisions and ensure an enjoyable and sargassum-free experience during their visit to this tropical paradise.
Check out our video for the top 33 picks of what to see and do in Punta Cana for an unforgettable vacation.
Note: This article is for informational purposes only. The seaweed situation in Punta Cana may vary, and readers are advised to check updated information before making travel plans.
Keywords: Punta Cana, seaweed problem, sargassum influx, beach cleanup, seaweed barriers, sargassum monitoring, seaweed season, beach conditions, vacation planning.
