The Sargassum Tracker: July 10 2026

2026 is tracking to be a record year. Researchers at the University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Laboratory say this season could exceed 75 percent of all historical values for sargassum in the Mexican Caribbean. Three separate dense clusters are currently moving toward the Yucatán Peninsula in staggered pulses, meaning arrivals will keep coming in waves rather than letting up after one big push.

2026 is tracking to be a record year. Researchers at the University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Laboratory say this season could exceed 75 percent of all historical values for sargassum in the Mexican Caribbean. Three separate dense clusters are currently moving toward the Yucatán Peninsula in staggered pulses, meaning arrivals will keep coming in waves rather than letting up after one big push.

Where It Is

• Cancún Hotel Zone: Heavy. Satellite imagery from this week shows a dense sargassum mass sitting directly offshore, north of the Hotel Zone and extending south. Cleanup crews are active and the northern beaches are faring better than southern stretches.
• Playa del Carmen: Heavy. Continuous coverage from the offshore mass straight to the shoreline with no visible clear-water gap. Arrivals have been ongoing since spring and are intensifying.
• Tulum: Heavy. Both offshore and close to shore. The open Caribbean exposure that draws tourists in winter makes Tulum the most vulnerable spot during sargassum season. Expect heavy accumulations through July.
• Puerto Morelos: Moderate. The small offshore reef provides partial protection. Conditions are manageable most days with regular cleanup operations.
• Cozumel (west shore): Light to moderate. Western beaches near the pier stay cleaner. The eastern windward shore takes the direct hit. Resorts on the west side are operating normally.
• Isla Mujeres: Light. Best-sheltered beach in the region. Western exposure blocks the main Caribbean influx. Playa Norte remains the safest bet for clear water in the entire Quintana Roo corridor.
• Mahahual and southern Quintana Roo: Lighter. Satellite readings show more blue than red. The southern coast is faring noticeably better than beaches 60 miles north.

What They Are Doing

SEMAR Navy has deployed containment barriers and is running daily cleanup operations along the Cancún-Tulum corridor. The state of Jalisco reported removing roughly 80,000 tons of sargassum from its shores this week. That scale gives a sense of what the Caribbean coast is dealing with.

Resorts in the Hotel Zone are running dedicated removal crews, installing offshore barriers, and shifting guests to pool amenities when beach conditions deteriorate.

No beach closures have been declared in Quintana Roo as of Friday morning.

What It Means for Your Trip

If you have a Cancún or Riviera Maya trip booked for the next two weeks: northern Hotel Zone beaches and Isla Mujeres are your best options for ocean swimming. Tulum ocean swimming is rough. Cozumel west shore resorts remain fully operational with manageable conditions. Dive shops report good visibility offshore once you get past the surface layer, but shore dives near Tulum are murky.

Conditions are expected to intensify through July and August. Peak season has not peaked yet. The outcome will shape how Mexico handles similar challenges in the future.