Sargassum on Bonaire

[Groovetie]

Hi

is anyone on the Island right now and has some information about the situation with Sargassum at Bonaire?
It looks like Sorbonbeach has deactivated their Webcam. And Pictures published by the Bonaire Reporter show
quite a lot of it.

We are heading there in a few days.

Thank you

 

[tkaelin]

None that we have seen on the leeward side. Haven’t been up to lac bay

 

[wwguy]

(We're not on the island right now, but we've been regular visitors for the past 28 years and have friends who reside there full time.)

You didn't mention what you specifically wanted to know about sargassum on Bonaire, so I'll just share what I know in general.

Sargassum first appeared in the Caribbean in 2011 and on the eastern shores of Bonaire in 2015. Since then it's pretty much been a regular seasonal occurrence in the spring and summer months. Lagun and Lac Bay on the windward side of the island are the primary areas of impact and environmental concern.

STINAPA coordinates volunteer sargassum removal efforts when warranted, such as has been the case for the past several weeks. Some years see relatively low amounts washed ashore, as seems to be the case last year. And in some years the sargassum influx is much greater, as has been the situation so far this year.

Yesterday STINAPA posted the following update and photos on their Facebook page:

"𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠
Our team of Rangers have been working tirelessly for weeks to combat the influx of sargassum that is reaching our shores. Within three weeks, we have already cleaned up a record amount of Sargassum, more than we did in the whole of 2024. It is hard work, but our Rangers and the volunteers are showing up every day to do their part in protecting our nature."

If interested in more technical discussion on the topic you might find the following 2024 study to be interesting, especially the study's summary and introduction on pages 4 and 5:
Mapping the timing, distribution, and scale of Sargassum influx events in the coastal zone of Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands

 

[tursiops]

(We're not on the island right now, but we've been regular visitors for the past 28 years and have friends who reside there full time.)

You didn't mention what you specifically wanted to know about sargassum on Bonaire, so I'll just share what I know in general.

Sargassum first appeared in the Caribbean in 2011 and on the eastern shores of Bonaire in 2015. Since then it's pretty much been a regular seasonal occurrence in the spring and summer months. Lagun and Lac Bay on the windward side of the island are the primary areas of impact and environmental concern.

STINAPA coordinates volunteer sargassum removal efforts when warranted, such as has been the case for the past several weeks. Some years see relatively low amounts washed ashore, as seems to be the case last year. And in some years the sargassum influx is much greater, as has been the situation so far this year.

Yesterday STINAPA posted the following update and photos on their Facebook page:

"𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠
Our team of Rangers have been working tirelessly for weeks to combat the influx of sargassum that is reaching our shores. Within three weeks, we have already cleaned up a record amount of Sargassum, more than we did in the whole of 2024. It is hard work, but our Rangers and the volunteers are showing up every day to do their part in protecting our nature."

If interested in more technical discussion on the topic you might find the following 2024 study to be interesting, especially the study's summary and introduction on pages 4 and 5:
Mapping the timing, distribution, and scale of Sargassum influx events in the coastal zone of Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands

Great post!

 

[Groovetie]

@wwguy
Thanks a lot for yout post. I just tried to find out if and how the spread of Sargassum could affect my time on bonaire. Knowing we were there already twice and never saw it. So now I know, it is not new and I am thankful for the Ranger and Volunteer taking care to enshure a low impact visitors like me.