The Sargassum Weed Influx Has Hit All 3 Cayman Islands Very Hard

[KathyV]

There have been many recent articles from locations across Mexico and the Caribbean about a current and really bad influx of Sargassum weed that is piling up on the beaches and floating out to sea in big mats.

The Cayman islands have also been hit very hard and officials are trying to figure out how to get the stinky, ugly stuff cleaned up even though it keeps washing ashore.

From what I have read so far, the Seven Mile Beach and much of the West side of Grand Cayman are still clear but the East and South (and parts of the North, I think) sides of the island are inundated.

The Sister Islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman have also been hit hard by the horrible gunk and it is impacting both vacationing and diving.

I hope that it stops washing in soon and that the government figures out ecologically sound ways to clean up the mess and dispose of the rotting, smelly stuff.

Cayman coastline hit by stinky seaweed, again | Cayman Compass

 

[Alucard]

I can confirm from personal experience these past two weeks that it is a big problem on the south and east shores of Grand Cayman. West Bay, Seven Mile Beach and George Town shores have remained free of it. Rum Point had a problem about 3 weeks ago but it cleared out about 10 days ago - the two times I was over there it was fine and Sargassum-free.

Friends of mine snorkelled Spotts Beach and said that it was close in to shore, but once you got past it, it was fine.

 

[muzikbiz22]

Was pretty bad last summer on Little Cayman.

 

[caydiver]

North has also been reasonably clear. We in Grand Cayman has been much luckier than our Eastern Caribbean neighbors and parts of Mexico that it has no way to go around. I don’t any one country has the resources to put much of a fight up against Mother Nature and some here look at this as a natural albeit unwanted event same as the winter storms that shut down the NE USA. We could actually do something about the massive mats of plastic that are starting to appear in many locales which are man made but so far politicos cannot even agree on how to approach that mess. I will say have friends that work in EE dive ops that that are swamped with guests this past week. Don’t know if beach goers have the same options for finding spots with out the influx.

 

[diversmith]

Very bad right now at southern cross club on little cayman. Beach in front of the resort is clogged & unswimmable. It’s basically creating a red tide in the sound near the beach.

 

[caydiver]

Here in Grand Cayman it is bad all the south coast but we have nothing along Seven Mike Beach. Even just driving along the coast road on the south shore is unpleasant with the smell. Feel very sorry for anyone staying there. Will the hotel let you out of your reservation and maybe you can look for a place along SMB?

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

Hopefully one day they will crack the code with this and sargassum will end up being the Caribbean’s Biggest export..you can guarantee that you won’t find an inch of it on the beach as soon as scientists work out how to make money for it...

 

[caydiver]

I guess it is the same as many other events in nature. Some is good even necessary, too much is a big problem. We need rain, snow, sun even forest fires, but too much of any of them has a negative impact.

 

[mi000ke]

Hopefully one day they will crack the code with this and sargassum will end up being the Caribbean’s Biggest export..you can guarantee that you won’t find an inch of it on the beach as soon as scientists work out how to make money for it...

If you want to eat it, here is some advice for how to prepare it.
Sargassum Sea Vegetable - Eat The Weeds and other things, too

 

[Saboteur]

Hopefully one day they will crack the code with this and sargassum will end up being the Caribbean’s Biggest export..you can guarantee that you won’t find an inch of it on the beach as soon as scientists work out how to make money for it...

Or start the tale that it increases sexual prowess and testosterone...