The Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) reported that it installed more than two kilometres of anti - sargassum barriers off the coast of the port of Mahahual, a tranquil, rapidly developing fishing village on Mexico’s Costa Maya in the state of Quintana Roo, renowned for the nearby Banco Chinchorro reef, a premier destination for diving, snorkeling, and relaxing on beaches along the Caribbean Sea.
This move is part of the federal strategy to contain the massive arrival of this seaweed and protect the beaches of southern Quintana Roo. According to naval authorities, the installation of these barriers is part of the permanent operation that is deployed every year during the season of greatest sargassum landfall in the Mexican Caribbean.
In the specific case of Mahahual, more than two thousand linear metres of maritime containment has been installed, which has allowed the algae to be diverted and concentrated before it reaches the coastal strip.
The agency stressed thart this action has been key to keeping the beaches of the port clean in one of the main tourist destinations in the municipality of Othón P. Blanco, whose economy depends largely on tourist activity and cruise ships.
Specialized naval personnel have been in charge of the placement, supervision and maintenance of the barriers, as well as coordinating the collection work on the high seas by sargassum boats. Once the sargassum is concentrated, it is removed and transferred to authorized sites for final disposal.
Tourism service providers in Mahahual recognized that the timely installation of the barriers has made a significant difference compared to previous years, when large amounts of sargassum arrived directly on the beach, affecting the image of the destination and generating economic losses for hotels, restaurants, and water activity operators.
Key Details Regarding the Mahahual Installation:
• Active Deployment: The Navy has been deploying, new, specialized, and refurbished containment meshes to protect the beaches in Mahahual, which is consistently one of the most affected areas in the region.
• Strategy: The goal of these floating barriers is to prevent the seaweed from reaching the shore, allowing for easier collection at sea, which minimizes the damage to the beach ecosystem, and reduces the need for heavy manual labour on the sand.
• Context: These measures are part of the broader 2026 sargassum strategy, as experts have identified Mahahual, along with Tulum and Playa del Carmen, as high – risk zones for this season.
• Efforts: The initiative is complemented by the use of specialized vessels (sargaceros) and cleaning crews top manage the seaweed that passes through the barriers.
As reported by REPORTUR.mx, the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) recently warned about the 75% increase in sargassum just for the Easter season and the arrival of tourists for the World Cup in the summer. For the entity, the greatest concern lies in the Western Central Atlantic, where a colossal mass of 280.097 tons is estimated to move westwards.
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