Experts believe the stinky seaweed known as sargassum that impacted several popular Mexican tourism destinations in recent years could return as early as February.

According to Mexico News Daily, oceanographers from the University of South Florida discovered a mass of sargassum in the Atlantic Ocean that could bring record levels of the seaweed to Mexico and Central America in 2024.

The sargassum mass is ��nearly five times larger�� than the mass discovered last year and could arrive by February and last through October.

A research group, Sargassum Monitoring, said the seaweed mass could reach the northern Antilles in around three weeks before landing on beaches in the Dominican Republic in March.?

The stinky substance is expected in parts of Florida and Mexico by April or May.

The Quintana Roo Technical Council for Sargassum Management said it is following the trajectory of the sargassum and is developing a plan to handle the seaweed before it reaches popular beaches and once it makes landfall, according to State Environment Minister Josefina Huggette Hernandez.

One popular tourism destination, Tulum, launched an initiative to stop the arrival of the stinky seaweed. The comprehensive containment plan includes five new anti-sargassum vessels and other equipment that uses dragnets to stop the foul substance from reaching the shore.

---

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.

Topics From This Article to Explore