The month of May saw an explosion of the nasty-smelling brown seaweed known as sargassum, increasing from 31 million metric tons in April to 37.5 million — the largest amount since monitoring began in 2011.
The bloom, which typically runs from April to October, is already blanketing beaches from Puerto Rico to the Yucatán Peninsula, which includes Cancun, Tulum, and Playa del Carmen. These island-like masses are expected to continue their spread in June, invading the western Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Florida, and the beaches along the Southern U.S. coastline.
Sargassum is a form of algae that releases hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, which can be dangerous to pregnant women and people with respiratory issues. The tiny sea creatures that bury themselves in the seaweed can cause rashes and blisters if they come in contact with skin.
Mexico is actively addressing sargassum by focusing on four dozen beaches along the Yucatán Peninsula and Caribbean coast. Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic has invested in barriers to prevent seaweed from reaching the shore. However, smaller Caribbean islands without the budget to address this issue are leaving the cleanup to the individual hotels. Some resorts are even installing their own barriers, such as the new AVA Resort Cancun, which just hosted the annual IRF Invitational this week.
What Can Planners Do?
The first step for planners is to get informed, said Kimberly Ruby, client engagement manager, marketing, at Canada Life Reinsurance, who began researching beach resorts for a vacation and could not find a single property that was addressing the issue.
“Properties need to make guests aware. It’s like ADA concerns. I’d like to know ahead of time that your elevator is down. I can’t make a decision if I don’t know about it.”
There are many ways planners can be affected. “If I select a venue for a site visit and then see the sargassum — and smell it — I’ve wasted time and money visiting,” she said. “Even worse would be having to scramble to create a Plan B for a beach event, then worry about health issues among attendees.”
“Groups and their guests have a right to expect that a beach will be reasonably attractive and available for normal beach activities, and that any outbreaks will be cleaned up promptly and regularly. This is particularly true unless a hotel advises the group prior to contracting that it cannot clean the sargassum up promptly,” said Joshua L. Grimes, Esq., Grimes Law Offices.
There is no requirement that groups cover this issue in a meeting contract, he said, as in most cases they have the right to expect a clean beach. “But planners concerned with this can insist on an appropriate clean-up clause in the contract. Planners should also keep abreast of conditions at beach properties, and bring any concerns to the hotel’s attention prior to the meeting so they can be addressed in advance.”
Sargassum Monitoring
In addition to a number of groups on social media sites including Reddit and Facebook, there are several online resources planners can use to track the sargassum bloom, including:
