Playa del Carmen is currently experiencing its most intense sargassum season, according to María de Lourdes Varguez Ocampo, Secretary of Sustainable Environment and Climate Change of Solidaridad. However, she noted that compared to previous years, the amount of sargassum arriving is less.
The sargassum is particularly noticeable at certain points, such as "Punta Esmeralda" on the northern side. This area is under concession, but the municipality has taken responsibility for cleaning it as the concessionaire has refused to do so.
Playa Fundadores and 8th Street are other areas where the sargassum has been landing in large quantities. The latter is a downtown area that has been heavily affected by the sargassum. Despite the challenge, the municipality has managed to remove almost all of the sargassum.
"There are obviously some spots in the federal zone, but even so, we have had a huge arrival of swimmers and visitors," said Varguez Ocampo. She added that since January, more than 5,000 tons of sargassum have been collected, a significant amount compared to previous years.
However, she cautioned against complacency. "Nature is very variable. Today it can be generous, or tomorrow we could be in the entire federal zone full of sargassum," she warned.
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