Ill Wind in Cozumel

[Dave Dillehay]

For the first time in my 21 years here we have had a steady west wind for a week. Not enough to close the port but plenty to stink up the downtown, and much of the rest of the island. The problem is sargassum (weed) which is occasionally seen here but never in such large quantities. Of course its now starting to stink and the attached photo is looking north from the Aldora Pier. The city has a front loader trying to clean it up but it is difficult with the rocky shore. My guess is that as soon as the normal easterly winds resume then the stuff will be blown out to sea and on its way to Cuba.

The mainland has it much worse and Puerto Morales has mountains of it—and in the local news.

Does not affect the diving but I just thought you might want to know of this once in a lifetime event in Cozumel.


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Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

Bienvenidos - Aldora Divers | Only the best of Cozumel

 

[Queen Triggerfish]

I actually noticed a LOT by the Aldora pier downtown on this week and especially on Friday. I was a bit confused, wondering if it's always been there and I've never really noticed it!

Thanks for the explanation.

 

[ggunn]

For the first time in my 21 years here we have had a steady west wind for a week. Not enough to close the port but plenty to stink up the downtown, and much of the rest of the island. The problem is sargassum (weed) which is occasionally seen here but never in such large quantities. Of course its now starting to stink and the attached photo is looking north from the Aldora Pier. The city has a front loader trying to clean it up but it is difficult with the rocky shore. My guess is that as soon as the normal easterly winds resume then the stuff will be blown out to sea and on its way to Cuba.

The mainland has it much worse and Puerto Morales has mountains of it—and in the local news.

Does not affect the diving but I just thought you might want to know of this once in a lifetime event in Cozumel.


.View attachment 201567

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

Bienvenidos - Aldora Divers | Only the best of Cozumel

Looks like Playa Bonita last May.

 

[Brules]

 

[Ron Lee]

I saw it in the El Cid webcam as well but did not know what it was.

Cozumel, Quintana Roo - Webcams de México

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Dear Gordon,

This is Sargassum, not the sightly messy stuff you see sometimes at Playa Bonita…entirely different, and it stinks after one day on the beach. The cruisers had to hold their noses today! Actually there was a big problem last summer on Galveston Beach with the same stuff. They had skip loaders running full time, making mountains of it. As a Texan you might remember that.

Dave Dillehay

 

[ggunn]

Dear Gordon,

This is Sargassum, not the sightly messy stuff you see sometimes at Playa Bonita…entirely different, and it stinks after one day on the beach. The cruisers had to hold their noses today! Actually there was a big problem last summer on Galveston Beach with the same stuff. They had skip loaders running full time, making mountains of it. As a Texan you might remember that.

Dave Dillehay

At playa Bonita a couple of Mays ago the stuff was about half a foot deep, covered the beach from 10-15 feet in from the water line and extended about that far into the water, and stank something awful.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Dear Gordon,

Trust me, I've seen both, this ain't it. That stuff was black/dark, this is Sargassum and is reddish brown and a whole new level of STINK!

Dave

 

[lionfish-eater]

At last! They removed the Sargasso

​ COZUMEL, 18 January.- The landfall of large quantities of kelp that have occurred off the coast of Cozumel, both in the east and in the west, will force personnel both Public Service and Federal Maritime and Land Area (Zofemat ), so that through brigades can remove it from the sea and is used as compost, and was announced by Eliot Reyes Novelo, director of the Department of Environment and Municipal Ecology. The interviewee explained that because the residue Organic has accumulated in the extended beaches of Cozumel, have implemented a coordinated work between different agencies and even people who voluntarily recognized "interested in providing a better future visitors." Reyes Novelo shared that kelp is a seaweed that travels from marine forests in the Bahamas and therefore currents drag them up to the Caribbean Sea and the Yucatan Peninsula, stressing that it is common among Sargassum fish larvae and crustaceans are found, resulting in that large amounts distils an unpleasant odor caused by marine species caught between these macroalgae and dying, came into decay, he said. He assured that you can not make actions against nature, clarifying that this kelp which was not seen for some years on the coast of the municipality, west side, is part of the natural cycle that is most noticeable in some other destinations as noted recently in the port of Cozumel, however, made ​​some actions to address this situation , preventing the home side affects and visitors therefore buildup of kelp. He commented that they are working with gangs Ecology Department and personnel from other agencies mentioned, noting that the task is performed by 12 people attended by two or up to three times a week and they collect large amounts of kelp, but explained that it is not removed from the site but said that is buried in the sand, since being an organic residue, it becomes sand in a short time why this action is performed. Likewise commented that staff Zofemat is also working with youth brigades for cleaning beaches, although in the case of actions carried them said that collect kelp and take it to nurseries of the municipality where it is used as compost.

 

[gr8jab]

How long will it be a problem?