Sargassum on your cruise?

[sunsetme]

Please post here to report Sargassum you encountered in your cruise ports and the beach where you found it.

[miched]

It has been seen on many cruises.   It is nothing new.  It is floating out on the ocean and looks like a brown yellow green glob. 
 

In the 50s my parents would rent a cottage in Stoney Point Canada on Lake Saint Claire.    The beach would get loaded up with sea weed whenever there was a storm.  It was so thick you couldn’t walk thru it. All you could do was use rakes and pull it onto the shore so you could swim in the lake.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[alyssamma]

1 hour ago, miched said:

It has been seen on many cruises.   It is nothing new.  It is floating out on the ocean and looks like a brown yellow green glob. 
 

In the 50s my parents would rent a cottage in Stoney Point Canada on Lake Saint Claire.    The beach would get loaded up with sea weed whenever there was a storm.  It was so thick you couldn’t walk thru it. All you could do was use rakes and pull it onto the shore so you could swim in the lake.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

I think the OP is talking about the huge 5000 mi wide blob of it heading towards FL

[DaKahuna]

Did not encounter very much while off the coast of Cuba yesterday but we are starting to see lots of patches of it in the Caribbean Sea today. 
 

[odysee]

We encountered a lot of that in the middle of the ocean during our 2019 Spring TA from FLL to Southhampton. Seem to remember it was after we passed Bermuda, but can t be too sure about that.

Edited April 23, 2023 by odysee

[sunsetme]

Wondering how the Caribbean beaches are being affected.

[phoenix_dream]

4 hours ago, sunsetme said:

Wondering how the Caribbean beaches are being affected.

Respectfully, I think you'd get a lot more information if you titled your post differently.  Many people don't even know what it is (I had to look it up), and it sounds like your main interest is not "on your cruise" but rather on the beaches in the ports.  Not sure if you can still change the title?  It might help.

[Dancing Shoes]

Key West, beach near the southern point, a lot. Grand Cayman, 7 Mile Beach, none.  Cozumel in the water near the pier some, and Belize out at snorkel site reserve, way too much. 

[1Virgo]

we ve always seen this. The sargassum does seem to be more prevalent 

[sunsetme]

any info on St Martin and St Thomas? I love the west facing beaches but I assume they are most vulnerable

[PC 462]

3 hours ago, sunsetme said:

any info on St Martin and St Thomas? I love the west facing beaches but I assume they are most vulnerable

Saw some being raked up on Saint Martin Orient Beach in early April.  Saw great amounts on St. Kitts and Barbados.  None on Saint Thomas.

[mickey89]

WOW, take a look at St Maarten Grand Bay beach this morning.....loads of sargussum, never seen it this bad.  https://www.portstmaartenwebcam.com

[Cruise a holic]

Currently awful in Florida.

[sunsetme]

Pictures of St John with sargassum

https://explorestj.com/sargassum/

[def0715]

The cruise port in Road Town, Tortola, last month. No idea how the beaches were. Didn’t notice any issues on Virgin Gorda, where I spent the day.

 

[LIMPIT]

Just returned from 14 nights in Caribbean/Atlantic Cruise, beach/sargassum report :

South Beach Miami Bad

Puerto Plata ok

Antigua West Coast excellent 

St Croix good

St Maarten excellent 

St Kitts Bad

 

[WonderMan3]

This happens every few years but has been increasing in recurrence. As the effects of climate change worsen and sea temperatures rise the sargassum masses will likely increase in frequency. It could be devastating to Caribbean island (and Florida) economies down the road.

[hcat]

The big blob  has hit Fla and is also  in the Gulf of Mexico. For now the  news reports that the west coast beaches seem okay..they have enough issues  with red tide!    ruined family Spring break vacations in several areas..

[TeeRick]

13 hours ago, WonderMan3 said:

This happens every few years but has been increasing in recurrence. As the effects of climate change worsen and sea temperatures rise the sargassum masses will likely increase in frequency. It could be devastating to Caribbean island (and Florida) economies down the road.

Yes agree.  The sargassum biomass can be used for fertilizer and fuel (burns cleanly), and perhaps other uses as well.  We need to turn an ongoing problem into an advantage.

[WonderMan3]

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

Yes agree.  The sargassum biomass can be used for fertilizer and fuel (burns cleanly), and perhaps other uses as well.  We need to turn an ongoing problem into an advantage.

There have been some warnings regarding the use of sargassum for fertilizer as there has been some evidence of metals dangerous to humans seeping into the vegetables grown in the fertilizer. More research is needed.

 

https://dcnanature.org/sargassum-fertilizer/

[TeeRick]

21 hours ago, WonderMan3 said:

There have been some warnings regarding the use of sargassum for fertilizer as there has been some evidence of metals dangerous to humans seeping into the vegetables grown in the fertilizer. More research is needed.

 

https://dcnanature.org/sargassum-fertilizer/

Thanks.  I will watch for developments on this story.

[Pudgesmom]

Current infestations can be monitored on this map. https://sargassummonitoring.com/?amp

[Aquahound]

On 4/23/2023 at 6:43 AM, DaKahuna said:

Did not encounter very much while off the coast of Cuba yesterday but we are starting to see lots of patches of it in the Caribbean Sea today. 
 

 

When I see those pictures, the fisherman in me only sees Mahi.  😉