I can’t tell you how relieved I feel as I caught a glimpse of the beaches on Ambergris Caye. After months of overwhelming amounts of sargassum piling up on our shores, it finally looks like we are is catching a break. The San Pedro Town Council has even announced that we’re officially downgrading the Sargassum Response to the yellow phase, and that’s a big deal for us residents who’ve been living with this constant challenge.
For me, it feels like we can finally breathe again. The crews are still out there working hard, but now they have a chance to not only keep up with the seaweed but also catch up on other much-needed municipal services like waste collection and street maintenance. It’s not over, sargassum will always be part of island life, but this reprieve feels like a gift.
Sargassum Go Away!
I’m grateful to see the beaches clearing, the sea starting to looking blue again, and visitors enjoying the shore without the heavy mats of seaweed. Nature plays its part too. Around this time of year, as hurricane season shifts winds and currents, the sargassum tends to move away from our coastline. Now we just keep praying that no hurricanes come this way. Still, it’s hard not to think about the bigger picture, how warming seas, runoff, and changing currents have made these blooms larger and more unpredictable in recent years.
For now though, I’m thankful. Thankful for the Town Council crews who haven’t stopped working, thankful for the residents and businesses that pitched in, and thankful to see our beautiful island showing off her true colors again. Here’s hoping this record season is finally behind us.
