St. Lucia SEAWEED Problem [2023]: Everything You Need To Know!

Affiliate disclosure: Gohitchhiking is reader supported. If you buy something through a link on our site we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. It keeps the coffee flowing☕️. Thanks for your support!

Seaweed has become a major headache for Caribbean countries and tourists visiting those countries for the past couple of years. That’s why, if you are planning a trip to St. Lucia or anywhere else in the Caribbean, you must first research the current seaweed conditions in that region.

And, if you want detailed information about current seaweed conditions in St. Lucia, you have come to the right place. In this article, you will find everything that you need to know about seaweed and its effects on St. Lucia.

Sargassum seaweed is a type of seaweed that lands on the shores of Caribbean countries with the help of winds and ocean currents.

And, when it lands on the beaches, it ruins the beauty of those beaches and releases a foul odor that makes it difficult for tourists to enjoy beach activities. Unfortunately, as per recent reports, Caribbean counties are expected to face a huge sargassum crisis in 2023.

So, let’s have a look at the current sargassum conditions in St. Lucia and the forecast for the coming months.

St. Lucia SEAWEED Problem [2023]: Everything You Need To Know!

Does St. Lucia have a seaweed problem?

St. Lucia sargassum seaweed

Unfortunately, even St. Lucia, home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, is not spared from the ongoing seaweed problem. Like other Caribbean countries, St. Lucia is also tackling seaweed blooms since 2011.

The seaweed problem has been worsening since 2018 as the frequency and intensity of sargassum blooms washing on St. Lucia’s shoreline have been increasing continuously.

Especially, in my research, I found that the eastern shoreline of St. Lucia, which is exposed to the incoming seaweed blooms from the Atlantic Ocean, is usually severely affected by seaweed.

On the other hand, the beaches on the western shoreline of St. Lucia are usually spared from seaweed due to their geographical positioning.

In other words, not all parts of St. Lucia are affected by seaweed. So, if you are planning your trip to St. Lucia and don’t want your trip to get ruined by smelly seaweed, we recommend you stay on St. Lucia’s western shoreline.

What are the most seaweed-affected beaches/places in St. Lucia?

Unfortunately, 2023 is expected to be a worse seaweed season to date for St. Lucia and other Caribbean countries. So, if you are planning your St. Lucia trip in 2023, you would like to avoid staying on beaches directly exposed to the Atlantic Ocean.

And, as I explained earlier, the beaches in the eastern and southern parts of St. Lucia have a major seaweed problem.

Places like Dennery, Praslin, Savannes Bay, Micoud, L’Anse Capitaine, and Sandy Beach are usually severely get affected by seaweed.

Best seaweed-free beaches/places to visit in St. Lucia in 2023?

If you are traveling to St. Lucia in 2023 and want a seaweed-free beach experience then you would want to stay on the western shore of St. Lucia. Fortunately, the western shore, which is also the Caribbean side of St. Lucia, is home to some of the most beautiful beaches on the island.

Places like Pigeon Island, Vigie Beach, Sugar Beach, Reduit Beach, Asne Cochon, and Marigot Bay usually remain seaweed free.

However, sometimes due to ocean currents, seaweed can reach the western coast of St. Lucia. So, we recommend confirming the current seaweed conditions on the beach from the resort/hotel you intend to visit before planning your trip.

St. Lucia seaweed season and forecasts for 2023

The seaweed season in St. Lucia usually runs from March to September every year. Especially, months of July and August are peak seasons for seaweed season in St. Lucia.

Now, what is the seaweed forecast for St. Lucia in the coming months?

Unfortunately, as per recent reports, huge sargassum blooms are expected to land on the shores of Caribbean countries in 2023.

In recent satellite images, a record-breaking 5000 miles wide seaweed blob is spotted in the Atlantic Ocean which is moving towards the Florida and Caribbean countries.

In other words, it is almost clear that St. Lucia along with other Caribbean countries will encounter record-breaking amounts of sargassum on their shores in the coming months.

So, if you are planning to visit St. Lucia or any Caribbean country in the coming months, make sure to check first the current seaweed conditions in the place or region you intend to visit.

How to check current seaweed conditions in St. Lucia?

Sargassum conditions in every place change quickly. That’s why before planning your trip it is important to check current sargassum conditions by contacting the hotel you are going to stay in.

Now, let us discuss how you can check current Sargassum conditions in St. Lucia to ensure that your vacation is sargassum-free:

Live Cameras

The most effective method of monitoring the current state of beaches in St. Lucia is via live cams. Many hotels or resorts in St. Lucia have live cameras facing the beaches. These live cams allow you to easily track the current sargassum conditions on the beaches.

Check this Website

Sargassummonitering.com is a website that keeps an eye on the current seaweed conditions on many Caribbean beaches. You can visit this website to find out which beaches in St. Lucia are currently facing the sargassum problem.

Call the Hotels

You can also call the hotels or resorts that are near the beach you intend to visit and ask them about the current seaweed conditions on that beach. You can easily get the numbers of those hotels either from their website or TripAdvisor.

Photo of author
About the author
Chetan Patil
Chetan is a travel enthusiast, who finds solace in traveling. Reading, writing, and sharing about outdoor adventures, culture, and traditions has been his lifelong passion.

Leave a Comment