TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Seaweed??

Do you think the seaweed will be gone by mid July? What beaches are affected?
Thanks

Did you read the seaweed on Orient thread? Various beaches were discussed there. As to whether it will be gone by mid July, who knows? The beach that seems to have the most trouble with seaweed has been Dawn Beach.

If you go to sxm-talk.com and search seaweed, there are articles from April and May discussing this . I wouldn't worry about this though. Its usually here one day and gone the next. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Joy.gif" alt="" />

Seaweed was terrible at Mr. Busby's this morning. A wall of seaweed along the beach with a backhoe trying gather it up. Smell was terrible at breakfast.

That web address doesn't work

This is written in respect to St. Croix - but applies to all Caribbean islands: http://www.gotostcroix.com/st-croix-blog/sargassum-seaweed-friend-foe/

The short story - you don't know until you get there.

"I wouldn't worry about this though. Its usually here one day and gone the next."
Long range forecast is an unusual amount of seaweed is expected throughout the Caribbean through out the next months. They are doing a good job of clearing it away on the beaches affected but it comes in daily.

Which beaches are not affected?

Pinel, Mullet have all been clear along with the beach in front of SBR and Flamingo.

We were at Happy Bay today and not one piece of seaweed there.

Sorry. Sxm talk.com. No hyphen

I apologize.... This should work. Sxm-talks.com. Or google soualiga news st. Martin. It's a news source with articles re: sxm seaweed status. You have to enter seaweed on that sites search box. Hope this helps

Regardless of the site and discussion, July is a long way off and things can change rapidly when it comes to seaweed. Usually it is not bad in the Simpson Bay/Mullet Bay area but I have seen it there in the past.

Hi all! We are arriving Thursday! YAY! Can I get an update on Orient seaweed, if there is any? I'm hoping to hear the all clear! Thanks in advance! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

The seaweed in Oyster Bay is TERRIBLE. Dawn Beach is unusable in my opinion. We're going to try Orient today and see how that is. We have been here 7 days and haven't been in the ocean yet. It kinda sucks.

I feel so badly for you. I personally would think twice about booking something at Oyster Bay during the summer. If I had a reservation for this year, I think I would try to cancel it. If there is sargasso, it seems that it is ALWAYS a problem at Dawn.

Wow! I am so sorry to hear that. I brought my sister to SXM for the first time ever (I have been there many times) in December 2014. The seaweed was terrible. There was no one on Orient and it smelled horribly. My sister could not understand what my family had always bragged about! On top of that there were 10 foot waves at Mullett and it was too dangerous for us to venture in the water. Fast forward to December 2016 and I brought her back. Mullett was the bathtub I love and Orient was seaweed-free and gorgeous. Now she understands!

Please please report back on Orient. We arrive Thursday and would like to be prepared. Best wishes to you Scotty that there is improved conditions for you to enjoy. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

A year or so ago, after having heard so many positive comments about BSV on Simpson Bay, we booked 3-4 nights there at the end of our two weeks at our timeshare. The idea of staying literally right on the beach sounded wonderful so we were very excited.

Pretty much most of the island was experiencing issues with the dreaded Sargasso seaweed although we'd had virtually no problem with it on Mullet Beach, our island favorite and basically the home beach for our timeshare.

Finally our two weeks at the Towers were up and it was time to relocate to the much anticipated Beachside Villas. We were so excited and happy to be making the move. You can't imagine our disappointment when we got there and saw all the seaweed - it seemed to collect in that area and down the beach to El Zafiro although in walking the beach we knew it was everywhere. The groundspeople were out every morning raking and bagging and hauling away the offensive mess but within an hour or two it was back again but at least we knew they were trying to keep up with it. It was unbelievably thick in the water along the shore and not pleasant to swim in.

And to top things off, the surf pounded the whole time we were there. My DH was able to get in and out of the water safely but once the last day of our stay and I never did make it in. But in the end it was all okay because the pool was delightful and the seaweed was prevalent across most of the island's beaches and you knew the property owners were diligently trying to stay on top of it.

We went back this past April and stayed a full week after our two weeks at the Towers and there was zero seaweed and the normal waves you would expect which made the beach easily accessible most of the time we were there.

The islands are all wonderful but two things you can't control are the seaweed and the power of the water so the secret is accept and respect it and if one beach isn't good, there's probably one in the exact opposite direction that is.

I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for all of you there now and those soon come. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Well, you live and learn. We are here for another 12 days. The seaweed at Orient is so minimal compared to Oyster Bay. You could take all the seaweed on the entire beach at Orient and it wouldn't be as much as a 100' of the beach here. Yesterday was at least 2' high by 2 or 3' wide. They cleaned it this morning but it is already 1' high and wide or wider. I guess it is the last time we stay on this side during the summer.

I wonder if I could contact II and change my 2nd week when we're down here. I've never done that before and I'm sure it can't be done but I may try.

I think we'll be going to Orient tomorrow and sit all day. We went after lunch today to just inspect and it was great so we walked the beach for a couple hours up and down and got some exercise but didn't rent any chairs or anything like that.

The area around the Divi, and Belair have great calm water right now with no seaweed that I could see. I just have to figure out if I am coming back next year and if so where to go that II lets me go where I can have some good water without always going to Orient.

As for Orient, to me it is great and I think you'll be fine unless something changes from what we saw today.

Thanks for the update Scotty! Sounds like things are looking up for the rest of your trip! Starting Friday my 19 year old son and I will be hanging around La Playa on Orient and then a week later my husband and daughter join us .. maybe we will run into you!

ENJOY the rest of your vacation!

Scotty,

Yes, you can make changes from down there if you're dissatisfied with where you are for good reason and if - big IF - they can accommodate you elsewhere. I say that, but now that I'm thinking, the person I know who did make a change while there was with RCI and not II. But don't wait too long....and good luck. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

That would be cool.
We have never been ones to like to be around a lot of people on the beach and have gone to many of the quieter ones like Plum Bay but many say that is not wise anymore so I won't question their advice. Orient is a very nice beach with a lot of things to do but we are just not familiar with it like so many other people on here are. Even though we have been to St. Maarten many times and have stayed here at least 120 days or more we still have a lot to learn about Orient Beach.

On our fourth week at Flamingo. Haven't seen a speck of seaweed on our beach. Lots of it off shore all around the island. Any beach facing the East will have it blown in.

Scotty - We are arriving on Friday and plan to use Orient quite a bit since OBBR/Dawn Beach appears to be a no go at the moment.Would appreciate any updates on Orient based on whatever you are seeing at the time.

Thanks!

Okay, I think we're going to Orient today, not sure yet but most likely. The seaweed here is now around 2' deep and 4 or more feet wide on the shore not to mention how filthy dirty the water is near the beach. It's crazy bad. They need to somehow market this stuff.

Scotty--Why don't you check to see if you can move somewhere else?? I would..

OK appreciate any updates if available. Is OBBR offering or arranging transportation to other beaches? We were last there in November 2014 and experienced the same scenario with the seaweed.Not happy about what appears to be a repeat performance but will just have to roll with it at this point and look to hang out at beaches on the other side of the Island.

Good news is that we're in SXM!

Orient Beach has to me, minimal seaweed. Some places has a little bit more than others but so very little. The least is on the Club Orient side so that is where we ventured to. You will be fine no matter where you go so I would say no worries. Things could change I'm sure, but for now it's fine.

I woke up today to see the beach was around 2' deep or so and 5' wide of seaweed. Wow, is everything from the entire ocean coming here. I have not heard if OBBR is offering any transportation to other beaches or not. We have a car so it doesn't affect us. I'm sure it does others though. I know I wouldn't be happy if I came to an island and planned on sitting by the beach and couldn't because of seaweed. It's not the resorts fault I know but I know I won't be back here again is all I can say.

Yes, the good news is we're in SXM. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for update Scotty and good to hear Orient is a viable option as of now. Will be arriving OBBR tomorrow afternoon so expect that you will have all the seaweed gone by then. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Enjoy the remainder of your stay on Island.

Scotty--again, have you checked to see if you can switch to a different resort? I would..

I have but it appears that through II none are available. I will survive though.
I just have to remember where I am. I'm on SXM and I need to quit complaining. It could be worse, I could be back home working.

I don't blame you. I would be complaining too. Hope you enjoy your trip regardless.

Just returned home last night. If you stay at the Club O end of the beach the seaweed is not bad. The farther you trek towards Mt. Vernon the worse the seaweed gets. Yesterday we walked the beach and once you got to Coco Beach Bar we turned around because the seaweed was 2 feet thick and about 4 to 6 feet wide. If you go to the beaches on the north side of the island everything is clear (Mullet, Baie Rouge Happy Bay...)

When you hear about the meticulous efforts to now save and protect places like Tintamarre it makes one wonder how they can get away with the wholesale destruction that they carry out elsewhere in St. Martin on most days.
I walked Orient Beach this AM - from Club O to the big pock-marked rock by CoCo Beach the one that looks like a scale model of the moon.
They had a full size Hyundai front loader and John Deer tractor tearing up Orient Beach from beyond the waterline (about a foot or two into the sea), to about 70 feet inland. It had rained a time over night and the sand was clumpy and the tractor rake was clogged and was really acting as a plow. They dug into quite a stretch of Orient Beach from just before Bikini Beach, over La Playa beach and a little beyond Waikiki mostly. There were points were they seemed to be digging down 4-5 inches. All to remove the relatively small amount of seaweed that had come in overnight. They pile up their plowed mixture of seaweed and sand into huge piles at each end of their excavation. These piles are now quite long and get maybe 3-4 feet high.
I’m no Oceanographer, but a complete moron could see that this is so shamefully shortsighted and reckless of them!.

We have never gone early to Orient Beach. What time can a person start getting a chair at Pedro's?

This morning the Pedro's Beach guy was just starting setting up chairs at app. 6:15 a.m. That's a half hour after sunrise. I'm sure if you plunked yourself down in one as he dragged it out, he would not have turned you away. There were several people out there before sunrise trying to catch the sunrise today.

Well, I don't think I'll be there by 6:15.

I wonder why they're not using the specialized machine that was bought.

www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/53874-sindextour-acquires-specialised-machine-to-pick-up-sargassum

Maybe the best solution is to stop the invasion before it gets to the beach.

theoceancleaner.wordpress.com/sargassum-problem/

Good question about that special seaweed removal machine? What happened to that? Comparatively speaking a bit more seaweed came in last night and with a cruise ship scheduled today they carved much more of Orient Beach up this morning in the same hideous manner with the same machines... this time from the Le String beachwear shop all the way past Waikiki. Only thing untouched was their accumulating mound of plowed rotting material that now stretches in the spot with no businesses behind it , that is between Kontiki beach to Bikini beach.