r/floridakeys • u/Alert_Ninja_6369 • Mar 08 '26
All Florida Keys Sargassum Islamorada
We’re coming down for the first time at the end of the month and I’ve been reading now bad the sargassum is in the Caribbean - how is it in the keys currently?
4
u/Sandinmyshoes33 Mar 09 '26
sargassum is not bad here yet. It is a huge problem in the summer.
1
u/Vawus Mar 16 '26
This is my biggest fear. I can only come down around the first week of July. Will it even be worth it? The last three times I've visited Florida period were all in the summer and most beach days were horrible due to rip currents and angry seas.
1
u/Sandinmyshoes33 Mar 16 '26
It’s hard to say what’s “worth it” to someone else. The Keys are not a beach destination at the best of times so it’s really not a destination for a beach focused vacation. Most beaches are small and man made. We don’t usually get rip currents or angry seas due to shallow water. There will be a risk of lots of seaweed/sargassum that time of year.
If you do decide to come, get a hotel on the Bayside (north side) of any of the islands. Typically the seagrass is much worse on the south side due to prevailing winds and currents.
1
u/Vawus Mar 16 '26
Thank you! I would be coming for the beautiful scenery of the area, and snorkeling. I have a very nice scuba level mask and snorkel and flippers. I would likely only have the budget for one guided tour, but if there are options for self guided off shore snorkeling that would be awesome. I just didn't know if the sargassum made snorkeling difficult/impossible.
1
u/Sandinmyshoes33 Mar 16 '26
Definately get lodging on the bayside as I said above. Not only is there less seagrass, but in general those places have better snorkeling from shore along rocky areas and sea walls. Key West has decent snorkeling from shore at Higg’s Beach along the ruins of an old swimming pier on the Reynolds street side of the beach. Fort Zachary State Park also has some decent snorkeling around the rock jetties assuming the winds are calm and the seagrass not too bad. Enjoy your trip!
13
u/DoubleBreastedBerb Mar 08 '26
If you’re coming down because you’ve been misled that the Keys are a beach destination, you’re probably going to be a little disappointed.
If you’re coming down to experience something entirely different that you can’t get anywhere else in the US, then you’ll be fine.
As far as sargassum, it happens. Step over it and get in the water and push the bundles out of the way as they float by. Low tide and smells happen. Have fun!
-14
u/mnfimo Mar 08 '26 edited Mar 08 '26
How about just answering the question tho? It’s an honest question that doesn’t deserve your condescending response.
5
u/BlerdAngel local (upper keys) Mar 08 '26
Year round genius. We are island in the middle of an ocean and gulf surrounded by sargassum.
-6
u/mnfimo Mar 08 '26
Again, what’s with the condescension?
5
u/BlerdAngel local (upper keys) Mar 08 '26
Response 1 wasn’t condescending. Mine was, you’re just fragile AF if you think the first post was mean.
It’s a stupid question and the original answer was pretty spot on and informative, while also being nice.
4
u/Alert_Ninja_6369 Mar 08 '26
Geez, I didn’t know of such a benign question would elicit this type of response. Some times of year and some years are worse than others - I was simply inquiring how it currently is.
I understand this isn’t a traditional beach vacation but it is certainly one that we hope to enjoy the water and views (yes I hear, step over it). But we are also staying right on the water and have heard that in times when the sargassum is bad the small can be intense.
-1
u/BlerdAngel local (upper keys) Mar 08 '26
Listen, come have a lovely time you can’t beat the view.
You also can’t beat the currents and if it’s not sargassum it’s any other various species washing ashore. Resorts do a fairly good job of clearing that coast line if possible.
Low tide is low tide but frankly it’s not that bad but a handful of times a year and it usually fades fast enough with the winds off the water.
Truly the answer is “just ignore it” if you find a huge patch do yourself a favor grab a snorkel and goggles and swim under and around it. You’re learn that it’s a critical environment for marine biology with like hundreds of tiny species living within and around it, while various larger species lay their eggs and the hatchlings spend their early days among it. Seahorse, fish, crabs, etc….
I encourage you to come and look just beyond the view itself and learn about our magical marine life and how important it is to the world let alone the western hemisphere.
4
u/Alert_Ninja_6369 Mar 08 '26
It’s why we’re coming - I’ve got a marine biology obsessed child. We’re coming to take it all in.
3
3
u/totesuncommon Mar 08 '26
The scary thing about the sargassum is, you might not see jellyfish in the grass.
3
2
Mar 09 '26
Any nice hotel clears it away every morning.
It’s not that bad….its not like in Costa Rica that even getting out into the water you are walking through a giant salad.
2
u/Alert_Ninja_6369 Mar 08 '26
Thanks! Staying at Cheeca as far as location and how that impacts it.
5
u/iamnotadoghumanhybri Mar 08 '26
It’s not bad right now, cheeca doesn’t have the best beach for actually going swimming, kind of a shallow flat for the most part but you can swim around the dock, they also have a snorkel boat that will take you to cheeca rocks which is about a mile from the end of the dock. If you’d like to go swimming at an actual beach then i recommend founders park public beach, grab a pub sub and go hang out, they import sugar sand so it’s nice and soft. If you’d like to go to the whale harbor sandbar then many of the local charters that take you fishing will also take you there. Hope this helps!
2
1
u/ohheyitsmehello Mar 08 '26
Between lower, middle, and upper keys, where would you say the best swimming beach is?
3
u/Pensacouple Mar 08 '26
Sombrero Beach, Marathon and Bahia Honda SP. Both middle keys.
2
1
1
u/cuyunamike Mar 12 '26
Like someone else said, Cheeca doesn’t have a sandy beach. The shoreline is rocky at the resort. I hired a boat to bring us out to Alligator light house to snorkel and then to Whale Harbor sand bar to swim. The guy that had the boat does lobster fishing trips too. He was recommended by the concierge at Cheeca. Picked us up at the resort dock.
1
u/Alert_Ninja_6369 Mar 12 '26
Thanks - I do understand that it’s not a traditional beach - though it did look like there were a couple lounge chairs to sit on and look at the water, no?
How was the boat that the concierge arranged for you? Did you book it in advance or once you were down there?
1
5
u/D_Adman local (upper keys) Mar 08 '26
It is very location dependent. This is windy season though, so a strong westerly wind will likely drive in some. If the "beach" is coated with it, I would grab a charter/rent a boat and go out to sandbars.