NOAA satellite risk for every stretch of coast. Report of October 20, 2026.
Each line is a stretch of coast, colored by NOAA's risk of sargassum reaching it. It's a satellite estimate for the coast, not a check of a specific beach.
A good amount of sargassum offshore. Exposed beaches may get some.
About the same as last week
2 weeks agotoday
LowWarningMediumHigh
A good amount of sargassum offshore. Exposed beaches may get some.
About the same as last week
2 weeks agotoday
LowWarningMediumHigh
Lots of sargassum near this coast. Expect it on exposed beaches.
Rising vs. last week
2 weeks agotoday
LowWarningMediumHigh
Lots of sargassum near this coast. Expect it on exposed beaches.
About the same as last week
2 weeks agotoday
LowWarningMediumHigh
Lots of sargassum near this coast. Expect it on exposed beaches.
About the same as last week
2 weeks agotoday
LowWarningMediumHigh
A good amount of sargassum offshore. Exposed beaches may get some.
About the same as last week
2 weeks agotoday
LowWarningMediumHigh
A good amount of sargassum offshore. Exposed beaches may get some.
About the same as last week
2 weeks agotoday
LowWarningMediumHigh
No stretch of coast is at Low or Warning in this report.
When is sargassum season? See the month-by-month chart →
Check the map and town list above. They come from NOAA's newest daily report and show the risk of sargassum reaching each stretch of coast.
Usually from about April or May through October or November. 2025 was a record year, and Puerto Rico declared an emergency that summer.
Look at the 'lower risk' list. Inside one town, sheltered beaches and bays often stay cleaner than beaches facing open water, but there's no guarantee, since wind and currents change.
Floating sargassum isn't toxic to touch, but when it piles up and rots it gives off hydrogen sulfide (rotten-egg smell). People with asthma or breathing problems should stay away from big rotting piles. For health guidance, see the Puerto Rico Department of Health. This site doesn't give medical advice.
It's a satellite estimate for each stretch of coast, made daily by NOAA and the University of South Florida. Clouds can hide sargassum, and it can't see a single beach. More on how it works.