If you’re heading to Florida, or a popular Mexican destination like Tulum this spring for a beach vacation, be prepared for an uninvited guest: seaweed. 

Massive blooms of sargassum, a type of brown seaweed, are expected to affect beaches in Florida and Mexico this spring. Sargassum can pile up on beaches, it stinks, and it’s an eyesore. According to University of South Florida researchers, sargassum blooms are expected to hit much of Florida by April or May and have already begun affecting beaches in Mexico. 

Seaweed Prevention Measures

Officials that look after beach destinations are all too used to stinky seaweed blooms, as they arrive each year. These regions rely on tourism, so you can bet that they’ll do all they can to keep their beaches as clean and sargassum-free as possible. In fact, the Mexican Navy has been tasked with keeping certain beaches in Mexico free of seaweed. 

Will Travel Insurance Cover Cancelling Your Trip?

Trip cancellation coverage is a primary component of travel insurance plans. It allows you to cancel your trip for a covered reason and be reimbursed for your nonrefundable, prepaid travel expenses. 

However, cancelling your trip because your destination’s beach is clogged with seaweed is not a covered reason. 

To get the most flexibility in cancelling your trip, consider purchasing cancel for any reason travel insurance. It can allow you to receive 50%-75% of your covered expenses back when you cancel for a reason not covered by standard trip cancellation insurance. 

Another option is to simply choose an alternate destination. Certain beaches such as those along the Gulf shore in Alabama are not expected to be affected as greatly by sargassum blooms this year. 

Regardless, a comprehensive travel insurance plan can go a long way in saving you money in case you have to cancel, delay, or interrupt your trip. Travel insurance can even provide emergency medical coverage if you get sick or hurt during vacation. All of these are excellent reasons to purchase travel insurance before any spring trip, seaweed or not.