Sargassum at Anse Noire (Les Anses-d'Arlet): today's report
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Anse Noire cuts a narrow notch into the Caribbean shoreline of Les Anses-d'Arlet, in Martinique. A staircase leads down to a strip of dark volcanic sand, hemmed in by steep slopes with greenery growing almost to the water's edge. The way in follows the same road as neighbouring Anse Dufour, with a hill standing between the two coves.
Follow sargassum at Anse Noire here: what was observed today, a 0 to 5 rating covering the sand and the shallows, and a map for comparing with Anse Dufour and the rest of this coast. The update arrives every morning.
Anse Noire on the sargassum map
What to know about this beach
Like its neighbours, Anse Noire opens west, on the sheltered flank of the island. Easterly trade winds drive the rafts onto the Atlantic coast, and only a fraction works its way around Martinique and up this shore, so episodes tend to be spaced well apart.
The shape of the cove does the rest. Narrow, walled in by two slopes and deep relative to its width, it holds calm water with limited flushing: whatever drifts in leaves slowly and can sit along the edge for a few days. The dark sand also changes what your eye picks up, since a brown mat stands out less than it would on the pale sand of a neighbouring beach. That is why the morning rating beats a photo of unknown vintage.
Frequently asked questions
Is Anse Noire spared from sargassum?
Lightly exposed rather than immune. Facing west keeps it out of the trade wind path, but the cove is narrow and enclosed, so anything that does drift in clears out slowly.
How can I check before walking down the steps?
Read the daily rating on the FanGass map: 0 to 5, recalculated each morning for Anse Noire. It saves you the climb back up if the waterline turns out to be loaded.
Does black sand make sargassum harder to spot?
Visually, yes. A brown mat contrasts far less on dark volcanic sand than on pale sand, so thickness, smell and the morning rating tell you more than a glance from the top.
Will Anse Dufour be in the same state on the same day?
Not necessarily. The two coves sit side by side, but a hill separates them and their mouths and depths differ. The map gives each of them its own rating every morning.