Sargassum at Cay Bay: today's beach report
Clear
Clean
Cay Bay sits on the southern shore of Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the island, along the run of coves between Cole Bay and Little Bay. This page tracks sargassum at Cay Bay day by day, with the observed condition, a 0 to 5 rating and a map that places the bay inside its wider coastal zone.
The reading is refreshed every morning, before beach hours, so your plan rests on current information rather than on a photo from last season. Further down, the notes explain how this particular bay behaves when a landing reaches the island, and what shifts once the season builds.
Cay Bay on the sargassum map
What to know about this beach
Cay Bay faces southwest on the Caribbean flank of Sint Maarten, which is the leeward side. Trade winds blow from the east across the Atlantic, and the sargassum rafts they carry meet the island's eastern shores first. The high ground behind the bay, on the ridge that separates Cole Bay from Little Bay, screens much of what would otherwise wrap around the headlands.
Shelter is not the same as immunity. During a heavy landing, weed drifts around those headlands and spreads along the southern coast, moved by inshore currents and southerly sea breezes. An enclosed pocket like this one then holds what arrives, because there is little flushing to take it back out. That is why the daily rating still carries weight on a coast that looks favoured on paper.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Cay Bay usually see less sargassum?
The bay opens southwest on the leeward side of the island. Easterly trade winds push the rafts onto Atlantic-facing shores first, and the ridge behind the bay screens most of what drifts around the points.
How do I check Cay Bay before heading down?
Open the FanGass map the same morning. Cay Bay carries a 0 to 5 rating and an observed condition, refreshed daily before beach hours, so a quick look before you set out is enough.
When is sargassum most likely on the south coast?
Landings usually run from spring through late summer, with peaks that vary from one year to the next. On the leeward side they tend to show up as short episodes rather than a continuous presence.
Does weed at Cay Bay clear on its own?
In a pocket bay with limited flushing, weed that comes ashore can linger for days once the surf drops. On the exposed east coast, swell moves it along faster. Check the rating each morning.