Sargassum at Fort Zachary Taylor Beach, Key West today
First bulletin for this beach lands with tomorrow morning’s update.
The beach at Fort Zachary Taylor lies on the south-western point of Key West, inside the state park named after the fort. This page follows sargassum at Fort Zachary Taylor Beach: what was seen this morning, a rating from 0 to 5, and the map of the Keys beaches we monitor.
The reading is taken again every morning. In one glance you get today's number and the direction the week is heading, which is enough to choose between this point and the beaches further east along the south coast before you pay at the park entrance.
Fort Zachary Taylor Beach on the sargassum map
What to know about this beach
The shore looks south-south-west, at the corner where Key West's ocean coast turns into the harbour entrance. It stays on the exposed side of the island, open to whatever drifts in from the Straits, but its position at the tip changes things: the main ship channel runs past it and the bottom drops away quickly, with no broad shallow shelf to hold floating material.
Tidal current is noticeable here, because these passes are where Atlantic and Gulf water trade places around the island. Much of the sargassum drifting nearby is carried on past the point instead of stranding. When an easterly wind pushes against that current, though, rafts wedge into the corner and linger on a shoreline that is coarse and stony rather than fine sand.
Frequently asked questions
Is this beach hit less than other Key West beaches?
It shares the same southern exposure, but it sits on a point beside the shipping channel. The current often carries weed past instead of leaving it, except when an easterly wind presses it into the corner.
How can I check before paying to enter the park?
Check the FanGass map that morning. Fort Zachary Taylor Beach gets a rating from 0 to 5, updated daily, with earlier readings shown next to it so any trend is easy to spot.
Does the shoreline itself change how sargassum looks?
Yes. The sand is coarse and mixed with coral rubble, and the water deepens fast. Stranded weed settles into that uneven band rather than forming a clean line across fine sand.
What does a north wind do to this point?
It blows from the land on a shore that faces south-south-west, and it often comes with a brisk flow through the channel. Together they clear the point faster than the beaches further east.