Sargassum at Long Bay Beach: today's beach report
First bulletin for this beach lands with tomorrow morning’s update.
Long Bay runs as a long, straight strand in the south-east of Portland parish, past Boston Bay on the coast road. It faces due east into open ocean, with no enclosing headland or offshore island to break the view, and that shows on the sand.
This page publishes the daily sargassum picture for Long Bay Beach: the state of the shore, a 0 to 5 rating that sums up the day, and a map placing the beach among the others on Jamaica's north-east coast. The reading is rebuilt each morning, before you set off.
Long Bay Beach on the sargassum map
What to know about this beach
Of the beaches covered on this coast, Long Bay takes the most direct hit. Due east means the prevailing wind and the swell it drives meet the shore square on, with nothing to bend them first. Sargassum rafts tracking along northern Jamaica come ashore here without a detour, often before the north-facing coves around Port Antonio register anything.
The length of the bay softens that a little. Across a wide arc, the same volume of weed spreads thinly along the sand rather than piling into one corner, and the current running parallel to the shore keeps moving part of it along. It is common for the ends of the bay and its middle to look different on the same day, which is worth knowing before you settle on a spot.
Frequently asked questions
Is Long Bay the most exposed beach on this stretch?
Among those tracked here, yes. Facing due east puts it square into the trade winds with no reef or headland in front, while the north-facing beaches at Port Antonio sit better.
How do I check before making the drive out here?
The FanGass map gives Long Bay Beach a 0 to 5 rating every morning. Since the road from Port Antonio takes a while, that one look saves a wasted trip on a heavy day.
Is the whole beach affected equally?
Not always. On a strand this long, the alongshore current and the shape of the shoreline gather weed at certain points while other sections stay clear on the very same morning.
When should I expect arrivals on this coast?
The usual window runs from spring into late summer, when rafts drift closest to the Greater Antilles. A beach this open tends to feel a passing raft before the sheltered bays do.