Sargassum at Petite Anse d'Arlet: today's shoreline report
Clear
Chill
Petite Anse d'Arlet closes the southern end of Les Anses-d'Arlet, on the Caribbean coast of Martinique. A fishing village lines the sand, yoles rest in front of the houses, and the bay looks out towards the channel separating the island from Saint Lucia.
This page gathers the tracking of sargassum at Petite Anse d'Arlet: the morning assessment, a 0 to 5 rating for the day, and a coastal map showing how the neighbouring coves are doing. It is updated daily, at first light. The rating describes this bay alone, not the commune as a whole.
Petite Anse d'Arlet on the sargassum map
What to know about this beach
The beach shares the shelter of the whole leeward front: easterly trade winds drive sargassum rafts onto the Atlantic coast, and only what rounds the island reaches this side. Being the southernmost of these coves does place it closer to the tip of Martinique, the corner past which drifting patches travel before working their way north.
The bay itself is moderately open, framed by low points, with a seabed that shelves gently. A patch carried in on the sea breeze can linger in front of the village before the current takes it back, shifting along the sand as the hours pass. Because the water stays shallow well out from the beach, floating fragments remain visible from the shore, which helps you judge conditions before swimming.
Frequently asked questions
Is Petite Anse d'Arlet more exposed than the coves further north?
Slightly. It sits on the same sheltered west coast, but as the southernmost beach in the commune it is nearest the corner where drifting patches round the island before heading north.
How do I know whether the shoreline is clear before I come?
The FanGass map gives Petite Anse d'Arlet a 0 to 5 rating, recalculated every morning from what was observed on the sand. One look before you leave is enough to decide.
When does this beach need the closest watch?
From spring through late summer, when Caribbean arrivals are most frequent. On this southern cove those weeks are worth a daily check, since intensity swings widely from one year to the next.
Does the fishing village change anything on the beach?
The sand is a working area: yoles hauled ashore, nets, moorings right off the beach. That does not change how much weed arrives, but it does shape where swimming space sits.