Staniel Cay Yacht Club beach & sargassum forecast

Sargassum season at Staniel Cay Yacht Club

Sargassum is rare at Staniel Cay Yacht Club: Veabird estimates moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach in fewer than one week in ten in every month.

Estimated share of weeks in each month with moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach. Veabird takes the landing season seen on Quintana Roo's beaches (a Puerto Morelos beach camera, 2015–2020, and the Mexican Navy's beach alerts, 2022–2026), the nearest coast with a multi-year beach record (this one has none), and scales it by how often NOAA AOML satellites see notable seaweed within about 20 km of this stretch of coast: 6% of weeks here on average, against 54% off Quintana Roo, so 11% of that season. The satellite share (2016–2024, the top fifth of all coast-weeks, adjusted for this beach's exposure of 30%) measures seaweed offshore, not on the sand: off the Riviera Maya it reads high even in winter, when little lands. Very low under 10%, Low 10–24%, Moderate 25–44%, High 45–69%, Very high 70%+. Beach faces 250°; onshore winds from that direction push seaweed ashore. Satellite sargassum data: USF Optical Oceanography Lab (Sargassum Watch System) via NOAA AOML. The satellite record as open data.

The Bahamas month by month

Typical weather, water temperature, seaweed and crowds for every month: the best time to visit the Bahamas.

• The Bahamas in January
• The Bahamas in February
• The Bahamas in March
• The Bahamas in April
• The Bahamas in May
• The Bahamas in June
• The Bahamas in July
• The Bahamas in August
• The Bahamas in September
• The Bahamas in October
• The Bahamas in November
• The Bahamas in December

Weather, water & seaweed by month at Staniel Cay Yacht Club

Average highs run from about 76°F in January and February to 85°F in July, August and September. The sea is warmest in August and September (about 87°F) and coolest in February (about 76°F). February is usually the driest, with about 6 rainy days; October is the wettest, with about 20 rainy days.

Monthly averages from 6 years of ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo) for this area's 0.5° grid cell; rainy days have at least 1 mm (0.04 in). Sargassum is the typical-year estimate described above. Any given year can differ.

Cleanup & barriers

Offshore barriers

None at scale

Public cleanup

Ministry of Tourism / Environmental Health spot cleanups on public beaches

Resort crews

Large Nassau/Paradise Island resorts rake daily; Out Island beaches often left natural

Typical clearing time

Same morning at big resorts; days to never on remote Atlantic beaches

Safety notes

US State Dept: The Bahamas, Level 2 (exercise increased caution) — verify

• Petty and violent crime concentrated in parts of Nassau and Freeport away from resort zones
• Unregulated jet-ski operators have been linked to assaults; use licensed vendors
• Atlantic-facing beaches can have strong rip currents and no lifeguards

Check official advisories and local flags before swimming. Decomposing sargassum releases hydrogen sulfide; avoid heavy piles.

Things to do near Staniel Cay, Exuma, BS

• Atlantis Aquaventure
• Exuma swimming pigs & Thunderball Grotto
• Harbour Island pink sand beach
• Dean's Blue Hole (Long Island)
• Bimini diving & fishing
• Junkanoo (Dec 26 / Jan 1)

Fly in for the best beach days

Suggested dates are a week in December. Change them to match the live forecast above.

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Nearest airports

• Exuma Intl (George Town) (GGT), ~89 km

Nearby resorts

• Fowl Cay Resort Exuma Cays, BS · 3 km
• Cape Eleuthera Resort & Marina Governor's Harbour, Eleuthera, BS · 75 km
• Sandals Emerald Bay Great Exuma, BS · 81 km
• Grand Isle Resort & Residences Great Exuma, BS · 82 km
• Exuma Palms Hotel Great Exuma, BS · 86 km
• Exuma Beach Resort Great Exuma, BS · 99 km