VI

Virgin Islands

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Sargassum Map

Live daily seaweed tracker for St. Thomas, St. John & the BVI

🛰 Satellite — · Coastline risk —

⚠ DPNR Active Sargassum Advisory — 2026

DPNR has issued a sargassum advisory for USVI beaches. 2026 is on track to be a record arrival year. Conditions shift rapidly.

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Beach rating

Clear
Light
Moderate
Heavy
No data

NOAA coastline risk

Low
Warning
Medium
High

Sargassum at sea

Light traces
Moderate patches
Dense mats

Gray = satellite view blocked by cloud cover on today's pass.

This week's outlook

No major sargassum belt detected east of the islands right now. Conditions can still shift within hours.

St. Thomas

10 beaches
❓Bolongo BayNo data
❓Brewer's BayNo data
❓Coki BeachNo data
❓Cowpet BayNo data
❓Hull BayNo data
❓Lindquist BeachNo data
❓Magens BayNo data
❓Morningstar BeachNo data
❓Sapphire BeachNo data
❓Secret HarbourNo data

St. John

9 beaches
❓Cinnamon BayNo data
❓Francis BayNo data
❓Gibney BeachNo data
❓Great Lameshur BayNo data
❓Hawksnest BayNo data
❓Leinster BayNo data
❓Maho BayNo data
❓Salt Pond BayNo data
❓Trunk BayNo data

St. Croix

3 beaches
❓Cane BayNo data
❓Rainbow BeachNo data
❓Sandy PointNo data

BVI

37 beaches
❓Apple BayTortolaNo data
❓Benures BayNorman IslandNo data
❓Brewer's BayTortolaNo data
❓Cane Garden BayTortolaNo data
❓Cow Wreck BeachAnegadaNo data
❓Deadman's BayPeter IslandNo data
❓Diamond CayJost Van DykeNo data
❓Fallen JerusalemFallen JerusalemNo data
❓Great CamanoeGreat CamanoeNo data
❓Great HarbourJost Van DykeNo data
❓Guana IslandGuana IslandNo data
❓Josiah's BayTortolaNo data
❓Lee BaySalt IslandNo data
❓Little HarbourJost Van DykeNo data
❓Loblolly BayAnegadaNo data
❓Long BayTortolaNo data
❓Manchioneel BayCooper IslandNo data
❓Marina CayMarina CayNo data
❓Money BayNorman IslandNo data
❓Mosquito IslandMosquito IslandNo data
❓Nanny CayTortolaNo data
❓Necker IslandNecker IslandNo data
❓North SoundVirgin GordaNo data
❓Prickly PearPrickly PearNo data
❓Sandy Spit & Sandy CayJost Van DykeNo data
❓Savannah BayVirgin GordaNo data
❓Scrub IslandScrub IslandNo data
❓Smuggler's CoveTortolaNo data
❓Soper's HoleTortolaNo data
❓Spring BayVirgin GordaNo data
❓The BathsVirgin GordaNo data
❓The BightNorman IslandNo data
❓The DogsThe DogsNo data
❓Trellis BayBeef IslandNo data
❓VG Yacht HarbourVirgin GordaNo data
❓White BayJost Van DykeNo data
❓White BayPeter IslandNo data

Is there sargassum in the Virgin Islands right now?

Yes — 2026 is on track to be a record arrival year and DPNR has an active advisory. The map above shows daily beach-by-beach severity from NOAA/USF satellite data; darker dots + red coastline segments mean heavier landings expected today.

Which USVI and BVI beaches get the most sargassum?

East- and southeast-facing shores catch it first because sargassum arrives via the North Equatorial Current. Coki, Sapphire and Lindquist on St. Thomas, Loblolly on Anegada, and Josiah's Bay on Tortola are the most exposed.

Which Virgin Islands beaches stay clear?

West- and north-facing bays sheltered by the island mass — Magens Bay and Morningstar on St. Thomas, Cane Garden Bay on Tortola, The Baths and Spring Bay on Virgin Gorda — are usually the calmest choices even during heavy arrival weeks.

How often is the sargassum map updated?

Beach ratings and the NOAA coastline-risk ribbon both refresh daily from satellite passes. On cloudy days some pixels drop out and we show the last good reading — the status pill at the top of the page tells you when each layer was last updated.

Data: NOAA/USF AFAI 7-day floating-algae satellite composite and the daily NOAA CoastWatch Sargassum Inundation Risk (SIR v1.5). Advisory guidance from the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning & Natural Resources. See also the daily beach report · Which Beach Today? · weather.

The map above pulls daily satellite readings from the NOAA/USF Atlantic Oceanwatch AFAI 7-day composite and NOAA CoastWatch's Sargassum Inundation Risk (SIR v1.5). Beach ratings apply a directional exposure model — east- and southeast-facing shores are weighted higher because the sargassum belt arrives via the North Equatorial Current. On cloudy days some pixels drop out and we hold the previous good reading rather than showing a false-clear result.

Beaches most exposed to sargassum

Ranked by long-run directional exposure — how much of an average arrival tends to make landfall here.

  1. Coki Beach · St. Thomas
  2. Sapphire Beach · St. Thomas
  3. Lindquist Beach · St. Thomas
  4. Loblolly Bay · Anegada
  5. Savannah Bay · Virgin Gorda
  6. Sandy Spit & Sandy Cay · Jost Van Dyke
  7. Secret Harbour · St. Thomas
  8. Cane Bay · St. Croix
  9. Long Bay · Tortola
  10. Cow Wreck Beach · Anegada

Beaches that usually stay clear

West- and north-facing bays sheltered by the island mass — the reliable picks during heavy arrival weeks.

  1. The Baths · Virgin Gorda
  2. Magens Bay · St. Thomas
  3. Spring Bay · Virgin Gorda
  4. Morningstar Beach · St. Thomas
  5. Cane Garden Bay · Tortola
  6. Great Harbour · Jost Van Dyke
  7. Manchioneel Bay · Cooper Island
  8. White Bay · Jost Van Dyke
  9. Apple Bay · Tortola
  10. Smuggler's Cove · Tortola
  11. Little Harbour · Jost Van Dyke

Beach guides for the most sargassum-relevant beaches: Coki Beach · Sapphire Beach · Lindquist Beach · Magens Bay · Trunk Bay · Cane Garden Bay · The Baths · White Bay.

Related tools: daily beach report · Which Beach Today? · weather · USVI & BVI travel FAQ.

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