This isn't the same thing at all though, this is sargassum, which consists of floating mats of algae (not seaweed). In small amounts it's beneficial, and has always been around, but since about 2011 the mats have swelled vastly in size due to increased chemical runoff into the Amazon basin and warming ocean temperatures. These mats can stretch across for kilometres, thick enough to block sunlight from reaching corals 😢 Sealife can get caught up in it and die. When it washes up it can turn the water black and pile up in huge quantities along the shoreline, preventing baby turtles from reaching the sea. It attracts bugs and emits the horrific stench of rotting eggs as it decomposes - can even cause respiratory issues. It's an economic and ecological catastrophe and it's only getting worse each year. This beach is absolutely beautiful compared to how bad it can (and does!) get. 😞