This morning, whether from neglect or design, the beaches were positively filthy. It was as though Fonatur [the Mexican tourism development agency] has given up on cleaning the beaches, which were clogged with huge bundles of seaweed and other detritus.

It seemed as though the Park Royal had attempted a small cleanup, but it could also be the meter to meter and a half ’shelf’ in front of the property keeping the seaborne garbage off the beach.

The beaches in front of Le Meridien and Ritz Carlton have lost their shelves and the sea has deposited what appears to be about five meters of additional sand.

The beaches themselves were as filthy as the rest. Were I a paying guest in Cancún, I’d be upset. 

The “ecological restoration area” constructed in front of the Cancún Palace, which I photographed a fortnight ago, is gone, obliterated by the ongoing demolition and reconstruction of the Palace. One wonders what the point was in the first place. There are now huge mounds of sand obstructing the beach south of the Palace (pictured; view larger version). The project itself has worn out its welcome; despite the steady stream of trucks, dirt and noise, there’s no visible progress.

The public access to Playa Ballenas was covered by the smell of dying vegetation and fish. Between the smell, the continuing onslaught of construction noise and dust from the Cancun Palace project and the really unruly surf today, we fled back to the comfort of our pool.

Another photo looking north from Playa Ballenas.

Photo courtesy of Cancún Visitors Bureau (Oficina de Visitantes y Convenciones de Cancún), with additional thanks to Manuel Cuevas and Sandra Ibarra of William H. Coleman Inc.

While the hotel is being re-developed, an "Ecological Restoration Area" has been planted at the back of the beach. A ‘beautification’ project really.

• View a larger version of  Mel’s photo of the beach.

Mel adds that it appears the beach cleaning is restricted to hotels that are open; the area in front of Le Meridien (the green-roofed building in the background) is pristine, while the area next door in front of the Ritz Carlton is laden with seaweed and junk.

Another photo of the ecological restoration area, and another.

"Jan de Nul is getting ready to pack its bags" Gabriela Rodríguez Gálvez, Secretary of Tourism for Quintana Roo state (pictured) declared yesterday.

She added that the last recycled sand was being flushed onto a 70m stretch of beach in front of the hotel El Pueblito, the only section of the 11.7km (7-mile) strip which did not get its promised measure of 25m first time round.

While the two dredgers disappear over the horizon, Belgian maritime engineering company Jan de Nul may yet win the contract to maintain the replenished beach.

Just enough, never too much

The trustees of the beach recovery will announce phase two of the project when they next meet on Tuesday next week. While hoteliers insist on a further extension of the beach out to 60m, the likelihood is a scaled down operation to consolidate what they now have.

Photo: courtesy El Diario de Yucatán

Many thanks to Steve Wright of CancunCare.com who took this image of the outfall pipe in position on Playa Delfines, ready (presumably) to start pumping sand today.

Here’s another photo… taken just north of El Pueblito and looking south towards the Westin and Punta Nizuc.

These guys sure work fast.

This stretch of the beach was wiped out by Hurricane Wilma. You can see what little remained in this photo taken just last week by Nancy McElroy, who is, alas, now back home in Michigan.

• View a slideshow of Jim Wehrle’s before and after photos from April 4th and 5th.

Approx. 1 – 1.5 km left to go (view a map).

Thanks to Jim Wehrle, who took this photo early this morning from the Royal Sunset. View a larger version.

I’m grateful to Peter for taking time out of his vacation (or was he avoiding the packing?) for settling this conundrum.

• Read Peter’s full report here.

Photo taken at the Royal Sands, March 20th. With thanks to Royal Resorts. View a larger version

Meanwhile, at the southern end of the Hotel Zone, scene of the most alarming shrinkage to the already recovered beach, the "wall" has reduced in height a little. Most of the rocks (and one or two sandbags) uncovered during the stiff ‘northerly’ earlier this month are once more hidden beneath the sand.

The beach in front of the GR Solaris is arguably the only section that hasn’t seen an improvement in the last week. Viewed this afternoon, the beach was as narrow as two metres on the upper ’shelf’, with another three metres at the water’s edge.

Perhaps the beach at the Crown Paradise looked a little sad, too.

My hunch is that Jan de Nul will come under pressure to return to this stretch after April 15th, which is the date now banded about (by everyone except Jan de Nul) for completion of the beach recovery as far as Punta Cancún (view a map).

Seventy per cent (8.2km) of the 11.7km-long beach strip has so far been recovered.

• Update: beach recovery guesstimate… adjusted to fit an April 15th completion date

Springbreakers, locals, families, kids and couples were all seen having fun this afternoon.

Carlos Mejia captured the spirit of a short family Cancún break in his photo set, including this one (and another) of the healthy beach at the Westin.

Additional reporting by Jim Wehrle

"The ’shelf’ you speak of is a not uncommon happening here. Last week we went to Playa Delfines, one of the first re-loaded beaches.

"On our first day there the shelf was an impressive 2 to 3 foot affair with lots of shells and bits to be excavated from the water side.

"When we returned the very next day, the shelf was gone.

"I don’t know if this was the result of sculpting by Fonatur [the Mexican tourism development agency] or tidal action, but I’m betting on the tide as this happened frequently at "our" beach, Playa Ballenas.

"The power of the sea here can be observed on a daily basis."

I think Mel’s observation is accurate.

This photo was taken yesterday (March 15th) in front of the Royal Sands, looking south.

• View a larger version

It’s noteworthy, I think, because it’s the first image I’ve seen that clearly shows the vast width of the reclaimed beach.

We learned yesterday that up to 58m of sand is being pumped onto the Cancún’s beaches (not 30m), with the expectation that it will shrink naturally to approx. 25m.

The beach looked like this just five days ago.

With just under 8km of beach already recovered, the remaining 4.7km to Punta Cancún should be completed by the end of April.

Thanks to the staff at Royal Resorts

• Cancún recovery project damaging coral reefs – El Universal

But everything in its wake has changed, and there’s a bit of a hoo-hah over the suddenness that 10-20 metres of recovered beach washed away, leaving a ‘wall’ several feet high in places.

An article (language: Spanish) in today’s La Jornada features another photo.

Was this anticipated and factored into the models, or has Cancún suffered a setback? Frankly, it’s hard to make a judgment.

I sense some unease however, even from my long-distance vantage point.

The dredgers, bulldozers and tractors kept us all mesmerized for weeks – I said as much last month – as they miraculously restored miles of beach.

Then came the northerly. The landscape is now more confusing.

Yesterday, Quintana Roo Transport Secretary Gabriel Mendicuti Loría (a former mayor of Playa del Carmen) moved to ressure the tourist community.

He was quoted by at least two news sources: "the Belgian contractor, Jan de Nul," he said "is contractually committed to delivering an average 25m [of beach] along the 12km stretch from Punta Cancún to Punta Nizúc by the end of April."

Well, that bit we knew.

But, apparently up to 58m of sand has been pumped onto Cancún’s beaches, and allowing for wave erosion, approx. 28-30m will be left once things settle into their natural state.

Hmm… measuring pole anyone?

Gabriela Rodríguez Gálvez, Tourism Minister for Quintana Roo, made light of the recent blip, and even hinted that Jan de Nul would move on to Cozumel and Playa del Carmen.

On Monday, oceanographers from the Federal Electricity company (CFE), who are supervising the work, inspected the beach and concluded, Mendicuti added, that the loss of sand "was normal and predicted from the outset."

Meanwhile, Jan de Nul has wisely kept its counsel but is reportedly preparing a statement for release next week, as the second month of the project comes to a close.

I wrote on February 1st that Jan de Nul recommended that breakwaters be built to protect the beaches against further erosion. To my non-expect eye, this is a no-brainer.

However, there is no great appetite for spoiling the view and neither is there any hard evidence to suggest more money will be forthcoming.

But the Mexican authorities will do well to heed that advice and collectively get their heads out of the sand.

But a few kilometres further south, all is not well.

After six weeks of spectacular progress (and unstinting positivity on my part), sections of the reclaimed beach have haemorrhaged sand after a few days of pounding waves.

Compare this photo of the recently ‘nourished’ beach that fronts the Royal Solaris hotel taken by Jim Wehrle on March 3rd, with another photo Jim captured on March 11th. The erosion is glaringly self evident.

Hoteliers must be observing the deterioration with increasing alarm, while bemused beachgoers comb the ‘wall’ for its bounty of sea shells and bits and pieces of broken coral.

La Jornada appeared to be the only national daily to pick up on the story.

Today’s front page (right) leads with a faintly shocking photograph of the crumbling beach in front of the very same Royal Solaris and Club Solaris complex.

Inside, a prominent story (that link will take you to the article in Spanish) reveals the extent of the new loss.

Tim Norris was the first to point out the developing "shelf" in a comment to this blog on February 28th.