Source reader Letitia writes, saying she is "planning a visit to your beautiful island," but is "reading many reviews that the resort we are staying at has seaweed problem … I also read that this problem may go away shortly." She asks if the resort where she is staying, located on St. Croix’s southeastern shore, is currently experiencing a seaweed problem on the beach.

"I would like to know because we are planning to rent a car and, if seaweed is a problem I may choose to keep the car rental longer to seek out other beaches. After all, I am sure (the resort) has no control over the sargasso seaweed … THANK YOU in advance for any insight you can provide. The more I learn about St Croix, the more I wish we could stay longer,” she wrote.

There is currently a widespread seaweed problem, not just on St. Croix, but throughout the region, but it is highly unpredictable and could dissipate, according to St. Croix Marine Park Ranger John Farchette.

Meanwhile, yes, there are numerous beaches on the west end of the island that are good snorkeling and also unlikely to have any sargasso seaweed.

"This is the worst (seaweed) I’ve ever seen," said Farchette, a St. Croix native. "The year 2011 of course was a bad one but I’ve never seen this amount. This is an unprecedented volume and not just for us, but all over the Lesser Antilles. On Antigua, the St. John’s Harbor is packed," he said.

It is a sargasso seaweed, he said. Normally, the seaweed stays largely confined to a massive ocean gyre, held in place in the eddy of a large circular flow. "It also holds in plastic trash, which is a whole other problem," Farchette said.

"The one we have from what I understand comes out to the east from Brazil," he said. Changing weather patterns or torrential rains flowing from shore into the ocean can disrupt the gyre, sending massive rafts of seaweed adrift across the ocean.

"There is no way to predict it because it comes with the wind and ocean current," he said. "We don’t know why it is happening right now. This is unprecedented. I’ve never seen it this bad," he added.

Because of the prevailing ocean current and wind patterns, seaweed tends to most strongly impact the eastern end of the island.

Farchette said the western end of St. Croix, with miles of good beach and good snorkeling, is not impacted at all, "especially that face of the island from Sandy Point to Hams Bluff."

"It would take quite an anomaly" to cause any seaweed at all to hit the western end of the island, he said, explaining the shape of the island and how the flow of the ocean currents leave the western coast protected. Farchette said if any mats of seaweed get past the north and south edges, it is quickly pushed out to sea and never gets near shore.

So Dorsch Beach, Frederiksted Beach, Sandy Point, Rainbow Beach and Butler Bay are all good swimming and snorkeling areas that are unlikely to be affected by seaweed.

"I haven’t heard any complaints about Rainbow Beach," Farchette said. And, being unpredictable, the seaweed may be gone tomorrow.