Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has ruled out damages following the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Tuesday. Yet, she warned of rising sea levels along Mexico’s Pacific coast.
Mexico, along with the United States and Chile, had issued a tsunami warning soon after the earthquake.
[Hilo] Comienzan a registrarse en México los efectos del #Tsunami producido por el sismo de magnitud 8.8, ocurrido el día de ayer en la península de Kamchatka, Rusia. La primera de nuestras estaciones en registrar el fenómeno fue Manzanillo, Colima, a las 11:24 UTC… pic.twitter.com/kDjWJXQFh7
— Servicio Mareográfico Nacional UNAM (@SMareograficoN) July 30, 2025
The Mexican Navy (Semar) had reported at a Security Cabinet meeting that Wednesday morning would be the likeliest time for any concern, due to a slight rise in sea level in certain areas of the eastern Pacific Ocean. However, it reiterated that the information did not imply major risks.
Earlier, the Tsunami Warning Center (CAT) of the Semar issued an alert bulletin to update sea level fluctuations at various points along the Mexican Pacific coast. Mexican authorities recommended that the population stay away from beaches and coastal areas and exercise extreme caution in maritime activities, noting that the alert remained active only as a preventive measure.
In the advisory, Semar mentioned the variations in wave heights at key cities along Mexico’s Pacific coast. These include Ensenada, Baja California, which recorded a height of 0.70 meters at 6:15 a.m. (12:15 GMT), and Salina Cruz in Oaxaca, with a height of 0.25 meters at 6:14 a.m. (12:14 GMT).
Also mentioned were Clarión Island (one of the Revillagigedo Islands off the Colima coast), with a height of 0.25 meters at 6:20 a.m. (12:20 GMT), and Manzanillo, Colima, with 1.15 meters at 6:15 a.m. (12:15 GMT).
No material damage or injuries were reported at these sites.
During the tsunami warning, dozens of people, including locals and tourists, crowded the Mazatlán promenade to watch the sea, ignoring official warnings to stay away from the coastal area for safety reasons. The warnings urged people not to approach the beaches or the seawall, due to the risk of sudden currents and changes in sea level.
Despite these warnings, on Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, groups of families and friends could be seen sitting and walking along the boardwalk. The atmosphere was festive, according to images shared on social media.
The Semar temporarily closed several Pacific Ocean ports as a precautionary measure in response to the tsunami warning. These include:
Closed to large vessels:
- Zihuatanejo, Guerrero
- Puerto Peñasco, Sonora
- Puerto Chiapas, Chiapas
Closed to small vessels:
- Cabo San Lucas, Baja California
- Puerto Peñasco, Sonora
- Zihuatanejo, Guerrero
- Chacala, Nayarit
- Puerto Chiapas, Chiapas
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake struck at a depth of 19.3 kilometers (12.2 miles) and occurred 126 kilometers (78 miles) east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 165,000 people on the coast of Avacha Bay, Russia.
The USGS said it was one of the 10 most powerful earthquakes on record.
With reports from Infobae, Milenio, EFE, El Economista
