President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that no damage has been reported in Mexico following the powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Tuesday. However, she cautioned about rising sea levels along the country’s Pacific coast.

In response to the quake, Mexico, the United States, and Chile issued tsunami warnings. The Mexican Navy (Semar) noted during a Security Cabinet meeting that the highest risk period was early Wednesday morning, though the anticipated sea-level rise was minor and did not pose a significant threat.

Semar’s Tsunami Warning Center (CAT) issued an alert updating sea-level fluctuations at key locations along the Pacific coast. Authorities advised the public to avoid beaches and coastal areas and to use extreme caution with maritime activities, emphasizing that the alert remained purely preventive.

Wave height observations included:

  • Ensenada, Baja California: 0.70 meters at 6:15 a.m. (12:15 GMT)

  • Salina Cruz, Oaxaca: 0.25 meters at 6:14 a.m. (12:14 GMT)

  • Clarión Island, Colima: 0.25 meters at 6:20 a.m. (12:20 GMT)

  • Manzanillo, Colima: 1.15 meters at 6:15 a.m. (12:15 GMT)

No injuries or material damage were reported in any of these areas.

Despite the warnings, crowds gathered along the Mazatlán promenade at dawn to watch the sea. Images on social media showed families and tourists sitting and walking near the boardwalk, creating a festive atmosphere in defiance of official advisories urging people to stay away due to the risk of sudden currents and surges.

As a precaution, Semar temporarily closed several Pacific ports:

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 the earthquake struck at a depth of 19.3 kilometers (12.2 miles), about 126 kilometers (78 miles) east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a coastal city in Russia’s Far East. The quake ranks among the ten most powerful ever recorded.