Concerns raised as ship anchors close to dive site
(CNS): The Celebrity Equinox was anchored very close to the Devil’s Grotto dive site on Thursday, and local divers and operators were concerned that it could be damaging the reef and posing a danger to anyone diving in the area. While it turned out that the ship was within the port zone, the situation nevertheless highlighted potential problems caused by cruise ships in the harbour.
The Port Authority of the Cayman Islands said that the ship anchored within the George Town harbour boundary zone for cruise ships, and divers from the Department of Environment confirmed that it was not in the marine protected area, anchored on sand and not on coral. However, the ship was close to the MPA and had drifted over the site.
Eden Rock dive operators said they were unable to take divers out to the Devil’s Grotto dive site until later in the day when the ship moved.
There was no damage done but environmental activists remain concerned about the impact these huge vessels have on the marine life when they are at anchor so close to the coral reefs.
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Category: Business, Marine Environment, Science & Nature, Tourism
“. . .the situation nevertheless highlighted potential problems caused by cruise ships in the harbour”. No! It highlights why a dive site would be designated in the port zone! Duh!
4 large moorings in the 4 designated anchorage areas. 2 large anchors each and a large buoy connected to the anchors by large chain. 4 ships at a time and no more anchor damage. The ships that do not reserve the moorings and arrive anyway, sit on thrusters off shore. Better yet, no more cruise ships.
We still need a cargo dock. So where do you all want to put it? I believe the best places should be 1)Northside into the Central Mangrove so that it’s far away from 7 mile beach. 2) North Sound, build it so it’s 90 feet deep to accommodate fuel tankers and build a refinery to bring down the cost of living: fuel, electricity,etc. 3) Breakers, right across the street by Scotts or Midland acres cut a 100 ft wide channel 90 feet deep and we can rebuild a new town. It would cut down the cost of roads and be central for all the islands.4) George Town would be bad for just 2 dive sites ( Eden Rock and Balboa) but we could move the 2 ship wreck to other locations. https://youtu.be/YFhoGHeeOWQ A single ship “330 ft long cargo”
https://youtu.be/n3w9K1OYrrs 2 ships blown up with dynamite. As you can see there isn’t much coral on the Balboa after 90 years. Sunk in 1933 by a Caymanian Hard hat diver Bertie Eldermire. Cali sunk after running aground to save the cargo of rice. It was distributed throughout the districts and was most people first taste of rice. It was blown up also.
Most interesting is the the Russian ship bought from Cuba and sunk on the Northside of Cayman Brac. https://youtu.be/JZDxsasS3YY if you look at the three ships it becomes obvious that the Cayman Brac ship has a big difference in coral and sponge life. It’s hard not to notice the difference and only in 20 years. In my opinion may be hard to accept but divers are the cause for not having more life. Most new divers have to gain experience to relax and drop excess lead weights. This causes them to constantly sink and use their fins to hard. It causes the lifting of sand and silt to fall back on the wreck and the reef and choke the life forms that make up the reef. But will cause the shipwreck to not allow the new corals or sponges to attach to silt or sand.
Solution: move the 2 shipwrecks into deeper waters. Simply use a crane on a barge. What makes Balboa such a trill is the air pocket in which you can talk to your buddy. D.Miller NAUI and PADI Instructor 43 years.
I think this is the dumbest collection of commentary I have ever seen.
I believe the world has invented Harbours and docks. not sure where but they’re around I’m sure of it.
There is supposed to be a CI port harbour master that pilots the ship to designated anchorage zone, with space in case the wind direction shifts. Who from our side put that ship there?
Realistically, cruise won’t be banned. But as long as we keep ship sizes and volumes down and our port is managed properly, maybe that’s ok (ignoring all the other horrible aspects of the industry).
If we want change we need to lobby the Port Authority to review the boundaries adjacent to primary reef structures and adjust the anchor areas to ensure the risks of anchors and ships hitting the reef is minimalized.
This is the only port we have. We rely on it. It’s not going anywhere. And against all the odds, corals and wildlife continue to thrive here. With proper controls in place, maybe man and nature CAN coexist…?
Dude, the port authority wants to dredge the marine park down 50-60’! They will crash ships onto the iron pan coral heads until there is nothing of beauty left to protect. That’s their mission objective.
Yes, the “horrible aspects of the industry”. Unlike those solar powered airplanes that American Airlines flies.
I think they should dock in the Port of Miami or Galveston and the cruise companies should start using airlines to move guests in and out of Cayman
The anchor may be in sand but the HUGE noisy ship looks to be floating over a beautiful fragile dive site. I walked past and saw swimmers & divers very close to it, with tenders moving back and forth and it did not look safe. I can’t imagine it would be a nice dive experience so it must have been a problem for local dive businesses.
Why are ships this huge anchored so close to fragile reefs? It makes us look greedy and stupid.
If this anchorage is legal, then whoever set the rules knows or cares nothing about the world underwater.
That dive site is precious and irreplaceable.
Foolishness to risk it like this.
There’s maybe a 6% chance the zoning changes
The Idiots at the port have probably never put on a mask and do not appreciate that these dive sites are are a national treasure. I’m fact they are so amazing they should be internationally recognized and protected as extraordinary natural phenomenon. The entire George Town harbor has some of the most incredible coral formations in the world with 30’+ formations rising from the sand floor. I’ve dived it for over 50 years and I still marvel at the magnitude and presence of these massive coral towers.
That’s why we need a cruise pier!
No… This is why we don’t need cruise ships!
Exactly. If the port area had actual green spaces and kept the vaganonds away, residents would support it better.
That’s what they want you to think.
No one wants the cruise ships here – except a very few rich people who get even richer from selling to these lumbering idiots as they wander around GT looking for their next Big Mac and missing brain cells.
And those same families either make or influence all the decisions here. So the vast majority have to suffer for the monetary benefit of a very few rich people.
Sick.
That’s Cayman in a nutshell. A few families run things.
But there are many more resident rich people that don’t pay bribes or hold a commercial profit angle that might get involved to improve the standing of our Islands. How do those honest people benefit from having convicted criminals eligible for political life: law making, policy direction, and money handling? The silence from them is deafening.
But…….. but where else can we see the Snowtop Redlegs in their natural habitat?
Costa Concordia 2.0
Pro-cruise-port Kenny is not just a convicted drug offender, he’s also Minister of Tourism and Ports with ultimate responsibility for things like this. Another reminder that Caymanian voters need to compel amendments to the elections law to disqualify all those with serious criminal records.
Cruise ships will never stop coming here andnewruiseshippeirandport will give ew Jo’s. All who saying that don’t need cruise ships here do not have a valid point or reason behind their argument.
Your life must really suck – being perfect all your life!!! LOLOL. Constantly dwelling on the past – other people’s past at that – mind your business and let it go!
Not when he is a Minister and self proclaimed Premier, “not today BoBo, Kenneth gotta go!”
Cruise ships are just awful. Cayman doesn’t need them.
No excuse for this!
I know right! I also saw a bunch of people almost speeding today!!!
What a facetious comment
“Department of Environment confirmed that it was not in the marine protected area, anchored on sand and not on coral.” BOOM!
Thats the problem when we have too many self-proclaimed experts. They call the talk shows and write comments making it sound like they know what they are talking about, when the experts respond and they don’t like the responses then they criticize the experts. Our DOE has proven their willingness to attempt to protect our environment, because they agree with the Port Authority then they criticise DOE and Port Authority.