One of the Sea Dream ships left Ensonada Honda Sat., Dec 17th, 2011, but did not head directly to the USFWS Refuge Cay Saturday night. We are not sure where it anchored over-night.
One of the vessels was reported anchored at the refuge cay on Sun., Dec 18th, 2011. Based on yesterday’s report, it appears that despite the public out-cry, USFWS continues to issue federal permits for the Sea Dream Cruise Ships to disembark passengers on the public National Wildlife Refuge Cay of Culebrita. There is no mooring or pier at the cay – only Critical Habitat listed sea grasses and corals.
Sea Dream markets the Culebrita stop as “off the beaten path” tourism – as this unsustainable brand of tourism beats Culebra’s corals and sea grasses to death.
The ships obviously cannot control wind direction and swing. When not directly anchoring atop corals and sea grass, easterly and south eastery winds swing the boat so the stern faces the reef. As their huge propellors engage to make way – sand and debris known as “prop wash” sand blast what’s left of these Culebrita corals. The Sea Dream disembarks passengers to the cay off speeding zodiacs, and provides wave runners to passengers which disturb and threaten the Caribbeans few remaining sea turtles and manatees. Photos of corals damaged as anchor passed over them were submitted to NOAA. Like with the mud impacting the reefs of Flamenco Beach – the NOAA Restoration Center made a site visit but took no action.
But wait – there’s more….
Sea Dream captains are environmentally reckless throughout the Caribbean. On Culebrita we have reported the Sea Dream vessels to the U.S. Coast Guard for reckless endangerment of their passengers as they anchor these vessels in waters marked on nautical charts as
Multiple written complaints have been issued to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. EPA, and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – all with jurisdictional authority to stop this permit, environmental impact and threat to passengers!
