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Guana Cay

Four years after joining the CCC at age 26, the board asked David if he would ever take on the role of Director. He told them, 'I'm not ready for this.' And they said, 'Would you do it if we asked you?' He said, 'Yes.'

Soon, David was invigorating the organization with new ideas. From Central America to the Florida coast, the CCC had their hands full, fighting even against Cuba's sea turtle policies.

An unusual disease has been affecting the green turtles of the world. This virus, which started with the Black Turtles (a green turtle subspecies) of Hawaii, was literally so bad in the 1990's that some believed the species was doomed.

Of Guana Cay's proposed golf course and marina land-based contaminants, he says, "(there is) a growing correlation between tumor-causing fibropapillomas and degraded nearshore waters. This pervasive disease is affecting green turtles around the world, primarily in nearshore habitats that have been degraded by polluted runoff. While a virus is involved in the disease, evidence suggests that a co-factor is a deterioration of the turtle's immune system likely brought
about by pollution in the water column."

Unfortunately, the danger to sea turtles is only the tip of the iceberg.

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Rise Up Sweet Island

Guana Cay Controversy - get the latest news on RSS Feed
Read up on the issue by the locals themselves
Jean Michel Cousteau
Speaks up on Bakers Bay Development
Bimini Bay Sawfish
Video on Bimini Bay

Great Guana Cay is a thin, six mile island in the Northern Bahamas.

The island's inhabitants, who settled here 200 years ago, are employed in fishing and cottage industry tourism.

The island's coral reef is of international importance as one of the most intact surviving elkhorn/staghorn coral communities in the world.

The inhabitants began fighting tooth and nail to save their island's coral reef and mangroves from destruction after hearing of plans for a golf megadevelopment on their tiny barrier reef island.

Hundreds of the world's most revered coral reef scientists and marine ecologists, as well as almost every single Bahamian environmental organization, have banded together to try to stop the Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club (Discovery Land Company) from realizing completion.

The proposed 585 unit, 180 slip marina, tennis courts, hotel, destination spa and championship golf course were pushed through the Bahamian central government with no local consent and without proper permits in a land grab (including of local public land designated for use by Bahamians) of unbelievable proportion. In one of the most amazing and unique environmental stories in history, the islanders have brought the developer, and the Bahamian government, to task. The small island is now waging a bitter legal battle with the government and the developers.

Rise Up Sweet Island compiles the viewpoints of the Bahamian and international marine conservation community and presents documents, evidence and history for all interested parties.

Notes from the Road is a travelogue which covers environmental and cultural issues around North America, the Caribbean and Europe.

National Geographic
National Geographic Magazine supports anti-Megadevelopment movements in Abaco and Bimini in new article on shark conservation.

ReEarth
SharkLab
Restrict Bimini Bay
Mangrove Action Project
Global Coral Reef Alliance
Caribbean Conservation Corps
Notes from the Sea

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Petition

75% of Bahamians on Great Guana Cay signed a petition this winter against Baker's Bay Club. Three years later, resistance is strong.

 

Rise Up Sweet Island - the Epic Struggle between the residents of Great Guana Cay and the Baker's Bay Club Golf Resort
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