The name “Great Guana Cay” is ironic, because the tiny northern Bahamian island is only about a quarter-mile wide and six miles long. But the island is large enough to become mired in a controversy that is helping to define the irony of modern "sustainable development" issues in eco-destinations.
The island's inhabitants are employed in fishing and cottage industry tourism. Its coral reef is one of the most intact surviving elkhorn/staghorn coral communities in the world, and divers consider it one of the most beautiful in the Bahamas.
So when the residents of Great Guana Cay found out that a golf mega-development had been green-lit by a distant federal government in Nassau without their consent, they banded together and formed a grassroots effort to derail the plans.
Since then, coral reef scientists and marine ecologists have come to their aid to try to stop the Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club (Discovery Land Company) from realizing completion. While coral bleaching is on every coral scientist’s mind, the widespread decline of coral reefs in the West Indies is not only attributed to climate change, but a history of unsustainable coastal development. Coral reefs require their environment to be nutrient-poor in order to survive. And golf courses and marinas, rich in nutrients and pollutants, are a recipe for disaster. Residents worry that the chemicals needed to fertilize the club's 595 acres will seep into the reef.
The proposed $500-million resort and 180-slip marina, with tennis courts, a hotel,
destination spa, and championship golf course, are being built now. The
island’s mangroves, which serve as the coral reef’s sole fishery, have
already been lost. But the Baker’s Bay Club has put millions into its
image as the greenest development ever to grace the Bahamas. In a way,
this is true. Before they remove mangroves from the development site,
for example, they grab the clinging bromeliads and blooming orchids
(all common in the northern Bahamas) and hang them in a greenhouse
built from local materials for visiting dignitaries and government
officials. But these actions have fallen short of what residents are seeking, and they've decided to take matters into the courts. (Attempts to
contact the developers of the Discover Land Company for comment went
unanswered.)
Right now, the locals, the developer, and the Bahamian government are fighting over (PDF) the future of Great Guana Cay in the Bahamian court system. Meanwhile, the nesting sea turtles are gone, residents are selling their homes, the mangroves and crabbing grounds are gone forever, and scientists predict the doom of another reef.
News of Great Guana Cay’s aggressive voice to save their coral reef is resounding through several islands in the Caribbean. Communities who face similar environmental issues are watching their campaigns closely, and following their lead.
Travel photographer Erik Gauger writes for blog Notes from the Road and argues that travel writers are obligated to cover the most controversial subjects of travel. He has been following this issue since 2005. The islanders' organization is called Save Guana Cay Reef.
Read More: National Geographic Traveler's Geotourism Editor Jonathan Tourtellot wrote about threats to the Bahamian islands in the September 2006 issue.
Photos: Eagle rays just outside the Guana Cay barrier reef, above; coastal mangroves in the Bahamas, below. By Erik Gauger.
Uhh.... not very happy with the website.
i was looking for the way Cays form!!!:/
Posted by: Claire | March 09, 2008 at 08:17 PM
I went on a Bahamas Honeymoon Vacation several years back and really appreciated the underdeveloped areas. It's a tough balance though when tourism accounts for 2/3 of the economy.
Posted by: Bahamas Honeymoon | August 12, 2008 at 05:49 PM