Bringing Light to The Bimini Bay Resort
I decided to bring this post back to life before the new year, especially after all the Genting Group stuff going on in Miami – The Miami Herald building allowed to be demolished and seing the uncertainties of what’s to become of that land and the “gargantuan” nature of the project at hand. As reported by The Miami Herald,
Genting architect Bernardo Fort-Brescia, co-principal of Arquitectonica, said after the hearing he will go back to finalizing a plan for a scaled-down version of a gargantuan project the casino giant originally presented last year.
I don’t bring this up to be a trouble maker, but because I am concerned about the sequence of events. It’s up to you to analyze and come up with your own interpretations.
If you have seen our boating photos, you know we are big fans of The Bimini Islands in The Bahamas. We have been crossing the gulf-stream via boat for years and enjoying the small island feel, the gorgeous beaches and the spectacular diving and snorkeling.
A few years ago we heard a few locals complaining about a new resort that was going to be built and would destroy the island. Some said it would help the economy and bring jobs, others were scared that the resort’s scale would be too big for the infrastructure of the island and would hurt the existing eco-system.
The Horrible Reality behind The Bimini Bay Resort
The truth is that with large resorts, come huge egos, greed and problems. I personally have not gone in-depth into the conflict that the construction of The Bimini Bay Resort has caused, but have seen first hand, the negative impact of the Bimini Bay on the island and its surroundings. Seeing hundreds of mega-yachts parked in the Bimini Bay Marinas and how they misuse the “iddle speed” necessary to reach their destination through the grasses of the harbor cannot be a good thing. The clearing of trees and mangroves is also evident throughout. Now we are seeing more dredging and land movements. I’m a true believer that big things should stay in big places and the plans for the Bimini Bay and its expansion, will kill the beauty of the island and will continue to negatively affect the ecosystem and the environment of Bimini. But please don’t take my word for it. Fabien Cousteau (the grandson of famous Jacques Cousteau), has written and researched The Bimini Bay Resort’s impact on the environment. Fabien Cousteau’s bio reads:
Growing up on decks of his famous Grandfather’s ships, Calypso and Alcyone, Fabien Cousteau was destined to work to protect our planet’s immense and endangered marine habitats.
In his Bimini Under Siege article he writes:
The beautiful island of Bimini is facing a potential environmental crisis it has never faced before. Blatantly unsustainable building practices are resulting in the perfect model for ecological disaster that would rob its inhabitants of economic and environmental well-being in the near future. If left unchecked, the development threatens to increase the island’s seasonal population by over 700%. Already facing water, energy and waste problems currently the island is far too small to accommodate such an overwhelming onslaught. Furthermore there are no signs of “green” material, technological, energy, consumption or waste solutions. In this day and age it is simply unacceptable for us to pilfer what is left of our potential future. A small paradise island is under assault from short-sighted unsustainable overdevelopment. This case is far from unique around the world but with our planet’s health collapsing under our very eyes from a combination of our ignorance, inaction and, in some cases, the blatant disregard of certain entities for our future it is simply not an option to stay by the sidelines when we can still change the tide of our fate. There is still hope for this island but time is short and action must come soon or we stand to lose yet another battle in the struggle that will reflect in our very own survival into the future.
*originally published on 8/16/2012*
This is a sad state of affairs Ines. I’ve never been to the Bimini Islands but I hate when anything is being negatively impacted. Especially the natural habitat. I hope someone can step up and change the path it seems to be on right now.
Derek, what’s sad is that people are oblivious because it is a pretty resort and the accommodations in Bimini were always a bit rough. But when I heard GENTING GROUP …..I felt some pressure on my chest 🙁
Thank you so much for posting this article. Bimini really needs help from our friends in Florida to stop the outrageous plans being put forth by these developers.
We are not anti-development, but we are completely opposed to any development that threatens the very fabric of our island.
We need more publicity, more videos, more help!
Thanks you,
Bimini Blue Coaltion
facebook.com/BiminiBlueCoalition
Insightful read about the env.damage happening in #Bimini http://t.co/BTy0SgU4CT #savebimini
Have not been to Key Largo in several yrs. But having dove throughout the Caribbean n Mexico during the past several decades, I can say that the last time I dove in Key Largo, the condition of the reef system was appalling.
How soon will the Bahamas suffer a similar fate?
Keith, The Bahamas are already suffering and the ecosystem continues to be destroyed. It’s amazing how golf courses and casinos always win against preserving natural resources.
Great article! We also have a special place in our hearts for bimini and the lovely residents. We will also continue supporting the local businesses and hotels like big game resort.
Thanks for the comment Rani – the truth is that’s it’s pretty sad and most people have no idea of the impact on the island.
Good article. Anyone who knows what Genting has done in SIngapore, won’t allow them anywhere near..Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore is responsible for capturing dolphin s from the Wild for their marine park at Sentosa as part of their mega resort here. Despite protests and legal issues, they have gotten away with money power and are on track to destroy nature in the region with more mega developments and wild caught dolphins that they claimed was for educational purposes but instead making them learn tricks by starving and torturing them. Read this: http://www.saddestdolphins.com/