A licence to enable the Dolphin Discovery project to operate in Anguilla was signed by Minister of Home Affairs, Walcott Richardson, and Coordinator for the project, on behalf of the Dolphin Centre in Mexico, Alejadro Raygoza Loera, on Wednesday, June 27. The signing of the licence was witnessed by Minster of Infrastructure, Evan Gumbs.
“We are hoping that this project will lend itself to a number of job opportunities,” Mr. Richardson stated. “It is a major tourism project and was here some [four] years before, and there were some challenges in getting it off the ground again. We are happy as a Government to note that we have been very successful in having this project return to Anguilla.”
Mr. Loera said that his company had several businesses around the world, but the one inAnguillawas very special. “This is a unique island you wouldn’t find anywhere else, so for us it is very important to be present here,” he stated, adding that the dolphin project would be promoted on every cruise ship to attract visitors to Anguilla.
He told reporters that the project called for an investment of two million US dollars and that initially 14 Angullians would be employed. The project will include a welcome area, gift shop, and the company will be using Big Jim’s Restaurant, above theBlowing Point Road, as a land-based facility for the time being. From there, visitors will be transported by taxi to the project.
Meanwhile, underwater construction is being carried out in the area of the dolphin pier. There will be four dolphins with a swimming area of almost 6,000 square meters. It is expected that the project will come into operation early next month.
Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, Haydn Hughes, said that employment was one aspect the project. “The other aspect is that the cruise industry is one of the largest and fastest-growing types of tourism anywhere on the planet,” he went on. “It gives Anguilla the opportunity to advertise, and there are a lot of tourists on these ships who have never heard aboutAnguilla. The Government of Anguilla, with its limited budget, spends perhaps the lowest amount of money in the entireCaribbean…Tourism is our business and without it we will perish.”
Minister Evan Gumbs was happy that the dolphin project was being re-started and reported that visitors from far away wanted to come toAnguillato visit the project. He acknowledged that a number of persons were objecting to the project, but was of the view that a handful of people should not be allowed “to stopAnguillafrom going forward.” He noted that the island was mainly dependent on tourism and until it was possible to diversify the economy, Government was fully supportive of the dolphin project.
Vice Chairman of the Anguilla Tourist Board, Oliver MacDonna, said his organisation was aware of the tourism potential of the project and was in support of it. He added that a press release to that effect would be issued in due course.
