The Editor
The Anguillian
Dear Sir
Please find below a copy of a letter we sent to the Minister with our concerns over the dolphin area on blowing point beach.
Our letter was sent by post & e-mail & we have not had a reply.
Perhaps you would be able to raise local awareness through your newspaper.
Many Thanks
Mr & Mrs Cawrey
UK
6th December 2012
Honourable Mr. Walcott Richardson,
Ministry of Home Affairs,
Government of Anguilla,
The Secretariat,
The Valley,
Anguilla, BWI.
Dear Mr Walcott
RE: DOLPHIN EXPERIENCE, BLOWING POINT, ANGUILLA
We have been visitors to the beautiful island of Anguilla over the last 6 years. On our first visit we staying at Great House, Rendezvous Bay and on subsequent visits have enjoyed the hospitality at The Ferryboat Inn at Blowing Point.
We have watched with some concern the antics of the Dolphin Discovery facilities that have been under construction close to Blowing Point over the last few years. The construction of the dolphin pens is now nearing completion and they are an absolute eyesore, being highly visible from the beachfront properties in the area and the ferry terminal itself. We are extremely concerned about the welfare of the dolphins, penned into small areas in such shallow water, which is subject to a strong swell, must cause the dolphins great discomfort during bad weather, along with the noise, disturbance and pollution from the ferry terminal nearby.
During our last visit in October an excavator was on site for a couple of days and in the process removed much of the native vegetation which had established on the low dunes East of the Ferryboat Inn. Plants removed include Sea Grape, Pride of Barbados and other native plants. Some of the stony material behind the dunes was removed, along with the Sea Grape which offers stability to the beach to the East of the access walkway. There was much evidence of scour from storm run-off following the rains which passed through Anguilla a few days before our arrival. The re-shaping of this area, along with the removal of vegetation is likely to cause serious risk of erosion to the land behind the beach. This, coupled with the risk of damage to the beach from storms during the hurricane season threatens the stability of the beach itself.
We have noticed some major changes to some of the beaches in other areas of the island, particularly at Rendezvous and Paradise Cove where the sandy beach had been scoured away in a storm, a new sand bank formed 50 to 100 yards out, which was gradually being carried back by the current. We also visited Long Bay where the beach has returned; when we visited in July the beach was washed out and was inaccessible from Oliver’s Restaurant, which we found quite alarming.
I would be grateful if you could investigate the damage to the beach near Blowing Point and encourage Dolphin Discovery to reinstate and re-establish the sea grape and other native plants to ensure the continued stability of the beachfront. It would also be worth preparing a management plan for the area so that the activities of Dolphin Discovery can continue without threatening the security of the beach itself, as well as the beachfront properties in the area.
I enclose photographs taken earlier this year and on previous visits, as well as some taken on our last visit with the vegetation removed to compare the area and assess the damage that has been done.
We look forward to our next visit to Anguilla and hope that we will see an improvement to the area devastated by these operations at that time.
I look forward to your reply.
Yours sincerely
John & Joanna Cawrey
Leicester
England
Editor note: The above letter, dated February 20th 2013, was sent to Mr. Walcott Richardson, former Minister of Home Affairs. Mr. Jerome Roberts, the new Minister, may wish to deal with the matter.
