News
Caribbean tourism stakeholders work to protect and regrow coral reefs
Recognizing the environmental and economic value of healthy coral reefs, and the dangers posed by warmer oceans and more intense hurricanes, a group of tourism-focused organizations have joined forces to help protect and regenerate Caribbean reefs.
The nonprofit Tourism Cares, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), and the Grupo Puntacana Foundation in the Dominican Republic have partnered on a Coral Restoration Capacity Building Project to assist three Caribbean destinations which suffered serious reef damage from the devastating storms of 2017.
Two individuals each from Dominica, the British Virgin Islands and the US Virgin Islands recently spent a week in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, completing a Coral First Aid Certification training program. Additional individuals from the affected territories will now be trained by these graduates to assist with major restoration efforts.
Marine scientists have confirmed that coral reefs, which make up only one percent of the ocean floor but support 25 percent of marine life, have declined in the Caribbean by as much as 50 to 80 percent in 30 years.
“CHTA, through our affiliate Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST), has a longstanding working relationship with the Grupo Puntacana Foundation and we’re delighted to be able to draw upon the Foundation’s expertise to provide this training,” said Frank Comito, CHTA’s CEO and director general.
The Caribbean team on assignment in Punta Cana.
The Grupo Puntacana Foundation’s President Frank Rainieri was a founder of CAST and served as its first Chairman in 1997. The Foundation, with its own Center for Marine Innovation, has more than 14 years of experience in coral restoration. Having one of the largest coral nurseries in the Caribbean positions it as a leading coral gardening training institution.
“We have an environmental responsibility to regenerate these natural treasures because without reefs, there would be fewer beautiful beaches and without our beaches fewer tourists would visit, so coral gardening is both an ecological imperative as well as a significant economic driver for our region,” Comito stated.
Jake Kheel, vice president for the Grupo Punta Cana’s Corporate Environmental Programs, noted that the Foundation is “pleased to have this opportunity to share with our Caribbean colleagues best practice techniques for reef restoration”. He asserted that in addition to the regional environmental and economic impact of coral reefs, they also play a key role in the global ecosystem.
Paula Vlamings, CEO of Tourism Cares, believes this “smart partnership” between major organizations is crucial for hurricane impacted destinations: “We thank all the supporters of the Caribbean Tourism Recovery Fund who made the sharing of resources possible.”
Argel Horton and Emily Graff (British Virgin Islands); Augustus Bernard and Donna Mitchell (Dominica); and Logan Michelle and Jason Quetel (US Virgin Islands) took part in the training program.
While in the Dominican Republic, the participants interacted with world expert in coral restoration Dr David Vaughan, who is from the Mote Marine Laboratory in the Florida Keys. Vaughan instructed participants on a new methodology of coral restoration known as micro-fragmentation, which he developed to reverse coral degradation through its rapid regeneration and transplanting onto dead reefs.
Upon completion of the Coral First Aid Certification these graduates are now able to, among other skills, identify, construct and prepare at least two different types of nursery propagation platforms; set up new nurseries; properly attach coral fragments for propagation; perform regular maintenance; collect performance data using established standardized procedures; and properly harvest and transport coral fragments and colonies.
Visit www.caribbeanhotelandtourism.com to find out more.
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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