Marine Life & Conservation
Cayman Community, Government And Carnival Cruise Lines Turn Out To Support Reef Restoration Project
Local fundraising campaign to finance the project raises $28,000 for supplies and other expenses; Cruise Line pledges $100,000 to keep the coral reef restoration going
The news that Carnival Cruise Lines is pledging $100,000 to the Cayman Islands National Trust to support the ongoing George Town Reef Restoration effort has boosted the project’s small till and the spirits of the volunteers and dive operators who have been working diligently, with guidance by the Department of Environment, since September. The announcement was made Tuesday by the Cayman Islands Ministry of District Administration, Tourism and Transport, and the pledge will be added to the $28,000 already raised by the project volunteers with the help of the local community.
On February 27, they held a fundraiser on the George Town waterfront and nearly tripled their $10,000 goal for the night. The money was raised through private donations, raffles, silent auctions and a Lionfish dinner enjoyed on a festive evening under the Caribbean stars with music and camaraderie. Cayman Islands Minister of Financial Services, Commerce and Environment, the honorable Wayne Panton attended the event, as did staff members of the government’s Department of the Environment.
“The fact that Carnival is supporting the DOE and the volunteer partners on this restoration project demonstrates their appreciation of Cayman’s valuable marine environment and the need to protect and maintain it,” commented Minister Panton in the release by the Ministry of Tourism. “The Ministry thanks Carnival for this initial donation and we welcome their continuing partnership with us on this critical restoration work.”
“We applaud Carnival for this initial donation and we look forward to having the funds to complete this project, when the Department of Environment deems the work to be done,” said Keith Sahm, Sunset House General Manager and one of the volunteer coordinators of the project.
“It is rewarding to see so many people come out to support the restoration effort. One of the objects sold at our fundraiser was a hand-made quilt donated by a diver who lives in Chicago, and she gave it to our staff at a recent dive show there. It’s really encouraging when someone who lives 3,500 miles from the Cayman Islands cares about our reef enough to help us out,” he added.
Carnival’s donation will help keep the work going and the motivation high for a restoration project that is estimated to take a year. The reef was damaged extensively in August when the Carnival Magic cruise ship inadvertently dragged its anchor across a dive site. According to the government, the damage to the reef occurred when Carnival Magic’s captain was inadvertently guided by the Port Authority-licensed Pilot to drop anchor outside of the designated anchorage zone.
Since September, guided by the Department of Environment, the volunteers have put in more than 600 man-hours removing rubble from the site and salvaging live coral for replanting. Project co-coordinator Lois Hatcher, also Ocean Frontiers‘ Photo Pro, is experienced with coral restoration and she has begun transplanting pieces of live coral. Dive operators such as Red Sail Sports and Divetech are donating regular boat trips to the restoration site and volunteer divers are also accessing it from shore. They’ve been footing the bill for equipment, fuel and supplies, including marine epoxy to attach the coral back to the reef.
The February fundraiser was also a celebration for the volunteers who, after six months of hard work, expect to be at it until the project is completed. The success of the fundraising campaign, and new friendships forged through a common goal, inspires them all.
“You go out on the boat with strangers and come back with 10 friends,” said Joey Avary, who has been a regular on the project dive boats and shore dives. “You don’t need to be a marine biologist to help, it’s learnable stuff – a volunteer can be productive.”
Donations for the Magic Reef Restoration Project can also be made online with the National Trust for the Cayman Islands. Please select the Cayman Magic Reef Recovery option: http://www.nationaltrust.org.ky/index.php/donate
For more information on the fundraising campaign for the Magic Reef Restoration Project contact Keith Sahm at keith.sahm@sunsethouse.com or Lois Hatcher at lohatcher@gmail.com. You can also visit the Cayman Magic Reef Restoration Project Facebook Page: Cayman Magic Reef Restoration.
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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