EDITOR, The Tribune

WE ARE lucky enough to have visited The Bahamas many times over the years, but during that time we have watched Cabbage Beach deteriorate from one of the most beautiful beaches in the world into a very compromised stretch of seafront.

One obvious reason is the multitude of noisy, smelly, dangerous jetskis and other motor craft. We have seen the jetskis repeatedly breach the safety barriers and it is probably only a matter of time before they slice a snorkeller’s head off.

But, perhaps even worse for The Bahamas’s long-term tourism prospects, an ominous change to the seabed appears to be well advanced for much of the length of Cabbage Beach.

Underwater, away from shore, the undulations of pure white sand soon give way to a yellow-brown encrustation. Above water, the limitless aquamarine vista of the past has been reduced to just a narrow strip close to shore, succeeded by a murkier discolouration which has no place in Bahamian waters.

Unless there has been a major oil spill, could it be that the constant drip of oil from dozens of engines, day after day, year after year, has left a permanent layer of pollution on the Cabbage Beach seafloor?

We have recovered several samples of sand and water and, while they are awaiting analysis, their disgusting appearance does nothing to dispel this suspicion.

While we appreciate that the operators of pleasure craft are just trying to make a living, perhaps employment could be shifted towards providing non-polluting, non-motorised watercraft, such as kayaks and stand-up paddleboards.

Otherwise, beautiful Cabbage Beach may just become a memory, as will the tourists.

CONCERNED VISITORS

August 28, 2016