February 2022 - I went on my first cruise since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the cruise industry in 2020. A 5-day cruise to the Bahamas in February seemed just the cure for my “no cruise” blues. I set sail from Charleston, SC with high hopes. Vaccinated, boosted and recently tested, I had no worries about COVID-19. Little did I know that my spirits would be squashed by the trashy beaches of Bimini, Bahamas.
My friend and I disembarked from the ship for a fun-filled day at the public beach known as “Radio Beach” on Bimini, Bahamas. During our short taxi ride, the driver gave us the short version of facts about the cluster of islands – population approximately 2,000 people, distance from Miami approximately 50 miles with public transportation available via boat. There was the church, school, government building, cemetery, modest homes, town center with shops, a straw market for tourists and the beach, complete with a food shack serving up fresh conch fritters and fresh coconut filled daiquiris.
And there was the garbage.
All along the high tide line of the beach there was trash. Plastic, glass, rope, etc. The tourists and natives either did not notice or pretended not to notice. How could they miss it? It lined the beach, caught up in the seaweed, washed up on the tide and deposited along the entire length of beach.
If you hang out near the water and look the other way, this is what you see:
But turn around towards the tide line, and this is your view:
Discouraging to say the least. So, I have contacted the Administrator of Bimini at the information below:
My hope is that they can organize the population who depends on its tourism to take pride and clean up their beaches. And, better yet, determine the source of the trash and stop the pollution of their natural resources. cruising@mermaids4cleanoceans.com
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