A new Live Cam will capture the beauty of Exuma – and also protect it with a helping hand from volunteers.
The Save Exuma Alliance (SEA) is calling for volunteers to help keep watch on the live camera stream, which will capture footage from the North Bay of Sampson Cay.
The bay is a vibrant, pristine marine habitat – and SEA wants to keep it that way. It is calling on people who see any concerning activity on the stream to report it to the non-profit organisation immediately.
As organisers said: “Let’s protect this place, before it’s too late.”
SEA hopes that volunteers — including tour operators, charter boat captains and swimmers, snorkelers and paddleboarders familiar with the area — will understand the urgency and take part to help make sure the area is kept safe and beautiful.
The move comes amid safety fears expressed by members of the alliance over proposed supply vessel traffic in the area – and especially in the aftermath of a deadly collision in Biscayne Bay, near Miami, that left three young girls dead after a barge slammed into their small sailboat while they were in summer sailing camp.
The tragic incident that took the lives of 10-year-old Arielle Buchmann, and sisters Mila Yankelvich, 7, and Erin Ko, 13, was caught on video. It served as a chilling reminder of the restricted steering capacity of a large flat-bottom supply vessel and the deadly devastation it can cause when in waters where shallow draft vessels and swimmers are in close proximity.
Campaigners in Exuma were already concerned about the possibility of construction work and increased supply vessel traffic affecting the use of the bay for other activities – and fear what will happen to snorkelers, kayakers and divers if barges attempt to pass through the channel or traverse the shallow bay that is a favourite for swimmers in Exuma.
SEA fears a proposed development on Sampson Cay by Miami-based Yntegra will increase that traffic and have potential environmental effects on the bay. Yntegra has announced plans to build a high-density Rosewood resort that would involve dredging through coral reefs and seagrass meadows and the bulldozing of coastlines and mangroves despite calls to protect the area that the country’s Ministry of Tourism frequently reminds people has been called ‘the most beautiful place on Earth from space.” The Yntegra proposal would also dramatically increase commercial and cargo boat traffic through the North Bay frequented by swimmers and recreational users vital to the local economy.
The North Bay is a pristine habitat that supports corals, spiny lobster, Queen conch, Nassau grouper, sea turtles and other fragile species.
The new Live Cam is directed towards the proposed supply dock, allowing viewers to keep a close eye on any developments and by notifying SEA officials of the time and actions of the vessels. The camera will also provide an archive of any changes caused by the proposed development in the area.
Members of the SEA alliance, including businesses, residents and nearby island owners or operators, have expressed serious concerns about the size and plans of the proposed development despite claims from Yntegra that it has the support of the community. They have suggested ways to scale it down, reposition the supply dock to minimize potential damage to the environment and risk to individuals.
Anyone who spots anything concerning is urged to email sea@saveexumaalliance.org – while photographs and video can also be sent to the same address. Videos may be posted by SEA to its YouTube channel – where you can see more footage, at www.YouTube.com/@saveexumaalliance/
The Live Cam can be viewed at : https://www.saveexumaalliance.org/live-camera.
