Blackbeard’s Cay
LOCAL environmental activists are up in arms over the alleged separation of a dolphin mother and her recently born male calf at Blackbeard’s Cay, an “unconscionable” act they claim will adversely affect the health and lives of both creatures.
Sam Duncombe, director of ReEarth, along with Kim Terrell, a retired zoologist who worked in The Bahamas for years, both condemned the alleged premature weaning of a dolphin calf on the Balmoral Island facility, further charging that the “outrageous” separation of the two, just under three months after the calf’s birth, could result in death for the dolphin calf.
They called on the government to intervene on the matter, with Ms. Terrell stressing that something must be done soon before “this little male dolphin dies due to the stupidity of taking him from his mom before he can survive.”
On Tuesday, Mrs. Duncombe claimed the calf, which The Tribune understands was born in May, was allegedly separated from his mother for breeding purposes.
She later told The Tribune that the calf had allegedly already begun to eat “solid food,” which she said is “outrageous” given that dolphin calves typically nurse for up to three years after their birth.
Ms. Terrell also put out a statement on the matter, the details of which mirrored the claims made by Mrs. Duncombe.
“I have remained quiet about the horrible things that happen at the Balmoral dolphin facility in Nassau, Bahamas, but due to recent events I can no longer keep quiet,” Ms. Terrell said.
She stressed that the Bahamas Marine Mammal Protection Act must be upheld and its rules enforced.
“Something must be done, and must be done soon. Please do it before this little male dolphin dies due to the stupidity of taking him from his mom before he can survive.”
Repeated attempts to contact Samir Andrawos, the St. Maarten-based businessman who is Blackbeard’s Cay principal, for comment were unsuccessful up to press time. Additional attempts to contact Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources V. Alfred Gray were also unsuccessful.
Mrs. Duncombe, meanwhile, said it is “unconscionable that you would separate a mother from her calf.”
“I just don’t understand what they think they’re doing,” she said. “If they supposedly know what they’re supposed to do in terms of animal care, they should know that cannot happen. That pair should remain together for a minimum of two years.
“It’s ridiculous in this day and age with all the science that is out there that talks about keeping those animals together in their pods and their families and friends and we’re doing this still today in 2016?”
This is the latest round of controversy to hit the Balmoral Island facility, particularly with regards to the dolphins kept on the property.
On August 31, 2015, Senior Justice Stephen Isaacs issued an order reinforcing his July 27, 2014 judgment in favour of reEarth’s judicial review application to challenge the permits/approvals received by the Blackbeard’s Cay project.
The order required both Prime Minister Perry Christie and the Town Planning Committee to mandate that Blue Illusions cease developing the island and restore the land to its original condition.
And Mr. Gray, as minister of agriculture and fisheries, was required to remove the eight dolphins at the facility to a new, “appropriate location.”
Then, in a December 17, 2015 ruling, Justice Milton Evans found that the eight dolphins belonged to their Honduran supplier, Instituto De Ciencias Marinas (IMS), and not Mr. Andrawos.
However, the government has yet to act on both Justice Isaacs’ order and the subsequent ruling by Justice Evans.
By Nico Scavella, Tribune Staff Reporter
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