Paradise Cove's Reef Ball project raises the bar on environmental stewardship

Thu, Nov 28th 2013, 06:51 AM


Written by Cheri Wood
Sign at the entrance to Paradise Cove.We can build casinos, bulldoze our picturesque landscapes and wonder why tourism numbers are down, or we can strike a balance with the natural beauty that is provided to us and bring visitors in by the ship loads. Paradise Cove on Grand Bahama not only strikes a balance with nature, they are going a step further and raising the bar on environmental stewardship by replenishing our waters with healthy coral that will ultimately benefit everything from beach restoration to increasing the local fish population.
Paradise Cove, Deadman's Reef located between Eight Mile Rock and West End, started out in 1992 with a small shed for shelter and a grill made from a 55 gallon drum. Food was cooked under a sea grape tree and the beach was a massive blanket of white sand and crystal clear water. The coral reef that lies under the water was teaming with colorful life and was begging to share its beauty with others. Tourists started to frequent the area and a small business was born. During the 90's visitors enjoyed this natural spot as part of their island experience and things started to flourish. The business grew by leaps and bounds and so did the threat to the natural landscape.
As time went on many things changed. The hurricanes hit, the global economy crashed and the tourism industry would forever be changed on Grand Bahama. The shoreline and surrounding area at Paradise Cove suffered at the hands of humans who removed sand from the coastline and altered the flow of the natural beach restoration process. This impacted the land's ability to regenerate after severe weather patterns and changed the actual shoreline area. Other than turning back time, it seemed like the natural environment was altered for good and things would never be restored to the way they used to be, but a ray of hope remained that something could be done to give back to nature what had been taken from her.

Click here to read more at Bahama Islands Info

 Sponsored Ads