MSC Cruises has just announced that on the Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, the island owned by the company in the Bahamas, hundreds of sea turtle hatchlings are making their way to the sea. The coral restoration program has also already transformed the waters around the former industrial area into a strong marine ecosystem.
These findings are considered “historic” and are, the company says, the culmination of MSC’s successful project of returning the island and the waters around it to their former status as a thriving environment for native flora and fauna. More than six turtle nests and hundreds of baby sea turtles have been identified on the island, and are being monitored.
In 2018, MSC Cruises decided to transform a former industrial sand mining site in the Bahamas into a thriving marine reserve and private island destination, exclusive to MSC Cruise’s guests: the Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. By 2019, the site gave way to something completely different: white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, snorkeling sites, but in an exclusive version for ship passengers and with a strong environmental redevelopment component.
The company has stated that the Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve was founded on a strong commitment to marine life conservation, with 64 square miles of protected waters surrounding the island. Since its conception, a major goal has been to restore the former industrial sand excavation site to its pristine beauty and to attract species of local flora and fauna, both on land and in the ocean.
Since it opened in late 2019, the island has been transformed into a tropical paradise with a rich marine ecosystem. Proof of the conservation program’s progress can now be confirmed by the fact that sea turtle hatchlings have been spotted making their way around the island from their nests to the sea.
Procedures are in place under the island-wide Biodiversity Management Plan to encourage turtles and ensure their protection, especially during the gestation season.
