Caller laments loss of ‘swim with the dolphins’ tourism to St Thomas
During the devastating hurricanes of September 2017, the Dolphin Discovery facility at Prospect Reef was destroyed; however, in 2019, the Government had announced that it was close to finalising contractual arrangements with the Management of Dolphin Discovery that would result in the commencement of works at a section of Prospect Reef Hotel and Resort to facilitate the return of ‘Swim with the Dolphins’.
It was also announced that then Junior Minister for Tourism, Shareen D. Flax-Charles (AL) had been tasked with realising the return of Dolphin Discovery and that the aim was to have the tourist attraction in place for the next height of the [2020] cruise tourism season.
Following the announcement; however, a petition by a Neil Day was launched to stop the return of Dolphin Discovery and it had amassed over 2400 signatures at the time.
Dolphin sea sanctuary built in STT
Meanwhile, in 2018, Coral World Ocean Park built a dolphin sea sanctuary, a first of its kind in St Thomas. Coral World Ocean Park said the 69,000 sq. ft. (about 1.6 acres) dolphin sea sanctuary features a large, open swim space for the dolphins as well as areas designed to facilitate animal healthcare and areas throughout where dolphins can choose to explore on their own.
“They finally get their own swim with the dolphins [in] St Thomas. Boy, a tell ayo in Tortola, you hear,” the caller to Hot Seat lamented.
Co-host of the show Mr Brewley responded:” What they used to say? Over there, they eating your Sunday morning bread on a Saturday night.”
“Tortola people, you have a good night,” the caller stated before hanging up.
Co-host Mr Gordon said the VI suffered badly with the loss of the dolphin park at Prospect Reef following the hurricanes of 2017 and that “It will be of interest to see if, in fact, they will have it returned.”
According to Mr Brewley, the area that was once Dolphin Discovery is now an eyesore.
Mr Gordon chimed in that such a critical piece of real estate has been “left sitting there has left us without much benefit for a number of years.”
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17 Responses to “Caller laments loss of ‘swim with the dolphins’ tourism to St Thomas”
The way the dolphins were kept here in such a small dirty pen was inhumane and a disgrace just so R*****s could make money.