Barbados Sea Turtle EMERGENCY

Last Sunday morning my Boss, also known as my girlfreind, shoved her iPad infornt of me and gave me a storng look that I better watch thats on the iPad and I better open both my eyes and listen.

I might be an early riser but I had planned on lounging around this Sunday morning and so without any coffee in me I was ready to ignore the iPad, look at it for a moment or two and agree with whatever was so important.

Important enough to be rammed through my morning quiet time. I knew I was on thin ice if I didn't give the damn device my attention. Below is what had my Boss ready to fight.

Pretty shocked was I viewing and digesting the info. That's the beach where I spent a lot of my youth growing up, my home surf break. I lived 500m south along the sand and I've seen the beach change over the years, naturally and human development. And that's Carla! We were in some classes together when we were way younger.

I've seen thousands of turtles nest and hatching here and so have many visitors and locals alike. It's a known turtle nesting beach.

I would like to pretend that I was angry watching the video in the morning but I was more disappointed. I actually knew there was going to be an event on the beach. And I knew that it wasnt going to be a small event or in the car parking area like beach events have been done in the past. I was chatting with some mates that work for the NCC as they were clearing the beach and car parking area, not because it needed to be cleared for regular maintenance but needed to be cleared for the event.

The guys told me that the whole beach was going to be closed and there were stages and tent going up on the beach. They didn't look overly impressed. Maybe they were hinting at their confusion. Confusion doing what they do not usually do, sanction events on turtle nesting sites. Its kinda the job of the NCC to promote and preserve Barbados' beaches.

I was wondering how the event had slipped through the net and of course as is customary who had taken what bribe.

My next feeling was guilt. I had stood by all week and watched the crew assemble tents and stages for the event and done nothing. I had been chatting with the youngsters and surfers and they too were confused about how they could errect stages and tents on the known turtle nesting beach but we all did nothing about it. 

The general concensus was, "it's bad but what can we do the drinks are pouring?"

So, all the meantime the video is being shared and gaining popularity. I said I am going down for a peak and see just whats happening. The last I saw the evening before was one stage on the beach being taken down. I wish I were an activist of just someone with a bigger heart and say I was going down there to flex my civic rights and generally be a dick and hamper the set-up process btu I wasn't. At best I can say I was going down there to Carla. She knows what she is doing and what can be done, who to call etc.. I can offer some support or just be a bit of a dick and hamper the set-up process.

Storm in a tea cup... or not?

I arrive down there and it is all being taken down, everything being removed from the beach and the event is cancelled. 

Now, well done Carla and the Barbados Sea Turtle Project. 

But there is a big but. How the hell did these folks feel this was right and that they were going to get away with it. I am sure that it was all just a big mis-comunication... I call BULLSHIT!

The sponsor, the organiser/promoter, NCC etc... everyone of yo just wanted a bigger event than you were allowed or prepared to pay for! Each of you wanted to see you name in the paper portraying you as a real HERO that gives to the poeple with your FREE event.

I am so glad that Carla was there to expose you and shut you down.

Expose is a strong word I know but answer me this. 

If you were not being cheeky and taking the piss why then were all the tents and stages down Saturday evening and reinstalled and errected at night and under the cover of darkness?