1. www.vipropertyyacht.com February 2013
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Fishermen have their concerns, as do taxi drivers, charter
yacht operators, supermarket workers and so on. In a small
community such as this, of course, a Venn diagram of each of
these interests would always intersect with all the others, such
is the degree of interconnectedness and interdependence.
If the dive operators do well, then so do the taxi drivers, the
supermarkets, the hotel owners, the gas stations and the ferry
companies.
In a creative and entrepreneurial community such as
ours, ideas bubble to the surface and catch the attention of
people in many and diverse fields. Such an idea occurred to
Nagy Darwish, a surgeon who arrived in the BVI to practice
medicine and enjoy the pleasures of the country’s waters,
particularly the parts beneath the surface. His experiences
diving and his appreciation of the beauty to be found in
the depths, contrasted with the views of wrecked cars and
abandoned vessels scattered about the island, prompted the
thought that it might be practical to take all these wrecks and
put them beneath the water, and thus solve two problems at
once: what to do with the abandoned vehicles, and how to
create more, and more varied, dive sites. Eureka! But further
examination made it clear that the costs of preparing vehicles
for submersion were prohibitive—all that oil and rubber and
asbestos had to be eliminated before they could be dropped
into the deep.
But a process had been started. In conversation with friends
and colleagues in his Rotary group, Dr. Darwish learned that he
wasn’t the only person thinking about this subject. There was
concern about the rusting hulks sunk by Hurricane Earl in 2010
lined up along the waterfront at Baugher’s Bay. Some people
were thinking about ways to enhance the attractiveness of the
islands to tourists—perhaps a sculpture garden underwater?
High Hopes
in DEEP Water
Clean-up project seeks supportBy David Blacklock
The British Virgin Islands can often appear to be
a community of varied interests vying with one
another for attention.
Abandoned vessels like
this catamaran litter
Baughers Bay.
Photos by Dan O’Connor.

2. 16 VI PROPERTY & YACHT Published by aLookingGlass Ltd.
The sculpture garden plan had been initiated by Trellis
Bay entrepreneur and artist, Aragorn Dick-Read, who had
envisaged an underwater feature that would attract tourists
and locals alike. Presented to the BVI Dive Operators’
Association, the idea began to take shape. As a way to build
up artificial reefs, the sculpture garden has many positive
attributes. It serves as a focus for snorkelers and divers,
as a revenue enhancer for the territory, as an educational
point of focus, and most important, as the basis for new
reef structures which create new environments for fish
to flourish. I recently spoke with Casey McNutt, president
of the Dive Operators’Association, who told me, “We feel
really thankful to Aragorn for trusting us to run this thing.”
While there is still discussion regarding the subjects of the
sculptures, the consensus seems to lean towards imagery
that is iconic for the BVI. As for timing, Casey said, “We’d
like to see it up and running for next season. If we can get
approval for the project we’ll be able to go ahead and raise
the money for it.”And as for location, Cooper Island seems to
be getting the nod.
While the sculpture garden is no slam-dunk, it seems
more immediately attainable than the plan to remove
and sink the rusting hulks that litter the shoreline around
Baugher’s Bay. Any attempt to remove the vessels could be
fraught with difficulties since the hulls have been breached
Rotarians gather at The Moorings for a
lunchtime meeting.

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17
and corrosion might cause the hulls to collapse as they are
being moved. Furthermore, it seems that squatters have moved
aboard and are living on these wrecks, with little effort being
made to remove them. The ownership of the wrecks hasn’t been
established either, so there may be claims of damage should
they be moved. None of these problems are insurmountable,
but it will take a concerted, long-term effort of all participants
to make it happen. Nor will it be cheap, since the flotation and
transportation of fragile hulks will require more than a tug and
a length of rope—flotation bags, spill collars and the like will
require expertise and funds.
With enthusiastic participants from a variety of sources,
such as the Dive Operators—in the person of Casey McNutt,
Dr. Darwish, Abby O’Neal and Charlotte McDevitt from Green
VI, and with the support the members of Rotary, Governor,
Boyd McCleary; Minister for Natural Resources and Labour Dr.
Pickering; members of the Conservation and Fisheries Dept,
members of the Tourist Board and others, the plan has a real
hope of, stage-by-stage, coming to fruition. Who could object
to a plan that simultaneously kills two birds and hatches a third
(or is that a fourth)?
Of course, a clever idea is worth nothing unless there is
effort behind it to bring it to life. Such is the position at the
moment—the effort is beginning to gain organization and
As a way to build
up artificial reefs,
the sculpture
garden has many
positive attributes.

4. 18 VI PROPERTY & YACHT Published by aLookingGlass Ltd.
momentum. Discussions about how to make
these things happen and who would be best
suited to oversee the effort are underway.
What isn’t in doubt is the worthiness of
the plans. The principals involved are in
a holding pattern as they await decisions
from a number of sources. Dr. Darwish is
in the UK for an extended period and is
actively seeking assistance there. Rotary has
a major meeting in May and decisions made
there may affect the future of the various
concepts. Where the projects go and how
they get there will be the subject of further
articles as we attempt to follow these
promising initiatives to their completion.
Deralict vessels polute
Baughers Bay waters.