A temporary floating barrier has been placed around the partially submerged 76-foot Cayman Mermaid in Governors Creek to contain potential fuel and oil leaks.
The decades-old vessel was first spotted tilting to one side in the marina on 24 May, where its owner of 30 years, Mermaid Cruises, had abandoned it several years prior.
The 31-tonne passenger boat, built by Gulf Craft in the United Arab Emirates, is now partially submerged, resting on the bottom of the 12-foot-deep creek with its upper deck exposed.
The Department of Environment told the Compass the seabed there is made up of primarily algae and sponges, and damage to marine life from the incident has so far been “minimal”.
On Thursday, 25 May, the Cayman Islands Coast Guard joined the department in deploying a 400-foot containment boom around the boat, leaving an opening for salvage operations.
They added another 200 feet to the barrier on 29 May, to compensate for shifting winds and to close the gap around the multi-deck aluminium vessel.
“Fuel loss has been minimal and remains far below a level capable of recovery,” the DoE said.
“The boom has been put in place as a standard precautionary response should it escalate, but we have no reason to expect this to happen at this time.”
‘More focused and effective’
The Coast Guard, on its social media post on Sunday, explained the boom helped to “avert any further negative impact on the marine environment”.
It said it will remain until the boat can be salvaged, “mitigating any further spread of pollutants, while enabling subsequent clean up efforts to be more focused and effective”.
The Coast Guard is currently broadcasting alerts to boat operators about the hazard and advising them to stay well clear of the vessel and containment boom.
In its post, it stressed that the blocked-off area should not be crossed, and people should refrain from attempting to board the vessel.
“Doing so may compromise the integrity of the containment boom and could lead to the release of fuel and oil into the surrounding area,” the Coast Guard said.
“We appreciate the cooperation and understanding of the public in ensuring the effectiveness of our environmental protection efforts.”
In response to a question under the post, it said “the owners are attempting to salvage the vessel”, but told the Compass it was unable to provide further information.
The Cayman Islands Port Authority as the ‘receiver of wrecks’, is responsible for managing abandoned vessels and coordinating their retrieval.
The Compass contacted the authority for details on the recovery of the boat and is awaiting a response.
The Cayman Mermaid, also known as the ‘Merpig’, was built in 1988 and registered in the Cayman Islands in 1993.
It has been used over the years for concerts, parties, fire shows and snorkelling trips for both tourists and residents.
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The boat has been abandoned and floating there for years. Why wasn’t it towed away then when it would have been easy?
It will be challenging and very expensive to raise it and tow it away now.
Why not strip away anything dangerous and leave it there as an easy dive/snorkel attraction?
The Coast Guard, on its social media post on Sunday, explained the boom helped to “avert any further negative impact on the marine environment”.
It said it will remain until the boat can be salvaged, “mitigating any further spread of pollutants, while enabling subsequent clean up efforts to be more focused and effective”.
I’m confused. The engine and other mechanical parts are below the water line. How will the boom stop the spread of pollutants into the water?