I was honored to visit the White River Fish Sanctuary in Ocho Rios a few weeks ago. The White River Fish Sanctuary is one of the most beautiful marine protected areas east of White River, off the coast of Ocho Rios. This protected area is demarcated as a marine sanctuary in order to protect the marine ecosystems in this area. The Fish Sanctuary is a 150-hectare no-fishing area, protected by locally trained and empowered. The sanctuary operates under the mantra Protect – Restore – Engage and the goal of the community-led program is to bring back marine life and to rebuild the area for the benefit of the whole community. One of the main sponsors of the sanctuary is Jamaica Inn, a stunning boutique hotel nestled in Ocho Rios proper on one of the premier private beaches in Jamaica. The Inn is managed by conservationist and environmental champion Kyle Mais who along with his amazing Green Team Champion leader Leila Love has ushered the resort into a new level of environmental awareness – from composting to sea turtle monitoring the resort spares no effort in its green initiatives and ensuring that guests are aware and that they participate in all of their green activities.Other hotels in the region that contribute to sponsorship include Sandals Foundation, Couples Resorts and Hermosa Inn.
As I entered the office I was greeted by the very friendly Reanne whose accent I recognized to be very familiar (Trini to d bone!!!) As I waited on the balcony, I was approached by the cutest little puppy, Ruby. Both Ruby and her mom have made the sanctuary office their home a few months ago. Ruby was small in stature but had a big personality as if she owned the place!!!
While we waited to get on to the boat, I had the pleasure of speaking to one of the young volunteers. She explained to me that she sought out this trip specifically to assist with the cleaning of the marine sanctuary. After a quick conversation, we headed to the boat. Ruby looked at us longingly from the banks and we scooped her up for the boat ride. Her very first boat ride ….eeek!!!! Like Tatianna, she was heading towards the great unknown!
The boat drivers ( Noel and Everton) greeted me in Jamaican patois with big smiles and nuff positivity.
Noel, otherwise known as “Cooky”, Rastaman and Mr. Reliable, is currently the President of the White River fisherman association WRF, Warden supervisor, former secretary for the sanctuary, line fishing, and fishing pot enthusiast.
Meet Ruby on board the sanctuary boat
Our other sanctuary warden, Mr. Everton Simson is a 71-year young warden whose triple involvement with the ecosystem: as a warden, fisherman, and coral gardener, gives him a unique perspective on the activities of the sanctuary. Everton became a spear fisherman and free diver, managing an awesome 200 feet. But his life took a different turn when he discovered scuba diving in 1979 when working with a hotel and a whole new world was opened up for him. His love for this sport pushed him to further self-educate and he later became a Diving Instructor. His face lit up when he reflected on the coral outputs and the progress of the sanctuary throughout his years.
As we drove around the sanctuary by boat, I enjoyed the scenic view of this stunning town of Ocho Rios (Spanish for “eight rivers”) passing all of the beautiful hotels, private homes (several nude bathers on the nude beach LOL), and villas along the way. The trip was a lot for Ruby and she stared at our longing to return to shore. Eventually, we took her back and the exhaustion got the better of her and she dropped right down on the sand trying to recover her strength.
As we continued along the coastline, we spotted the volunteers and waved at them as they tried to do some cleaning up of the nearshore reef. We later learned that the visibility was a bit low that day, but they would reschedule for a later date.
It was evident that there were awareness sessions that needed to be done with the users of the sanctuary and their adherence to the unwritten rules such as no touching or removal of corals, and ensuring that boats and vessels are securely and safely anchored to cause minimal effects on the environment and the other users of the sanctuary.
Reanne noted that “It is important now more than ever that we spend our greatest efforts in protecting and restoring Jamaica’s marine resources. Over the past 40 years, Jamaica has experienced several events that have put the coral reefs at great risk, such as hurricanes, coastal development, overfishing, climate change, and pollution. As a result, more than 80% of the reefs around the island are considered degraded. Having established the White River Fish Sanctuary, as well as the presence of other marine protected areas around the island, the aim is to restore fish populations and important coral species, improve food security, promote sustainable livelihoods, improve eco-tourism and encourage community development.”
Reanne left Trinidad and Tobago to attend the University of the West Indies, Mona campus. She has a BSc. in Marine Biology and Terrestrial of Freshwater Ecology and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Natural Resource Management. Her passion is coral reef restoration but she explained that her favourite part about managing the White River Fish Sanctuary, is being able to work with the fisherfolk every day.
In making our way back to shore we all had a laugh at Ruby as her mommy looked at us from the banks of the river, perhaps thinking that Ruby wasn’t ready for this type of adventure just yet. We made our way back to the office where an exhausted Ruby was laying on the balcony.
The white river crew doing the signature “W” sign
We walked along to have a peek at the colorful rafting lot (similar to a parking lot but just one for rafts) and I marveled at how creatively these fishes were able to use items that hotels may discard to decorate their bamboo rafts. River rafting is a popular activity in several areas in Jamaica. While this activity is now a major part of tourism activities, bamboo rafts were historically used as a key tool during the golden age of Jamaica’s plantation era. The Martha Brae river connected the sugar estates on Jamaica’s northern coast to its port towns, and bamboo rafts were the mode of transportation used to take sugar and other crops over this distance.
The building of bamboo rafts has transformed through the years, still surviving as a craft due to fast growth and easy replenishment of bamboo, which is abundant in the Caribbean. Bamboo rafts are also commonly used in tropical areas such as Asia and South America where bamboo trees are in abundance.
Bamboo rafts in the early days were made using only sharp stones, using vines to lash together bamboo stakes. Nowadays, with the technological advancement in producing knives and ropes, rural communities have found modern tools and materials more useful in making more robust types of bamboo rafts.
Some even use varnish and oil for better maintenance of the bamboo rafts and to help maintain their water resistance. These particular rafts used in recreational activities were heavily adorned with flowers, plants, flags, and umbrellas and I was amazed by the creativity and detail taken to ensure that their rafts were competitively displayed as they lured in nearby pedestrians.
Tatianna hits Ochi
After a half-hour to a forty-five-minute boat tour through the sanctuary, it was time to return to the office where the Protection Manager, Mr.Kelly got me a refreshing glass of sugar cane juice (nice and ginger-filled). This is a healthy way to maintain your energy throughout the day. I sat down and told Reanne about Tatianna and happily donated a copy to the sanctuary for their kids’ outreach program.
Last year I published my very first children’s storybook – Tatianna’s Ocean Adventures – Onto the Reef – a story about a curious Hawksbill Turtle ( Tatianna) her brothers and sisters as they begin their life journey in Tobago Cays and onto other islands in the Caribbean Tatianna’s mom returns to the deep blue ocean, and they began exploring their very first coral reef home. Along the way they have encounters and make friends with the marine creatures.
I would like to thank Mr. Kyle Mais, General Manager and Chairman of Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism, for his kind gesture of allowing me to be a part of the wonderful work that his team is doing as well as Mrs. Leila Love and of course, Reanne and our sanctuary wardens on and off-site for an unforgettable experience and I encourage them to keep advancing the cause of environmental conservation through these types of sanctuaries.
For more information on how you can support the White River Fish Sanctuary.
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