There is currently a large scale coastal development planned for Rocky Point, Abaco, Bahamas. The plan calls for major habitat alteration, including the possible use of explosives to excavate the shoreline adjacent to resident beaked whale and bottlenose dolphin habitat to build a 120 slip marina. The dredge material will then be used to build up the land from its current 3 foot elevation to 35 feet in some areas, and construct a 147 room mixed-use hotel, and approximately 100 2-story condos and homes on the reclaimed land.

Our concerns are the following:

- Rocky Point is primary feeding habitat for a resident community of bottlenose dolphins. Long term photo-identification and genetic studies have shown that there is limited mixing between this resident dolphin community and others around the Northern Bahamas. Dolphins come to Rocky Point to feed, providing research opportunities for scientists (this allows us to document annual presence of individuals and estimate abundance of the larger pop.) and educational outreach with Bahamian children (it is where we take the Sandy Point Camp children).

- The proposed development is within 1/2 mile of the area where we have been studying a population of Blainville's beaked whales for the past 10 years. This is the only study of its kind in the world and has had important implications for conservation of beaked whales worldwide. These whales have already been subjected to Navy sonar activities, and will now be subjected to impacts from the construction of the marina, and sport-fishing vessels using high intensity echo-sounders when the marina opens.

- Currently, there is no beach, and the plan is to dredge sand continuously as needed from the surrounding area, to create and maintain one.

- Other ecological and sociological impacts include; habitat loss for the endangered Bahama parrot, loss of nesting sites for brown pelicans and ospreys, destruction of soft and hard corals, risk of flooding as the natural drainage will be blocked off, increased crime and loss of the area for traditional use by Sandy Point residents such as crabbing and curbing.

The developer has purchased 50 acres of private land, but has asked the Bahamas government for an additional 300 acres including Duck Pond, which they plan to use to create a low density eco-park. Duck Pond should be protected under the Bahamas National Trust Act (it's the largest fresh water pond in Abaco).

Letter to the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, dated 29 March 2007.