On a recent dive trip a large ship’s anchor weighing 300 pounds was discovered embedded on a coral reef at Eden Rock, George Town, Grand Cayman.

Speaking to local television station CITN/Cayman27 last week Andy Barnes, Dive Boat Coxswain and head dive Instructor at Eden Rock said he found the anchor embedded on a patch reef surrounded by shattered corals. He estimated it had been there for two weeks.

“What drew my attention to the anchor in the first place which was a large canvas bag that surrounds the anchor and the way it was waving around,” he said. “There are some large chunks of coral that have been smashed off the reef itself, and all around the outside of the anchor there’s evidence of a lot of damage.”

At first it was a mystery how the anchor had got there and Department of Environment (DOE) Deputy Director Scott Slaybaugh said it didn’t look like it was another anchor damage incident from a visiting yacht or a cruise ship or similar vessel.

The Deputy Director said they were going to remove it soon with lift bags to stop any continuing damage from “smothering”.

However, a few days later DOE contacted CITN and said they had discovered the anchor belonged to Harbour House Marina and had been loaned to the Carnival Magic Reef Recovery volunteer effort. It had been placed adjacent to that work site as a mooring.

The most likely theory is that a large vessel had snagged the anchor’s mooring line. The anchor had then been dragged into a bag of coral rubble at the reef restoration worksite.

The anchor had travelled a distance of a quarter of a mile before getting embedded into the coal at Eden Rock.

It does not appear any offence was committed because the mystery vessel that caused the problem was not in the process of anchoring.

According to CITN the anchor will be returned to its former mooring at the Carnival magic site shortly.

Anchor away!

SOURCE: CITN

IMAGE: reefrescue.wordpress.com