Cruise Ship Damage?

[ibj40]

Cozumel divers say ship dropped anchor, caused coral damage

 

[northernone]

I am dreading going to look. Diving it tomorrow.

Cameron

 

[kelemvor]

Déjà vu

This keeps happening over and over. Cruise ships seem to be a scourge on coral reefs. I was searching for this 12/2015 incident with google: Video Shows Coral Reef Being Destroyed In Seconds By Cruise Ship's Anchor | HuffPost

... and sadly, I discovered articles describing cruise ship anchors tearing up the reef in Cozumel as far back as 1996. It probably happened before then, but people didn't bother to write news articles about it back when it was socially acceptable to dynamite a reef in order to count the fish.

 

[Diver below 83]

Hope someone gets some pictures of the current damage

 

[Ghosty]

Don't they get huge fines from the Coz Gov. when they anchor anywhere outside designated zones?

 

[lionfish-eater]

Don't they get huge fines from the Coz Gov. when they anchor anywhere outside designated zones?

Probably all money for fees and fines goes to the federal govt or the private comapny that owns the docks. Not sure if anything goes directly to the local govt.

 

[JamesBon92007]

Too many cruise ships and not enough docks? It sounds like we either need more docks or fewer cruise ships. Guess which one I prefer?

 

[WetInPortland]

There has been at least some suggestion that the ship was anchored off the downtown area, where it's a sand bottom and not a reef. I haven't heard a definitive assessment.

I recall that it wasn't that long ago when there was only the downtown pier, so many cruise ships dropped anchor and tendered passengers. Later, but still before the new piers, they wouldn't drop anchor, but would maintain position with thrusters.

 

[happy-diver]

The next fancy cruise liner to do it, we'll sink next to the Andrea Doria as punishment

preferably with round brass portholes

 

[gopbroek]

I have been noticing a lot of small cruise lines that seem to be using older second hand ships coming to Cozumel, especially on Sundays for the last year or so. They typically use the International pier or Puerto Langosta.