Statement from the Government of Antigua & Barbuda on the Stanford Victims Coalition Claims

Here is finally something from the Spencer Administration who currently leads our government.

Statement from the Government of Antigua & Barbuda on the Stanford Victims Coalition Claims








ST. JOHN'S, Antigua - The allegation by the self styled Stanford Victims Coalition that the State of Antigua & Barbuda was a partner in, and beneficiary of, R. Allen Stanford's alleged criminal behavior is totally unfounded.



Despite the Coalition’s claims and insinuations, the Baldwin Spencer Administration, which assumed office in March 2004, did not sell any Crown lands to Stanford; received no loans from Stanford; and was not a beneficiary of any largesse of Stanford. In fact, R. Allen Stanford considered this administration an obstacle to his ambitions.



Stanford was the sole owner of two banks in Antigua & Barbuda: Stanford International Bank Ltd., an off-shore financial entity registered under our International Business Corporations Act with, and regulated by, our Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC), and the Bank of Antigua, registered under the Companies Act and licensed to operate ordinary banking business under our Banking Act, but regulated by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB).



The business of Stanford International Bank Ltd. was run from Houston, Texas, and its books maintained in Memphis, Tennessee. The bank was operating in Antigua as a transit point and for purposes of registration and regulation.



While the Government and People of Antigua & Barbuda can understand the frustration and disappointment being experienced by the SIBL depositors, we cannot countenance the attack these persons have begun to wage on our country without first looking at other entities and organizations – including the United States’ regulatory authorities.

Information in our possession supports the following:



1. In late 1998, despite objections by the State of Florida’s top banking lawyer, Richard Donelan, Florida’s regulators gave sweeping powers to Stanford that allowed him to operate and open a trust office in Miami, which was hardly regulated by the US authorities.

2. In December 1998, a Memorandum of Agreement was signed by Arthur M. Simon, the then Director of the Division of Banking for the State of Florida’s Department of Banking and Finance, and Yolanda Suarez, the then Secretary of Stanford Trust Company Limited, authorizing the establishment of a foreign trust office – the first company of its kind ever set up in the state.

3. Between 1998 and 2003, over 2000 customers purchased certificates of deposit from the Miami office lured by the promise of receiving yields higher than those offered by other United States banks.

4. Brokers generated millions of unreported dollars from depositors, particularly Latin Americans, who were lured by the promise of high returns and who hardly questioned Stanford's bona fides as long as their accounts grew on paper. In the first six years, the office, known as Stanford Fiduciary Investor Services, took in US$600 million from customers, Florida state and court records show.

5. It is reported that some of the millions went to support Stanford’s lavish lifestyle, which included private jets, personal loans, expensive cars, and mansions, including a US$10.5 million home in Gables Estates, Florida that he has since torn down, the records show.

6. Nevertheless, as far back as 2003, some investors had begun questioning the legitimacy of SIBL's certificates of deposit, and the United States’ Securities & Exchange Commission was aware to the best of our information, knowledge and belief of these reports and other complaints some of which had been lodged by former Stanford employees, themselves. We are not aware whether, or to what extent, the SEC took investigative or corrective measures.

7. Since the arrest of Stanford, Arthur Simon has admitted that his actions in 1998 should have been done differently, that he would have liked to have stopped the Trust company from doing what it did, and that, in hindsight, “tighter provisions” should have governed the operations. Further, Linda Charity, Florida’s Director of the Division of Financial Institutions, admits that “there was no one that specifically regulated the office”.

8. On Tuesday February 16, 2009, a Court Order was made by a judge in the Northern District of Texas appointing a Receiver over all of Stanford's assets wherever located. When the international and local media reported this breaking news, there began literally a run on the Bank of Antigua, with customers withdrawing millions from the bank.

9. By February 18, 2009 the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) had to extend credit to the bank in the sum of EC$19M; by February 24, the amount was EC$79M, and the final figure stood at EC$89M when normalcy was restored. The amount represents a debt for which Antigua & Barbuda is currently responsible.

10. The prompt intervention by the ECCB was necessary in order to maintain the stability of the OECS Monetary Union as well as, the stability of the common currency shared by 8 OECS countries.

11. On February 23, 2009 the ECCB assumed control and management of the Bank under its emergency powers given by the law which created it. A new corporate entity, the Eastern Caribbean Amalgamated Financial Company Ltd., comprising representatives of the indigenous banks in the OECS, was incorporated as an agent of the ECCB to run the day-to-day affairs of the Bank of Antigua. That was necessary to prevent a financial meltdown within the OECS grouping, given our common currency, which is tied to the US$ and has remained constant and stable since its pegging in 1971.



The Bank of Antigua continues to do business and credibility has been restored and is being maintained. The ECCB has commissioned an international firm to evaluate the Bank's assets and worth with a view to purchasing the Bank, given Stanford’s continued inability to provide policy directives. There has, to date, been no purchase of the Bank. Both the SEC Receiver and Stanford's representatives have been kept informed by the ECCB of its operations and intentions regarding the Bank.



It is alleged that, by failing to properly regulate SIBL, Leroy King, the former Administrator of the FSRC, facilitated Stanford's Ponzi Scheme for personal gain. In the wake of his indictment on these charges in the United States Federal Court, the Cabinet of Antigua & Barbuda moved to officially strip King of his position. He is now the subject of pending extradition proceedings to stand trial in the USA. There is neither now nor was there any collusion between Stanford and the Spencer administration.



Following the revelations surrounding the alleged Ponzi fraud scheme operated by Stanford, our Government commissioned an investigation of the FSRC to identify any systemic failures or breaches in operational procedures both within the FSRC and in its examinations of off-shore financial institutions. This was conducted by a group of international experts, whose findings were that Antigua & Barbuda’s international finance laws and regulations, of themselves, could not be faulted.



As everyone knows by now, Stanford International Bank Ltd. is in liquidation. Apart from the Bank of Antigua – which, as an integral part of the OECS banking system had to be rescued by the ECCB’s intervention – none of Stanford’s other local businesses were profitable; in fact, some have been closed, since they were highly dependent on massive monthly injections of capital from Houston, Texas.



The Bank of Antigua has invested a large part of the funds of its depositors – including monies from citizens and residents of Antigua & Barbuda and customers in the United States – in Florida, particularly, and these assets continue to be under the control of the SEC Receiver. As to the source of the funds used to purchase the Bank's fixed assets (three parcels of land in St. John's), to date, there has not yet been any determination of this matter by the Liquidator.



To date there has not been any service of any legal process on the government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the diplomatic channel by any person or persons in this matter.



The Government of Antigua & Barbuda continues to take every practical and legal measure to position ourselves to win this battle. We do not take lightly the threats of the self styled Stanford Victims Coalition. Our overseas missions and consulates are playing and will continue to play a critical role in the government’s actions, as will our Tourism offices. We are in discussions with overseas counsel and intend to defend our country, our Treasury, our citizens’ welfare and our patrimony.



We encourage all patriotic Antiguans and Barbudans – wheresoever they may reside – to marshal their forces and join in our collective defence of fair Antigua and Barbuda.

Adventuere Antigua's tours are busy this week!

Of course as soon as we get very busy (spring holidays) we get problems with either our equipment or our crew. Last week we had a few electrical problems which are now sorted out and now this week we have had poor JD come down with a bad throat infection.
We have taken on some extra crew since we are also doing several trips a week on the catamaran as well. Anyway, this week i have been skippering Xtreme doing around the island trips. It's been quite windy for a change too so the waters have been a bit bumpy at times. Everyone has been enjoying it and that is always very cool for me.
We have seen dolphins and turtles but this week there hasn't been any whales! I am hoping that today I get to see some. All the crew who snorkel regularly at Pillars of Hercules are saying that they hear whales from time to time. I haven't heard them before but know from TV what they sound like. Trevor tells me that there is no doubt what the sound is, but sometimes it sounds like it's right next to you. If you are following me "antigua" on twitter, then you will see photos I upload as i cruise along around the island. Enjoy!
The photo above is one i uploaded yesterday from my phone.

www.adventureantigua.com

Positions for skipper and part time crew available.

Although most of the readers of this Adventure Antigua blog appear to be living abroad, I am still going to put the job opportunity info here in the hopes that some Antiguans may find it this way too. People interested in a job with our company should be aware that you must be able to legally work here in Antigua and that we will not be emplying people who need work permits. For more info check this link.

HARPOONING CARIBBEAN TOURISM: SWALLOWING A DEAD RAT

People who are interested in Antigua or Antigua's tourism and who are involved in almost any area of our government should have a little read of this one which has appeared in various media outlets.

Sir Ronald Sanders
Sunday, March 14, 2010

It's the high seas equivalent of shooting oneself in the foot. Several Caribbean governments are harpooning their own sustainable tourism industry by supporting Japan's ruthless campaign to continue killing whales.

A group of International Whaling Commission (IWC) nations meeting from March 2 to 4 in Florida is reported to have considered recommending to the full membership that Japan, Iceland and Norway be allowed to hunt whales despite a 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling. Japan in particular would no longer have to pretend that, in killing thousands of whales every year, it is doing so for "scientific" purposes.

Japan does not deny that meat from slaughtered whales ends up in restaurants and shops.

As this commentary is being written a shipment of whale meat is being transported by ship from Iceland to Japan in an expensive and backward step to resuscitate trade in whale meat. Twenty-six nations condemned Iceland last October for expanding commercial whaling, pointing out that it brings little benefit to Iceland's economy and great harm to its tourism industry.

Caribbean countries have nothing to gain if the proposal from the IWC's small working group is adopted by the wider membership. Voting for its implementation would certainly adversely affect the Caribbean's image as an environmentally friendly region, as well as harm the growing whale-watching aspect of its tourism industry.

A study by a group of Australian economists placed whale-watching as a US$2.1-billion global industry in 2008. In the Caribbean and Central America whale-watching is growing at a rate of 12.8 per cent, three times more than the growth rate of the global tourism industry (4.2 per cent). Countries in the region now earn more than US$54 million from whale-watching as part of their tourism product, while earnings from whaling are practically zero.
Despite this, members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and Suriname have routinely supported Japan's efforts in the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to slaughter whales every year in defiance of the international prohibition.

Significantly, an international meeting in Martinique from February 18 to 21 on "Sustainable 'blue' tourism in the Caribbean" strongly urged Caribbean governments "to give their full support and encouragement to whale-watching activities as a valid and sustainable means of protecting marine mammal populations and creating jobs, earning foreign exchange and providing sustainable livelihoods for fishermen and local coastal communities" . In making this call, the participants - the majority of whom were from the Caribbean - recalled that in 2008, the prime minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit took the "principled position" to withdraw his Government's support for whaling at the IWC as being "incompatible" with Dominica's brand as a "Nature Isle". They called on the leaders of other OECS countries to join him.

The stand-off at the IWC between whale-killing Japan and its supportive small states and proponents of whale conservation such as Brazil, Costa Rica, India, the United States, South Africa, Germany and Australia, has dragged on for some time. Last year, the small working group was established to try to bring an end to the impasse. Many hoped that the group's work would result in strong proposals to ensure that IWC rules are fully respected and implemented, and that whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale sanctuary would be phased out swiftly.

However, it appears that the small group has been coerced into entertaining a different kind of discussion - one in which Japan will be allowed to violate the rules the IWC itself has set and to ignore sanctuaries that have been established. One of the members of the group said that nations must "swallow a dead rat".

Experts from around the world are deeply troubled by the proposals emerging from the group. The proposals include:

*    No provisions to ensure that the existing ban on international
trade in whale products is respected;

• Authorising the killing of sperm whales;
  

• Continued whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary;
  

*    Weakening of the IWC as a rule-making and regulatory international body, encouraging unrestrained actions by individual nations.

Many governments have got away with supporting Japan because their publics are not fully aware that, apart from a small number of indigenous communities in the world, only an elite group in Japan consistently eat whale meat.
In the Caribbean, Japanese associations have paid for the production and broadcast of television programmes which falsely promote whale-killing as a beneficial activity because whales eat fish in Caribbean waters depriving the local population of fish. This claim has been proven, scientifically, to be untrue.

Evidence of the abhorrence of whale-killing and its adverse effect on the world's biodiversity is the fact that an Oscar was recently awarded to The Cove - a documentary film depicting the grisly slaughter of dolphins by Japanese in a cove in south-western Japan.

Kevin Rudd, Australia's prime minister, last month threatened to take action against Japan at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its Antarctic whale hunt. And in New Zealand, the foreign affairs spokesman for the opposition Labour Party, Chris Carter, has called on the government to join Australia in taking Japan to the ICJ.
But Japan remains determined in its stance, not only on whaling but on fisheries generally. Indeed, Japan is so obdurate that it has stated categorically that it will "opt out" of its obligation to stop importing Atlantic bluefin tuna if members of the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species vote this month to add the fish to the treaty's list of 'most protected species'. In other words, Japan will respect only those international rules that suit it.

Japan's stance is bad news for small countries which depend, for their own survival, on international rules and respect for them within the UN framework.

Japan has helped to make rules that are imposed on small states -- rules with which small countries have been forced to comply or be punished. Among these are the regulatory and tax information requirements of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

If the proposals of the small working group are accepted by governments, Japan, Iceland and Norway will have a free hand, and Japan will no longer need to lure the support of small Caribbean countries in the IWC.

In June, the IWC will hold its annual meeting in Morocco. That's the time that the OECS and Suriname governments should join the government of Dominica in taking a principled position that upholds their own interest.

Sir Ronald Sanders is a consultant and former Caribbean diplomat.

fancy rowing across the Atlantic Ocean to Antigua?

Every year people take part in this amazing race. Check the latest news here.
There is more info on the site with a realtime tracking tool as well. 

Make plans to come and see the Cove later this week:

The Environmental Awareness Group is going to show the Oscar winning film The Cove this week on Thursday and Saturday nights upstairs of the museum. As I have mentioned before, this very good movie is about Japan's secret slaughter of thousands of dolphins in a small bay there. It also goes into great detail about the support Japan receives from Antigua and Barbuda as well as from other small nations. Although our country doesn't directly kill whales and dolphins, we give the essential support Japan needs to continue killing these amazing wild animals. Money from ticket sales will go towards the EAG. For more on the showing click the image below:

Film with local film crew, local musicians, local producers, and local kitesurfers.

It's quite a big film and may take a while to load (especially if you are in Antigua), but it's very good. Some very talented firends of mine put this together for you to ENJOY! If it's loading too slowly, click the HD button to turn the HD feature off....i think.


We Did Nothing Remix from Kite Scoop on Vimeo.

http://www.adventureantigua.com/

less than five weeks before Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta!

This year the boat the Adventure Antigua team won the Traditional Class with is going to be used by Todd, the man who commissioned "Ocean Nomad" originally. As you know we took over his project and finished the boat, and use it for day and private charters here in Antigua. He is going to come up for the regatta and try to make it a second win for the boat. That may not be so easy though as this year we will be entering our brand new boat "Zemi", and the Adventure Antigua team will be hoping to take home the trophy.
Zemi has never sailed even though she was launched recently for the first time in Carriacou where she was traditionally built by the same local shipwirights that built Ocean Nomad. The mast is being built next week and hopefully we will sail her back to Antigua before the end of the month. JD and Tony don't know it, but they are going to be doing quite a bit of sailing soon! Here is a video we did of us winning last year on Ocean Nomad and at the bottom there is a video of Zemi being finished up and finally being launched.

http://www.adventureantigua.com/

Adventure Antigua featured in the international press again

This time is was simply a tour and interview we did with some media based at the United Nations who were doing reports on climate change. One of the reports was featured last night. I had a text from someone in the UK who had seen it on the BBC, but I know it was a PBS piece in the USA. Please check out the video here in this link.

Earlier she had written a piece about her trip to Grenada and Antigua. My dad had intrigued her with some messages in bottles:

Megan Thompson is traveling around the world for a series on climate change and small islands. She filed this report from Antigua and Grenada.


On Thursday night, during dinner at the family home of our Antiguan guide, conversation turned to the powerful currents that pull the Atlantic waters westward from Europe and Africa to the eastern Caribbean.

I asked – half-joking – if they’d ever found a message in a bottle. Without hesitation they replied, “Of course!” They pointed to a large ceramic pot filled with notes and letters they’d found along the beach, from hopeful, faraway souls – most begging for a reply, some acknowledgment that their message was received.

But along with the bottled notes comes a lot of other foul stuff – trash from Africa and Europe. Neon signs, hard-hats – you name it, it winds up on the Antiguan beach. Other people’s careless actions, wreaking havoc on a distant environment, cause a mess on a Caribbean beach that Antiguans are left to clean up.

The feeling on climate change is much the same: we didn’t cause this problem, but we now must deal with the consequences.

During our two days in Antigua and Grenada, we saw and heard a lot about how the environment is changing. Coastal erosion is a huge problem – whole beaches have disappeared and what’s left is often held up with rocks and retaining walls. Barrier reefs are dying, leaving the weak coast even more vulnerable. Locals also say the weather is changing. It’s unpredictable, and when it comes – as Hurricane Ivan did in 2004 to Grenada, which rarely sees hurricanes – it causes indescribable destruction. Tourism dominates the economies of both countries. But bad weather and no beaches mean no tourists, and that spells trouble.

Both countries admit that they’ve caused a lot of damage themselves. Sand mining in Grenada and intense development in Antigua have done their fair share to beat up the beach. Many scientists we spoke to said these factors — along with El Nino — make it that much harder to pinpoint the effects of climate change. But whatever the cause, these governments feel they need to start cleaning up their acts, and urge the rest of the world to do the same.

Small island nations all around the world have banded together to make some waves before the Copenhagen climate talks in December. Their slogan is “1.5 to Stay Alive – a catchy phrase, but a dead-serious message. They say if the world’s temperature increases more than another 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), the seas may rise so high that many of their nations could literally disappear underwater.

During interviews, government officials were polite and optimistic about their campaign. But off-camera, many admitted that achieving the goals of the “1.5″ campaign would require emissions cuts too drastic for many other world players to accept. They seethed especially at the United States, which they see as too beholden to its domestic politics to negotiate seriously.
But their message is desperate, and these countries don’t want to be ignored. They say it’s a matter of survival. They have packaged their campaign with press conferences, slick videos, publicity stunts, and this trip for international journalists. In December, they will travel across the oceans to the Copenhagen summit, hoping their message will be heard and acknowledged, and not lost like a floating bottle, swallowed by the ever-warming seas.
- Megan Thompson

Adventure Antigua Tour Reviews

Hi there! If you have been out on any sort of tour with Adventure Antigua please take a few moments and give us a review on Trip Advisor. Use this link to write the review. All of these things help get the word out on the web. Our tours are unique and we have spent so much time and effort to make sure that you enjoy your time out on the water with us. Thanks for the help!
eli

The Cove (featuring Antigua) wins Academy Award

IF you remember, i wrote about the amazing film "The Cove" some time ago after seeing it here in Antigua. The director and some of the cast have spent quite a bit of time here in Antigua over the years. Read about it again here. Anyway, the film which interviews members of our government as well as my dad sheds light on the huge scam which is Japan's support of specific areas of our Fisheries department in exchange for our nations support on international whaling and the killing of other marine species such as dolphins. It doesn't make the government reps look good because it shows how little they know about the issue or the whales that they are selling out to Japan. The main objective of the movie is to bring international awareness to the slaughter of dolphins in Japan as well as that country's international effort to garner support for killing these dolphins and whales. The Cove won best documentary film at the Academy Awards this week and now will be shown in Japan, a country who is mostly in the dark about what their government is doing. I only hope that the movie will be shown here. Most Antiguans and even our government reps don't know what is going on. The Prime Minister recently learnt for the first time that whales pass through our waters. He had no idea!!! The Deluxe movie theater may show it, but we will have to see. You can email them requesting the movie on this address: fernandezc@candw.ag
Thanks!

an amazing season for spotting whales in the Caribbean

This "winter" the winds that normally keep some people awake at night as they roar through the hibiscus plants outside have been tempered and it's been a very calm season so far. The windsurfing and kitesurfing has been quite chilled, but the fishing has been usually good with seas way way calmer than usual.
I have seen more whales this year than i have ever seen in my life, and I think it has to do with how calm the seas have been. Usually it's so rough out in the Atlantic at this time of the year that cresting waves and white caps create the perfect camouflage for whales as they breach, spout or tail slap. When it's as calm as it is once again today, it's very easy to see the whales as they come to the surface. All sorts of people who have never seen whales in their lives have seen them this season. Recently a friend of mine was speaking to one of the leaders of our government and mentioned something about spotting whales. The elected official was stunned, not knowing that whales pass through our waters at this time of the year. We were not surprised that he didn't know this, but it was interesting considering the huge support our country gives to Japan on whaling matters. Keep your eyes open when passing the ocean on these calm days and you may see one. I hope our leaders get a good look! Here are a few youtube videos of whales in our waters. People on boat tours and on helicopter trips seem them each year at this time, but this is a great year. Try to get out there, but if you can't you can also see them from land especially when you are up high.

a fun report from 365 on a catamaran trip they did with us.

Click here for the link. The catamaran trip and any of the other tours can be found on www.adventureantigua.com 

The book of Antigua & Barbuda plants is now for sale.

For anyone building a home in Antigua and thinking about their gardens, for anyone interested in landscaping, for anyone interested in any sort of plants growing naturally here in Antigua, please read about the new excellent book on all of Antigua's native plants. Don't go and bring in plants from abroad like many have done recently. This is always a bad idea for many reasons including the accidental importation of alien species like the Cuba Tree Frog which are now living all over Antigua it seems. Having a garden with local plant species is extremely eco friendly and a very good idea in my humble opinion. Of course knowing what is local and what is imported is half the battle, and this guide will help you figure it out.

This beautifully illustrated 400 page field guide is a comprehensive guide with photographs, identification keys and descriptions of nearly 500 species of plants, mainly native species, that adorn our countryside and provide a habitat for wildlife. It is intended for all who seeks to know more about beautiful tropical plants and their ecosystems. 

We will be organising field trips and running courses on plant identification using this guide as a basis.

The Field Guide is based on extensive surveys of Antigua & Barbuda by the authors. It includes over 1000 photographs taken in Antigua and Barbuda by the authors. Whilst every Caribbean island has it’s own distinct flora, plant lovers will find this guide of application in nearby Caribbean islands.

Obtainable from the EAG Office, the Museum and also from Best of Books, Hotels and book and gift shops. 

All proceeds go to EAG conservation work.

For more info email the Environmental Awareness Group on eag @ candw.ag  and tell them you heard about it on Eli's blog! (i put a space either side of the @ sign so that spam robots don't use it as i have heard that's what i should do).

Local fisherman and activist catches and then releases rare loggerhead turtle.

Usually the story isn't one like the caption mentions. Turtles in Antigua are caught and slaughtered often by net fishermen. Usually the turtles have drowned by the time the fishermen get to their nets. The legislation that deals with turtles is old and although the new legislation has been on the table for years and years, it still hasn't been passed into regulation yet. The old regulations which are still being used permit fishermen to kill turtles for most of the year as long as they are above a certain size. That last bit is the worst thing because as we know, turtles take between 20 to 40 years to become sexually mature. One in ten thousand hawksbills are lucky enough to live that long, and then if they are big enough they can be targeted by Antigua's fishermen for most of the year. IT's all total madness and my good friends in Fisheries ministry need to push the new regulations forward. The fisherman below would have been within his rights to kill the turtle. He is a shining example and hopefully with a bit more info he could be an ambassador for the turtle conservation movement. Well done!!! In Antigua our nesting turtles are usually Hawksbills and we occasionally get Green Turtles coming up as well as the massive Leatherback from time to time in their nesting period. This loggerhead neither nests here nor do we see them living here. They are very rare turtles here in Antigua and Barbuda, but generally speaking they are the most studied of all marine turtles. Remember that all marine turtles are endangered species. The video was taken by an old friend and I am told was shown on the local TV station.

Want to see some humpback whales?

Ok well the best best best way to go and see some whales off Antigua and Barbuda is to do a private charter on Xtreme when the weather is calm anytime between the start of Feb and the end of April. We often see them when doing trips around the island and to Barbuda at this time of the year. Although it isn't a sure bet, you do stand a good chance of seeing them when it's calm. Why when its calm? Well when there are fewer "white horses" or white caps out on the ocean you can more easily see the difference between a whale's spout and a bit of white water. When it's very calm you will know when a whale makes a splash of some sort too.

Private charters on big boats are not an inexpensive option and just joining in one of our regular scheduled tours does give you the opportunity to see them too. This week The Xtreme Circumnav tour came upon a mother and calf playing just east of stingray city. The mother appeared to have some sort of rope wrapped around her, but there was nothing captain JD could do about it. The whales didn't seem to be having any problems, but JD still says it was upsetting to see the fishing gear on the whale.
If you are not interested in seeing whales from a boat but you still would love to spot them as they pass through the islands, then all you have to do is look out past any barrier reef or barrier islands and just gaze into the see. Of course it's better to be up high as your chances are better then. I often see them while up on top of Great Bird Island which is a stop on the Eco Tour which tells you that you don't have to be that high. Verandah Hotel's restaurants are good places to look out into the Atlantic and if you are staying there between now and may you should keep your eyes on the ocean as much as you can.

Another excellent place to see them from is from what we call the Lookout. Almost every single time I go up there on calms days at this time of the year I spot them. Yesterday Mykl and I went to a lovely wedding at Shirley Heights and before going there we stopped off for a few minutes to look for whales. From the top there overlooking Eric Clapton's house and sunken rock you have the best view of the Atlantic Ocean and spotting them can sometimes be easy. Yesterday I just looked east and within a few minutes I saw some whales spout as they reaches the surface. They must have been two miles from me and it isn't always easy to see the spouts from that distance. If they breach (jump) or do any fluke or tail slapping then its way easier, but yesterday the whales would just spout gently from time to time. Needless to say, they were not easy to spot. If we had spent more time there then i am sure we would have seen more, but it was off to the wedding and the lovely sunset.
Pack a few drinks and go up to lookout to have a look.
Today, I read an interesting article from greenpeace about Japan and the whaling they do. For some reason, our government still supports Japanese whaling after taking their fisheries grants. You can read more here. 
And for a very cool video taken by Roddy who did the photos above on the same trip over to Barbuda on Xtreme, please check this out.

Endangered Green Turtle killed by Montserrat's Volcano

Caribbean Helicopter Pilot Greg Scott, took this photo recently as he made a stop with scientists to an area that had recently been covered by an ultra hot pyroclastic flow. The area is along the North East side of the Caribbean island of Montserrat and as they inspected the shoreline there days after the eruption, temperatures just below the surface were still above 200c. This unfortunate green turtle washed up on the shore after being killed by the massive eruption which happened on Feb 11th 2010. According to reports there was quite a wave of superheated ash in the massive pyroclastic flow that came down over the water and into the sea. Of course among many species of wildlife that would have been in the area would have been turtles like this one which feed and live in the area. On the island there were many other animals and plants that were killed this time as well. There was no human lives lost because of the evacuation ordered by government and careful work done by the scientists there. The 6 satellite photos below (click on the image for bigger version) show the huge plume of ash as it explodes from Montserrat. Photo 1 shows the start of the eruption on the 11th. Here in Antigua we were very lucky not to have had more ash particles landing on us than we received. As the sat images show, most of the ash moved east between Guadeloupe and Antigua. My boats still had a thin layer of ash all over them. What a mess!

This photo taken from 6000 feet by Greg shows the area hardest hit by this recent eruption. This was where the old abandoned airport was up up until the 11th. It is now totally covered by as and rocks. In the photo you can see new coastline that was created by the new flow as well.

This photo was taken a day or two after the eruption and shows water boiling around the newly formed coastline. You can even see geysers spouting over the top of what was once ocean.

According to greg and the international scientists there, this volcano is far from being done! Caribbean Helicopters takes guests there on trips most week days.

A private Eco Tour to Great Bird Island.

On average we do about 5 private tours or charters a month. This month we have had more than usual with childrens birthday parties as well as big birthday parites. We have taken out the skipper and crew off on one of the huge mega yachts from English Harbour and have even taken out incentive groups from Welch's Fruit company! It's been a busy one. Yesterday using the dolphin catamaran I had a very enjoyabe private charter coming from the Mill Reef Club. We have only done a small handfull of tours from there and it was nice to actually collect our group from their house right on the beach.
The tour was an eco tour kind of day where we sailed through the narrow channel near Devils Bridge and down wind towards Great Bird Island. The winds in the morning were fairly light and the sailing was slow but peaceful on the way down. Bird Island was very nice with the waters being very clear and the island not too busy. Our regular Eco Tour came up to the island while we were there and moved off to see Hells Gate before we left. Even though i have been there about a million times, I still love being out there and seeing all the cool stuff. While we were anchored up off the beach we spotted a huge spotted eagle ray, a little hawksbill turtle, red billed tropic birds as well as the magnificent frigate birds.

The small hike up to the top of the island was great, and it was the first time i had been to the top in ages. The view from there is probably one of the best in Antigua. The wind had come up and the birds glided happily above us along the ridge.
The sail back was a bit more choppy until we were inside the reef once again as the winds were up to about 18 knots. The kitesurfers and windsurfers up at Green Island were enjoying the wind. There must have been 25 yachts anchored up behind the reef there including Genesis, the sister to our Ocean Nomad.
Private Charters are often a less expensive way for a large group to see the islands, and one of the the only ways for a small group to be on their own. I enjoyed the trip yesterday. Thanks!

Antigua's Donkey Sanctuary - interesting info

This info came from my friend Jennifer:

Antigua’s Donkeys

Historically, donkeys were a very important part of life in Antigua. They were used as work animals in the sugar cane fields and by crop farmers to carry their harvest to market. In the 1960’s, the economic focus in Antigua began shifting from agriculture to tourism and the donkey’s usefulness began to decline. Many were turned out to fend for themselves and, of course, have reproduced at will, resulting in a very large stray and roaming population.

While most of us appreciate the donkeys and their importance to the nation, the fact remains that when allowed to wander at will they invade farmers’ plots and residents’ gardens and eat down the vegetation. They also present a danger on the roads, especially at night, and need to be properly controlled.

The Antigua & Barbuda Humane Society, located on the eastern side of the island near Bethesda, offers a permanent home for donkeys at risk. The Donkey Sanctuary currently shelters more than 80 donkeys but this number is by no means finite. Although all stallions are castrated on arrival, more often than not the mares are already in foal when they arrive. As the gestation period is almost a year, there are frequently surprises in store.

In addition to the foals, a favourite of visitors to the Donkey Sanctuary is Stevie, an adult donkey who was struck by a vehicle and is now totally blind. Because of the special care and attention that is given to Stevie he is able to manage quite well and loves the extra attention he receives.

It is also the Humane Society’s plan to gradually bring all stray and roaming donkeys into the Donkey Sanctuary in order to keep them safe. The Government of Antigua & Barbuda has promised to allocate additional lands to make this possible. The Humane Society will have to find the funds for the fencing materials but the Government has promised to assist with fencing labour.

In addition to providing limited grazing and carrying water to them, the Humane Society also feeds the sanctuary donkeys purchased pellet feed every day, which is a significant drain on resources. In the past, the Society has received occasional grants for fencing projects and shelter construction but feeding the donkeys is primarily the Humane Society’s responsibility. When paddocks become overgrazed, the Society cuts and carries grass and bush, and begs stale bread from the local bakeries. The dry season, January to August, is particularly difficult. To help raise funds for feed, the Humane Society sells T-Shirts at the sanctuary and offers an ‘Adopt an Antiguan Donkey’ programme (see their website for details: http://www.antiguaanimals.com/ ).

The Donkey Sanctuary is open to visitors Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors are welcome to help brush and feed the donkeys, and take as many photos as they like.

More here:

Dear Friends,

Please join me at Abra’s on Thursday Feb 11 from 5-7pm for a preview showing of “One Love One Heart”.

The pieces I am showing are mixed media: photos and paint, on canvas and recycled wood blocks, finished with layers of epoxy resin, a new medium for me!

Exhibition will run until March 10. Opening night Snacks and wine compliments of Abra’s team!

Sales to support The Donkey Sanctuary at the Humane Society-- With each piece sold one donkey will be fed and housed at the sanctuary in your name for an entire year—A representative from the Humane Society will be at the event with more information on this special program.

Feel free to pass on this invite, event is open to public.

Hope to see you there,

Jennifer Meranto

new video on the Xtreme Tour around Antigua

New video of our Xtreme round the island trip by Roddy Grimes-Graeme of www.acquafilms.com (the best photo and video company in Antigua)



For more info on this excellent snorkeling adventure around antigua with an exclusive stop at Stingray City please visit www.adventureantigua.com

The Environmental Awareness Group 2010

Well as many of you know, an unofficial Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) membership drive was forged by some of us who felt that the EAG wasn't getting the support it needed to accomplish its stated goals. Their membership went from about 20 people up to over 200 within a few months. Finally after three months delay there was an AGM and a new executive board was elected which comprised of some of the new members mixed in with old board members. The EAG board is made up with the following people:

Lia Nicholson - Executive Director
Kim Derrick - President

Brian Cooper - VP

Chris Pratt - Secretary

Carol-Faye George - Treasurer

Hyacinth Techeira

Robby Breadner

Andy Williams

Ashton Williams

Eli Fuller
According to the accounts which reported up until June 2009, the total membership and fundraising efforts for the year leading up to that time brought in a total of under EC $800 or US $300. Without proper financing the EAG was unable to hire a full time Executive Director or CEO. With the help of it's new members and new board members the EAG is now dedicated and in a position to make sure that the ED is full time. The organization is looking very good for 2010 with all sorts of projects and events planned and/or being planned. There are four board members who are very web savvy and of the four, three are very good at internet marketing using new media. With the help of it's new members and board members the board members who have been running the EAG from it's creation will finally have the help they need to do more.

Within the next few weeks we hope to have a system set up that will enable people to send donations from abroad as well as for them to join as members using credit cards. Antigua's conservation movement needs plenty of help and we hope that you ca be part of the movement. Please visit http://www.eagantigua.org/ for info on the EAG. There are changes coming soon to the site so please bookmark it and visit it again in the near future. Also, please look for them on facebook by searching for Environmental Awareness Group.

Shark attack in Florida

As a former kitesurfer, I was even more interested upon hearing about a fatal shark attack yesterday in Florida. I don't know the details, but it seems that a young man was bitten by a shark while he was out kitesurfing. Read here. I have actually windsurfed in the area that he was bitten, and know that every year there are huge migrations of sharks off the Florida coast as they follow huge schools of biat fish. In fact, I saw sharks many times while i windsurfed up and down the East coast of Florida. The waters along the coast are usually very rich with bait fish and other predators. In the very murky waters that you find along that coastline it is very common for sharks to come into very close contact with people. That being said it is exceptionally rare for anyone to be killed. We won't know what happened but my guess is that he fell in and just happened to be in an area where a large feeding shark was looking for prey. It's a terribly sad event especially with only a few fatal shark attacks in the USA every 10 years. As you know if you read my blog, my most visited page is the one I wrote a few years ago about sharks here in the Caribbean. The Caribbean gets very few shark attacks and we have never had one happen around Antigua. Of course there are sharks in most parts of the tropics, but with the very clear waters they can see their target prey very easily. Read here for more about Antigua's dangers.

Statistics on Antigua and the population census.

When I was a little kid in the late 1970s, we learned in school that Antigua had a population of about 80,000. I didn't know any Jamaicans, Guyanese, or people from Dominican Republic and most of the villages around were small and compact. During the 80s and 90s Antigua went through a huge construction boom while at the same time there came huge immigration form countries all over the Caribbean and the world with the above nationals being the largest contributor to our workforce. Villages grew and some new villages were born. Every now and then someone tells me that they live in a village I have never heard of. Huge areas of what was once bush and cane fields became residential neighborhoods. Now wherever you go you will meet nationals from all over the world who now reside here in Antigua. On Market Street it's more common to hear someone speaking with an accent that isn't Antiguan.


The point of all of this isn't to say anything other than most Antiguans believe that our population has grown significantly since the 1970s. In 1991 in the middle of the immigration and construction boom a population census was carried out. IT was also a time when a large percentage of the population didn't trust the leading party for one reason or another. I was living in a house with three other youth. One wasn't Antiguan and didn't have a work permit, and he chose to avoid the census. I knew so many people who decided to steer clear of the census because they were worried that somehow the immigration department would receive info on them. This was silly, but it did happen. There were so many people here working and living "under the radar" that it is my firm belief that the 1991 census was totally incorrect. Most people think that our nation's residential population is closer to 100,000 than the 68,000+ that is officially quoted.

So what is the big deal right? Well there are huge implications for all sorts of things including taxation, the social services, and of course general statistics. The crime rate seems to be the one quoted most frequently in the papers and on the internet these days. Our murder rate is one that has been quoted to death recently. Of course if you use the official population of 68K then our murder rate is high, but if an accurate figure was given on our population then the rates would seem more reasonable if that word could describe a murder rate. For some reason, people don't seem to think about this as a major problem. I do and wish someone would figure out that it's time to correct it.

good job JD and crew!

From: M SHYMKO
Sent: Saturday, January 30, 2010 3:53 PM
To: admin
Subject: 4-Snorkel Stop Adventure with Lunch

There were four of us - my husband, myself, our son & his fiancee - so there were a couple of age groups involved. We all thoroughly enjoyed the tour. My husband and I have done Stingray City in Grand Cayman but this one was exceptional as the rays seemed much friendlier here. The lunch we had was delicious and we were impressed with how well the crew cleaned up - I don't think you could tell anyone had eaten there. Our son and his fiancee loved the snorkeling and we were all very impressed with the crew. The captain was JD and one of the fellows was Jason - I'm afraid I don't remember the other boys name but they were exceptional. There were a group of people from Italy sitting behind us and they talked all while the crew were giving us instructions and explanations on the tour. The crew all handled the rudeness very well. Much better than I would have - they are to be commended.

In my son's words - "the tour was phenomenal" and I thought you should know how well your people are doing their jobs.

Linda Shymko

This tour was sold by a travel company for cruise ship passengers called Shore Trips. The real name of the tour is the Xtreme Circumnav (round the island). Check the video of the tour here:

whale tale

The night before was silent and starry after I left the Haiti fundraiser, and along Fig Tree Drive after midnight I knew that the next day's adventure would be memorable. We hadn't really planned a big outing, but a trip over to Barbuda was going to be a must. It had simply been too long, and when you have a sunday without any wind Barbuda seems so much closer. Of course 26 miles isn't that far, but the shallow shelf between the sister islands can provide some awefully choppy seas when it's windy. When I got to Curtain Bluff the stars reflected on the still water and lights were visible from Montserrat. Stunnning! I was exhausted after serving drinks for the past six hours but still excited about the prospects that were waiting for me in the morning.
I woke early and looked out the window. Ocean Nomad didn't move at all on the dock below and the water looked like it had turned to ice. Not a single ripple moved anywhere. I sent out a few texts to people I thought would be awake and might want to join us on a Barbuda trip, and quickly had a few replies. Within two hours we were leaving Jolly Harbour and on our way to Palmetto Point. As we passed the hotels on the west coast, I told everyone to keep an eye out for whales. I said it was early in the season, but very possible to see them in these conditions. We didn't see a thing on the way over until about a mile off when all of a sudden we spotted dolphins off our starboard side. These guys didn't want to hang out with us and only briefly showed themselves before going deep. Just after we got to the point we saw another pod of dolphins, but again they were not excited about seeing us. Usually a Barbuda trip involves plenty of snorkeling, beachcombing and other active sort of things, but as soon as the anchor was dropped into the sand below, a  bottle of wine opened up and I knew this trip would be more of a relaxing one. We had a swim enjoying the pelicans that were doing spectacular dives into bait fish nearby. After a few drinks and a bit of time to enjoy the beauty of the long beach we then decided to head up to Spanish Point. Just after leaving anchor I noticed something black break the surface of the water about two miles to the west. I told Roddy that it could only be one thing. Whales! Enjoy his video:

www.adventureantigua.com

The Adventure Antigua facebook page is growing.

We now have 670 fans of the Adventure Antigua Facebook page and the number is growing once again. Check http://www.facebook.com/AdventureAntigua if you would like to become a fan too. I usually try to upload photos and videos there as often as i can. People also can upload their own photos and videos as well as post comments and reviews. I did my first Adventure Antigua Eco Tour ten years ago this month, and I have to tell you it feels good to know that we are still here trying to make sure that people have a great holiday here in Antigua. It feels even better when people tell us that the "highlight" of their cruise or vacation was the day they spent out with us on the water. Anyway, please visit our facebook page and become a fan if you can.

More Whale news in the Caribbean.

Caribbean whaling countries urged to capitalise more on quid pro quo with Japan


By Observer News - Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

A former top regional fisheries official says Antigua & Barbuda and other Caribbean members of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) should leverage for more than just fisheries assistance from Japan in exchange for their votes.

The advice comes from Horace Walters who was St Lucia’s chief fisheries officer and a former head of the Eastern Caribbean Cetacean Organisation (ECCO).

Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada belong to the IWC, which was set up in 1964 to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and the orderly development of the whaling industry.

Walters says their support for Japan is a principled position which affirms their own right to exploit the surrounding marine resources, but it must move beyond that.

“I think the time has come to expand the co-operation, not just in fisheries but in other areas,” he said. “Japan has capacity to do all things and whereas they might have concentrated their efforts in the fisheries sector, where we made the request and the request for assistance came from the government, right now, I think that the governments ought to review the requests they make to Japan because our fisheries sector is well established.

“We have the vessels; we have the manpower and the resources are there. So it is up to us to continue to develop the fisheries sector, but then the co-operation can be expanded to include a number of other areas.”

Walters said with Antigua and the other pro-whaling islands being threatened with tourism boycotts, the prospects for Japanese tourists should be explored.

“We should be looking for Japanese tourists,” he said. “We should be looking to bring a Japan Airline to Jamaica and to have a link between Jamaica and the islands with Japanese visitors.

“We should be looking to bring a lot of Japanese visitors to the island, not just Americans or Europeans. That’s not the only area but I think it will be left to the government to decide where they want the co-operation with Japan.”

Walters’ comments come at a time when the anti-whaling lobby in Antigua & Barbuda is again pressing government to turn its back on countries like Japan and Norway – the main whaling nations.

Well you know what I think about all of this. You can read more here.

Whale video taken yesterday

Yes, we were very lucky to have totally calm waters yesterday and ended up doing a trip to Barbuda. On the way there we spotted two pods of dolphins, but they didn't seem that interested in us at all. After we arrived there and had a swim, I saw a black object break the surface a few miles off and figured we were in for a treat. Armed with cameras we arrived nearby and switched off the engines. The mother and calf came alongside and did about five circles around us before swimming off together. We had 30 minutes of fantastic whale viewing both in and out of the water. Several of the people with us couldn't be held back and went snorkeling with the amazing creatures. Here is a movie taken with our little cheap camera. http://www.acquafilms.com/ were on board with us so hopefully they will have some awesome footage to show us soon.

stuff

After we got married in November several people asked us what was the craziest gift we got. It's kind of a funny question, but I suppose most people expect the usual assortment of wedding gifts. We were delighted to have gotten so many lovely wedding gifts, and yes some of them were things we were hoping to get. We didn't realize it at the start of the plans, but people expected us to have a wedding registry. "It's what you do", so we made one.
We didn't even open any of our wedding gifts at first because after spending a night at Blue Waters hotel we flew down to the Grenadines for a week of honeymoon chill time. After we got back it was time to open gifts and try to figure out where to put them. Most were things to use in our house, and as it's not possible to fit them into our rented appartment in Jolly Harbour we had to put them in storage. I am sure many newlyweds have to do this sort of thing, and we now have even more reason to get our house built. That's another big adventure that's waiting to start up.
Back to that funny question about what was the craziest gift we got. We never really had a crazy gift although a tiny James Bond style waterproof video camera called a GoPro was probably the most unusual. Today I finally had a chance to test it out. I didn't use it underwater but as you can see it works just fine:


This camera will hopefully help this blog with new unusual content. I can't wait until it's good windsurfing or surfing weather. The video will give you a great view of some of the things we get up to.
Anyway, the person who asked me the question went back to Holland before we got our truly crazy wedding gift. One of our craziest friends was kind enough to get us a massive 60+ pack of toilet paper. And that's it! The most unusual and wacky wedding gift we received. Thanks Choppa!

a post from the Antigua Tourism Forum:

Adventure Antigua Classic Yacht w/ Eli Fuller (video links)


by jburton on Mon Jan 18, 2010 12:22 am



We chartered the Adventure Antigua Classic Yacht for a day - January 5, 2010. It is "a 40 foot wooden classically built Carriacou Sloop". It was just the two of us, my girlfriend Dianna and myself.



The day was completely awesome. Tour, snorkeling, fabulous lunch, sailing. There was some larger ocean roll this day and that was a hoot. The day couldn't have been more perfect. Eli, Jason, and Daniel were a fabulous crew and group of people to spend a day with. I recommend this charter strongly. It is worth every penny spent.



Thanks for such a great time, Eli. I can't say enough good things about that day.



I'll post more video links as I get it all processed and reviewed.



----



On the Adventure Antigua Classic Yacht with Eli Fuller

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX0wYCdQDEc



On the Adventure Antigua Classic Yacht with Eli Fuller (file 2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq7BigYmTsU



Perini Navi yacht seen from Adventure Antigua Classic Yacht tour

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HC4SUMeeW8



Snorkeling - On the Adventure Antigua Classic Yacht with Eli Fuller (file 1 of 2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kknUGpG-dgE



Snorkeling - On the Adventure Antigua Classic Yacht with Eli Fuller (file 2 of 2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_rCFPWlezs

www.sailing-antigua.com

www.adventureantigua.com

Eathquake relief info for Haiti here in Antigua

Many people emailed us and called us wanting to find out if Antigua received any of the effects from the quake that destroyed much of Haiti main city. We were far away enough not to feel anything at all. In fact we are about as far from Haiti as the US mainland, but as is the case in most countries the sadness has been felt here too. There have been numerous funraisers organized and plenty of info about how to help the vitims in Haiti is available. People here know that it could have happened to them and there is quite a bit of empathy for the Haitian people. There is a big event next weekend in English Harbour which we have donated to and hopefully will be helping out with. I hope to see you there.

Great event at Nelson's Dockyard on SATURDAY January 23rd. Lots of bands playing and much fun guaranteed, all for a good cause.


We need to make much money to help people in Haiti.



PLEASE COME, ALL OF YOU IN ANTIGUA !!



See all details on http://www.antiguanice.com/v2/client.php?id=806&whatson=1#event763

logos now on Dolphin

here is a photo of our Dolphin catamaran now up at The Verandah Resort and Spa.

The launch of our other sailing traditionally built boat.

Our second Carriacou Sloop "Zemi" was launched this past Sunday. Launches only ever happen down there on Sundays for a number of traditional reasons, and it all went well according to reports, photos and videos. I was unable to leave Antigua due to several important meetings (one with Sandals about the future of our relationship with them), so I was especially happy to see all of the photos and video of our boat's launch. For those of you reading this who don't know what this is all about, I will just tell you that each island in the Caribbean designed and built their own version of a smaller cargo boat during the early colonial days. Due to "progress" all of the wealthy islands started purchasing fiberglass and steel boats from North America and Europe and one by one the tradition of building wooden boats from scratch died from island to island. Carriacou in the Grenadines is the only place left that is still using the old designs and techniques to build these fantastic boats. Hundreds of years ago boats needed to be able to carry a huge cargo and to do it fast and this design spec remains. Of course these work boats are still used to carry cargo and to do other commercial activity, but they are for the first time being purchased as private yachts. There are several these days doing charter including our other Carriacou sloop Ocean Nomad. See http://www.sailing-antigua.com/


The word Zemi is an ancient Amerindian name describing usually pyramid shaped object which essentially was a concept, meaning both a deity, or ancestral spirit, and a sculptural object that houses the spirit. Our eco tour boat is called "Arawak Odyssey" and I am glad to have another boat recognizing the people who lived here before the Europeans arrived. Their culture was so rich and was so bonded with nature.

My dad has the largest collection of Arawak Zemis and I will copy one of them for the boat's logo. Here is a collection of photos that was put together by Samantha Enoe. She is the daughter of the designer and builder Alwyn. As you can see the boat was launched without the rig. We build that next and then sail her up to Antigua before The Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta. Enjoy the slideshow!

www.adventureantigua.com

Xtreme round the island photos and reviews.

Xtreme round the island tour (circumnav) photos and reviews are always nice. Here is one I copied from the the Antigua forum. Click here.

However radical and wrong they may be....... at least someone is standing up to Japan.

Scientists declare Dolphins 2nd smartest life form

Last night I finally had a chance to see the internationally famous and award winning movie The Cove which documents Japans position on whaling and specifically on the incredible slaughter of 23,000 dolphins a year in hidden cove. It was excellent and you should try to get a copy online here.
Of course Antigua is mentioned in terrible light because of it's support for Japanese whaling. My dad was even interviewed since he was the International Whaling Commission representative prior to Japan's blood money being given to our country. READ HERE. Of course Antigua isn't alone, but it's terribly sad to know that our leaders can be so ignorant. Anyway, today scientists were quoted in the BBC article as saying that new research suggests that Dolphins are way smarter than they had thought and should be treated as "non-human persons".  READ HERE
Keep in mind that when you go to a dolphin park to swim with these non human persons you are not only doing something questionable, but you are helping the slaughter of thousands of other dolphins in Japan. Want to know why? See the film.

Used Day Charter Saling Catamaran for Sale

"Dolphine" a 52 foot Buhler sailing catamaran with twin 75 HP Yanmar diesel engines. She is registered to carry 49 passengers, but could carry more as it's a very very wide boat. The boat has had quite a bit of work done to her recently including an engine rebuild, and is ready for use in the day charter industry. I am not sure of the exact year that she was built but i am guessing some time in the late 90s. This is a money making machine if put to work in the right market. The owners are asking US $150,000 and the boat is available for sea trials at any time. IF you are interested please call me on 268 725 7263 or email me on eliantigua(AT)gmail.com and I can give you more info. 

happy new year from adventure antigua!

Hi there, I'm writing this blog once again from my phone. It seems that recently time has been zooming along faster than Xtreme goes on the way back to the harbour. Last week our Eco Tour boat experienced some engine problems. This kind of thing usually happens on the busiest week of the hear and it wasn't a huge surprise. Our crew sprang into action in an effort to fix it in time for the next day's tour. Even after putting in an almost all nighter the boat wasn't ready for our tour right at the final hour. Without any time to spare, the decision was made to use our new sailing catamaran Dolphin for the tour. The guests, many of whom were on a cruise, took the alternative boat and had a great day out. After plenty more hard work by the crew, the Eco Tour's boat was fixed today and is ready for tomorrow's private tour. Although the end of 09 was quite challenging, the 1st of 2010 started out very well. Our Dolphin boat will start doing tours up at Verandah for that hotel and Pineapple late next week. In these challenging times its people like our regular adventure Antigua team that make it all work so well. In my opinion, Tony, Jd, Shamel, Trevor, Chris, Leslie, Jason, my sister Nell and my mom Jill all put in so much effort to make these tours the best in Antigua. There are many more people out there helping us too. THANKS TO YOU ALL.

new catamaran goes out for a cruise.

A1Marine in Jolly Harbour has spend the past few weeks helping us get the Dolphin ready for tours and charters. Dolphin is Adventure Antigua's new sailing catamaran. Today we are taking her out on a test cruise to see how the modifications work. Tours on the new Catamaran will start up the first week of January 2010. We will have several half day trips and several full day snorkeling cruises as well. The boat will spend most of the week based in Dian Bay on the Verandah dock and will take passengers from The Grand Pineapple Beach Resort and Spa as well as the Verandah Resort and Spa. More info and photos to come soon!
http://www.adventureantigua.com/