Tim Yeo, a scuba diving operator and General Manager & COO at Bluewater Travel, has accused Silversea of damaging the reef at Alor, Indonesia stating in a Facebook post: "A few days ago, the luxury expedition cruise ship Silver Cloud (owned by Royal Caribbean Group) brought its guests to snorkel here. What should have been a magical experience turned into an absolute environmental tragedy."
ExpeditionCruising.com is seeking clarification on certain assertions made by Yeo, particularly the claim that three anchors were used on each of 13 Zodiacs, a practice that seems to fly in the face of any normal operational procedure.
A video taken presumably by Yeo appears to show a Silversea dive guide retrieving an anchor from a coral outcrop, after which a terse exchange is heard.
Independent sources with knowledge of operations in the region report that a tense atmosphere has existed between local dive operators and expedition cruise ships since the controversial grounding of Calendonian Sky in 2017.
Enquiries made by ExpeditionCruising.com confirmed that Silversea had all the necessary permits for operations, contradicting Yeo's claims that they did not.
 |
| Silversea Silver Cloud |
Silversea Silver Cloud is currently sailing in Indonesian waters, specifically en route to Palopo, Sulawesi. The ship departed Darwin on July 2nd for a 16-day expedition cruise, including stops in various Indonesian locations like Komodo Island, Bau Bau, and Kupang. The cruise will conclude in Benoa, Bali.
This post will be updated as new information comes to hand.
Silversea has been contacted for a response.
No comments:
Post a Comment