St. Maarten Private Eye

I read with great interest and hilarity the reports about Jaime Babb from Atlantida making presentations to various "stake holders" of SXM about their planned Dolphinarium. If it wasn't such a serious issue it could be seen as a comedy sketch from Saturday Night Live. I can't help but think of this man and Atlantida whenever I see one of those septic trucks go by with the slogan on the side, "We pump what our competition talk". There is a relation between the two for sure, can anyone guess what it is?

Jaime Babb proclaims that because of St. Kitts now planning it's own dolphinarium that it's more reason for St. Maarten to have it's own. He claims that such a facilty will bring people to the island and make them want to come again and again for years to come. He claims that the developer is planning to introduce a referal package to encourage Dolphinarium visitors to continue into town and spend time and money there too.

I smell something in the air and I can assure you it isn't the Great Garbage Dump Pond.

First of all, in response to the St. Kitts plans, this is rather a dumb and ignorant statement designed to make people scared that St. Maarten will be left behind in the tourism market. It basically says that because others are doing it then so should we. What it shows really is the lack of imagination and vision our islands leaders have for our island and the product it offers our visitors.

Secondly, the establishment of a Dolphinarium in St. Maarten is going to turn off a percentage of potential visitors, not turn them on. This is shown with groups threatening to boycott the island already. As people become more and more aware of how these parks operate and how the dolphins are caught then the stain upon our island will only grow bigger. Especially as dolphins start to die, and they will.

Thirdly, if the merchants and taxi drivers believe that cruise visitors are going to be travelling around the island or spending more money in town after visiting this so called "attraction" then they are in for a surprise. Use your brains people! Duh!

Jamie Babb is full of it, just like those trucks I mentioned earlier.

The IMA, SHTA, SMTA, SMBA, CofC, Rotary and others, you are all on notice. You are being watched and if you choose to support this project then you can be assured that it will be a black stain against all of you and your boards. You will not be allowed to forget it!

For those who are members of these organisations and who oppose this project, make your voice heard now, or be an accomplice to this foolishness.

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