Save Exuma Alliance

28/04/2026

Last weekend, more than 30 young people from Staniel Cay, Black Point, and Farmers Cay spent the day with SEA, discovering the coral reefs, seagrass beds, and conch nurseries that make the Exuma Cays unlike anywhere else on earth. For some of them, it was their first time snorkeling.🤿

They swam through areas in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park and the North Bay of Sampson Cay, two breathtaking coastal and marine environments in the Exuma Cays. The kind of places people fly across the world to see. These kids wake up next to this every day. We want them to know what they have, love it deeply, and grow up fierce about protecting it. This is their inheritance. 💙

24/04/2026

Youth from across the Exuma Cays joined for a marine conservation field trip, exploring the conch nurseries, coral reefs, and ecosystems that support life across these islands. All of it right in their backyard. 🐠🌊

For some, it was their first time in goggles and fins! 🤿 Days like this are exactly why we do this work. These waters, this future belongs to them. 💙

21/04/2026

Yesterday, the Save Exuma Alliance was proud to have stood alongside 10 other Bahamian environmental and civic organizations in Nassau to deliver one message to our government: the commitments made when The Bahamas joined the Escazú Agreement must be honored.

With hundreds of regional delegates gathered in The Bahamas for , we chose this moment to make our voices heard, on behalf of the communities, the fishermen, the boat operators, and the families across these islands who depend on our environment and deserve a real seat at the table. Together, we presented a joint civil society statement calling on the government to ensure transparency, meaningful public participation, and justice in every environmental decision that affects our islands and our future.

This is what Escazú demands. This is what our islands deserve.

You can read the full statement at the link in our bio.

10/04/2026

Tennis legend, , says the Exuma Cays in The Bahamas are one of the most special and unforgettable places in the world, with natural beauty and marine life unlike anywhere else.

During his visit, he spoke about why this remarkable area deserves protection. He championed conservation efforts led by preserving reefs, seagrass, and the wider ecosystem around Sampson Cay in the North Bay.

Follow us to learn more about our mission to protect what makes Exuma extraordinary.

31/03/2026

Thank you Rafael Nadal for standing with the Save Exuma Alliance! 🌊

Read the full story in the Nassau Tribune below .

TENNIS STAR RAFAEL NADAL JOINS 'SAVE EXUMA' FIGHT
RETIRED tennis legend Rafael Nadal has backed a coalition of Exuma residents opposing a proposed resort development, warning that a key marine area is at risk and elevating the dispute beyond local opposition.
https://bit.ly/3OexqNv

19/03/2026

SEA member Turtlegrass Resort has released a video that every Bahamian needs to see.

Using professional CGI based on Yntegra's publicly filed plans, it illustrates what their proposed plans for North Bay would look like. Including the impact of their proposed dredging, seawall, and industrial ship traffic.

Despite constant calls from the community for them to consider alternative plans, they're still trying to push forward without making meaningful adjustments to their project.

We deserve better planning and decisions that doesn't destroy functioning marine ecosystems.

Watch and share the video below.

09/03/2026

Thank you BahaMian Trae for helping to spread the message!

23/02/2026

Friday night at LN Coakley High School in George Town was something to witness.

This was the second Town Planning Committee meeting on the proposed Yntegra/Rosewood Exuma Sampson Cay project, and the turnout was unprecedented. Hundreds of Exumians filled every seat, lined the walls, stood in doorways. Tour operators who left their businesses and traveled 60 miles by boat from Black Point and Staniel Cay. Fishermen whose entire livelihoods depend on these waters staying healthy. Residents from across Exuma made the effort to be present.

The message from that room was unmistakable. Exumians are not anti-development. But they will not stand by while their islands are unnecessarily destroyed for a project that can be modified to better respect the fragile marine environment and the character of the Central Exuma Cays.

Residents lined up to speak, given just one minute each to voice concerns about a project that could reshape their entire way of life. They asked about Yntegra's track record, specifically the Cave Cay development this same investment group announced three years ago that never materialized. They asked about the request for work permits and what jobs would actually go to Bahamians. They asked why the developer wouldn’t choose alternative plans that wouldn't require destroying the environment to make the project work. Despite the developer’s claims, alternatives do exist. Community concerns must be addressed, not dismissed.

At the end of the meeting, the hall erupted in a chant calling for No dredging. While there were some attendees who expressed support for the development being able to proceed, the overall sentiment was that the community was firmly opposed to any dredging in the North Bay, viewing it as environmentally destructive and harmful to the bay’s ecological integrity and long-term sustainability. The people who live, work, and depend on these waters deserve to be heard.

It is undeniably clear that more needs to be done before this project moves forward. The community has spoken, in these town halls, through a petition, every day online. The developer should listen; the government should listen.

18/02/2026

Show Up for Exuma This Friday!

There's a critical Town Planning Committee meeting this Friday, February 20 at 6pm at LN Coakley High School in George Town, Exuma. This is your opportunity to review the revised Yntegra/Rosewood Exuma Sampson Cay site plan, ask questions, and place your concerns and recommendations on the official record.

SEA continues to assert that the consultation process is concerning because insufficient time was given to concerned stakeholders to properly review and get expert advice on the enormous amount of information that was filed by the developer in this process, much of which seems to contradict itself and other statements made by the developer.

At last week's Black Point meeting, crowds packed the room raising strong concerns about the project's impacts on our sensitive marine environment and public safety. Many who spoke said they were not opposed to development, but wanted it scaled down to suit the fragile marine environment and culture of the Central Exuma Cays.

Among the adjustments that have been called for are the relocation of the controversial North Bay supply dock to the south where there is already deep water access, avoiding the need for destructive dredging through the bay and a large seawall in this pristine location.

The proposed Yntegra/Rosewood Exuma project includes more than 90 structures and two marinas, requires dredging in areas of coral reefs and seagrasses, and poses safety issues with supply barges and heavy boat traffic in a recreational area. There's also the massive seawall that will forever alter tidal flow of this sensitive area.

Whether you support development, want changes to what's proposed, or have concerns you need addressed, your voice matters. The Town Planning Committee needs to hear directly from the people who live, work, and depend on these areas.
More than 7,100 people have signed the petition calling for a halt and review of the project. Now it's time to show up in person.

The meeting will be held on Friday, February 20 6:00 pm at the LN Coakley High School, in George Town. This is a moment for Exuma to show up for Exuma. See you there.

06/02/2026

Last night, Save Exuma Alliance representatives attended the public hearing meeting in Black Point regarding Yntegra's re-filed site plan for the Rosewood Exuma development on Sampson Cay. Firstly, we’d like to thank all the community members that made the effort to attend the community meeting and raise their concerns. Despite the challenging logistics, many showed up and voiced their opinions and concerns directly with the Town Planning Committee. It is clear, that the community wants to see adjustments made to the proposed project to ensure better respect for the environment and the community. There is a lot to digest!

As we indicated before, the developer has submitted a massive volume of highly technical plans and documents. To properly understand the full environmental impacts of this development, and to identify any differences from the original site plan, requires adequate time for expert review and analysis. We have not been given that time.

From our initial, limited review of the available documents, it appears there have been no major changes from the original site plan that was previously submitted. The same concerning environmental impacts remain: same project density, same service dock and massive seawall still planned in the sensitive North Bay, high volumes of dredging in ecologically sensitive areas, commercial shipping traffic in an area used for recreation, same threats, same safety concerns.

If these plans are essentially unchanged, our environmental and safety concerns remain unchanged.

SEA continues to call for adequate time for independent environmental and technical experts to review all documents, a more comprehensive environmental impact assessment that addresses cumulative impacts, meaningful alternatives analysis that explores options with less environmental harm, a transparent process that gives the community real opportunity for informed input, and revised plans that actually reflect community concerns.

We attended this meeting. We raised our concerns. We made our position clear. But one rushed meeting does not constitute meaningful consultation, especially when the technical documents require expert analysis that we simply haven't had time to complete and there are ongoing concerns from the communities most impacted by this development.

This fight isn't over. Our Exuma is worth protecting. Bahamians deserve better. We will not accept a rushed rubber-stamp on a development that puts Sampson Cay's sensitive ecosystems and the safety of others at risk.

23/01/2026

The Save Exuma Alliance (SEA) is deeply concerned about the consultation process surrounding Yntegra’s re-filed site plan application for the Rosewood Exuma development on Sampson Cay. One of our representatives viewed the newly filed documents at the Town Planning Committee headquarters and found that a substantial volume of highly technical and detailed material has been filed. Properly assessing all this information will require review by experts, and copies to share with those experts for discussion were not available. In addition, given the importance of what is at stake in terms of environmental concerns for an ecologically significant area, we may need time to consult with various parties. Clearly, the window from now until February 5 is wholly insufficient for meaningful analysis or informed public consultation to take place.The scheduling of the meeting for the evening hours in Black Point, Exuma is also highly problematic. Black Point is a small, isolated community with no air access after dark, and nighttime boating is dangerous, as evidenced by numerous past accidents. The community has minimal available accommodation, effectively requiring overnight arrangements that are simply not feasible. SEA members live throughout Exuma, as well as in New Providence and other islands, making it logistically impossible for many of our members, who have jobs, are parents with young children, and reside elsewhere to arrange overnight travel to such a remote location on such short notice. SEA is therefore urging the Town Planning Committee to reconsider its approach and, at a minimum, grant an extension of several weeks before any consultation hearing is held. Without adequate time, accessibility, and opportunity for informed public input, this process risks being fundamentally flawed and cannot reasonably be considered a valid or meaningful consultation.