Category Archives: Bahamas

NASSAU, Bahamas, May 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With the busy summer travel season fast approaching, The Bahamas is gearing up to welcome visitors with deals and promotions, the return of highly anticipated festivities and brand new cultural events. With increased airlift to the destination, visiting this summer is easier than ever.

NEWSGrand Bahama Island Launches a New Cultural Experience Catch the new Port Lucaya XPERIENCE at Port Lucaya Market Place in Grand Bahama from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday through 10 June of this year, which will feature Bahamian cooking demonstrations, Junkanoo performances, local music, and more.

The Walker's Cay Invitational Fishing Competition Returns The state-of-the-art Walker's Cay Marina will host its second annual Walker's Cay Invitational from 18 to 21 May, a tournament in which up to 45 boats will compete for the biggest catch.

The Annual Backyard Festival Returns to Harbour Island Locals and visitors are invited to attend the Annual Backyard Festival on 21 May, to be held on the historic Bay Steet in Harbour Island. Cultural festivities include Bahamian cuisine and a celebratory Junkanoo rushout.

Coral Vita Now Open to the Public The Earthshot Prize winning coral restoration farmCoral Vitais now open to the public. Starting at $15, visitors can book an interactive tour to learn more about the importance of ocean conservation.

Tropic Ocean Airways Partners with Wheels Up Tropic Ocean Airways and Wheels Up are providing travellers with a larger selection of bookable flightsfrom Fort Lauderdale to destinations across The Bahamas, including Nassau, Biminiand The Berry Islands.

Western Air Launches New Daily Flights Between Fort Lauderdale and Nassau Western Air will introduce a daily flight to Nassau from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, beginning 19 May 2022. Travellers can book now without facing any change fees.

The Bahamas Wins Big at HSMAI Adrian Awards The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation received high honours at this year's HSMAI Adrian Awards, which spotlights excellence in hospitality advertising, digital marketing and public relations. It won two Silver Adrian Awards for its relaunched "Bahamas Agent Program" and "Andros Island" communication efforts within the Recovery Marketing and Integrated Marketing categories, respectively.

PROMOTIONS AND OFFERS For a complete list of promotions, deals and packages available now for a vacation in The Bahamas, visit http://www.bahamas.com/deals-packages.

Get 10% Off with Caerula Mar Club's Summer Special Luxury resort Caerula Mar Club offers guests 10% off stays of four nights or more, if they book directly using the promo code CMGUEST through 31 May 2022. The offer is valid for travel until 8 August 2022.

Get a 5th Night Free at Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassau Guests who stay at Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassau for four nights can get the fifth night free, plus a $500 food and beverage credit for on-site amenities and restaurants.

PRESS INQUIRIESAnita Johnson-PattyBahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation[emailprotected]

Weber ShandwickPublic Relations[emailprotected]

SOURCE The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation

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WHAT'S NEW IN THE BAHAMAS IN MAY - PR Newswire

Baby No. 8 deserves some celebrating.

Nick Cannon and pregnant Bre Tiesi have plans to babymoon in the Bahamas next week, Page Six has exclusively learned.

The actor and the expectant mother are set to host the one-year anniversary celebration of the Sugar Factory American Brasserie at its Baha Mar destination next Wednesday, an insider tells us, adding that Cannon will perform as a DJ for the evening.

Along with celebrating Tiesis pregnancy on their tropical babymoon getaway, we hear the pair will also commemorate Tiesis 30th birthday on May 5.

Cannon, 41, confirmed that he was expecting his 8th child, a baby boy, with Tiesi after photos surfaced of him by her side at a gender reveal party where she was visibly pregnant in January.

The Drumline star announced that after finding out he would be having an eighth child with five different women, he embarked on a celibacy journey.

He also shared in February that, unsurprisingly, he doesnt believe in monogamy.

I dont think monogamy is healthy, Cannon said onThe Language of Lovepodcastwith Dr. Laura Berman, adding, I feel like that gets into the space of selfishness and ownership.

Cannon also doubled down on his claim that all of the pregnancies of his children were planned.

Im going to take full responsibility. Any woman that I know that I have unprotected sex with, theres the potential to have a child, he had said. So I feel like if I have unprotected sex with anyone I know because one, I value everything about me so much, if Ive gotten to that point where I say, I can take off this condom, Im gonna say, She could be the mother of my child.

TheAlone singershares 10-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe with ex-wife Mariah Carey. He shares 5-year-old son Golden Sagon and 1-year-old daughter Powerful Queen with Brittany Bell and has 10-month-old twins Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Zilly Heir with Abby De La Rosa.

Cannon shared the heartbreaking news that he and Alyssa Scott hadlost their 5-month-old son, Zen,to brain cancer in December 2021.

In February, Cannon said he feels heavy guilt for not spending more time with Zen.

The monogamy critic, whose talk show was canceled after just six months, seemingly pined over his ex Carey in his song Alone, which dropped on Valentines Day this year. He was also spotted partying with ex-girlfriend Jessica White at an Upper East Side strip club in March.

Meanwhile, Tiesi was married to football player Johnny Manziel from 2018 to 2021.

See more here:

Nick Cannon and Bre Tiesi set to babymoon in the Bahamas - Page Six

The manager of Johnny Depps private island in the Bahamas has testified that she intervened after hearing Mr Depp saying that Amber Heard hit him with a can.

The defamation trial between Mr Depp and Ms Heard began on 11 April in Fairfax, Virginia following Mr Depps lawsuit against his ex-wife in March 2019. Mr Depp is arguing that she defamed him in a December 2018 op-ed published in The Washington Post titled I spoke up against sexual violence and faced our cultures wrath. That has to change.

Estate manager Tara Roberts appeared in court via video link on Tuesday. She told the court that Mr Depp would bring guests to the island, such as British actor Paul Bettany and his family, as well as Ms Heard and her friends.

She described a 2013 incident prompting Ms Heard to be asked to leave the island in the morning, but she came back that same afternoon. Ms Roberts said her impression of the early stages of the relationship was positive.

Recalling Mr Depps 2014 detox on the island, she said that Dr David Kipper and nurse Debbie Lloyd were there. She noted that she saw no property damage following their departure and that she witnessed no injuries to Ms Heard.

Ms Roberts also testified about the preparations she did for the couples 2015 wedding, noting that there were privacy concerns and that the nuptials occurred earlier than initially planned.

The estate manager testified that she was asked to get RedBull and Dr Pepper, Mr Depps drink of choice at the time.

She said Ms Heard often wore little makeup and recounted an episode in which the couple came to her office. Ms Roberts said Ms Heard asked Mr Depp to come back to the house and that she eventually entered his vehicle after previously blocking it, stopping him from driving away.

The estate manager said she and a colleague followed the couple to their house and that they could be heard arguing loudly.

Amber was telling him he was a washed-up actor, youre going to die a fat, lonely old man, Ms Roberts said.

She added that she could hear Mr Depp say to Ms Heard you hit me with a can. As Mr Depp tried to walk away from the house, Ms Roberts said Ms Heard tried to viciously pull him back.

Island manager testifies that Depp did not react after Amber Heard's 'vicious attack'

Ms Roberts said she was in between the couple at one point and that she decided that it was best for her to remove Mr Depp from the situation.

She testified that Ms Heard was clawing at Mr Depp and pulling on his clothes and his hair.

Asked how Mr Depp reacted, Ms Roberts said, he didnt he stood there with his arms by his side, he didnt do anything.

Ms Roberts said Mr Depp had a mark across the bridge of his nose and that she got an ice pack to put on it so that it wouldnt swell and that she made sure that he wasnt bleeding.

In her 2018 op-ed, Ms Heard wrote that like many women, I had been harassed and sexually assaulted by the time I was of college age. But I kept quiet I did not expect filing complaints to bring justice. And I didnt see myself as a victim.

Then two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our cultures wrath for women who speak out, she added at the time.

While Mr Depp isnt named in the piece, his legal team argues that it contains a clear implication that Mr Depp is a domestic abuser, which they say is categorically and demonstrably false. Mr Depp is seeking damages of not less than $50m.

Ms Heard has filed a $100m counterclaim against Mr Depp for nuisance and immunity from his allegations.

See original here:

Manager of Johnny Depps private island in the Bahamas says she intervened when Amber Heard hit him with can - The Independent

I did some research and I counted over 50 operating shelters currently in Maine according toMaine Rescue. There is one that is doing something wonderful to help dogs.

Who let the dogs out? Well, I'm glad you asked. The Humane Society Waterville Area is spreading the joy of a "persons best friend" to you with a new group of dogs. These dogs traveled over a thousand miles to bring joy to our state.

According to their Facebook page,the Humane Society of Watervilleare now hosting 26 "Potcake" dogs all the way from the Bahamas! They need homes!

They previewed the pups on their Facebook pageand posted the following,

We will have 26 potcake dogs from the Bahamas available tomorrow for foster to adopt. Currently they are finishing up their quarantine period for kennel cough vaccine. In order to be eligible to foster to adopt , you must bring in proof your dogs (if you have any) are up to date on their vaccinations to included the kennel cough vaccine (bordetella). This vaccine has to have been administered on or before 4/13/22.

I have never heard of a Potcake breed and I needed to find out what type of dog this was. It was very obvious that they are absolutely adorable.

Humane society waterville area vie facebook

According to Wikipedia,

The potcake dogis amixed-breed dogtype found on severalCaribbean islands. Its name comes from the congealed peas and rice mixture that local residents traditionally eat, as the overcooked rice that cakes to the bottom of the pot would be fed to the dogs. Although appearance varies, potcakes generally have smooth coats, cocked ears, and long faces.

I never knew the name of a breed could come from traditional food. Sometimes when you go on vacation to the islands, like the Bahamas you notice a lot of stray dogs. It's become a problem.

According to the website,

In Nassaualone, there are an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 stray potcakes.

This meansit is vital for these beautiful dogs to have homes. It's hard to believe that there are stray dogs anywhere. The Human Society of Waterville wants to help.

You can see photos of a few of the potcake dogs that were shown on their page! You never know, you may meet your future family member!

Dozens of Adorable Dogs Arrive in Maine From Bahamas, Need Homes Now

Dozens of Adorable Dogs Arrive in Maine From Bahamas, Need Homes Now

SEE: The Most Adorable New Born Foxes Maine Has To Offer

Maine's wildlife is breath-taking and one local photographer was able to capture baby foxes right after they were born and it is outstanding!

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Dozens of Dogs Arrive in Maine From Bahamas, Need Homes Now - 92moose.fm

It is not regular to see a PGA Tour star player and an LPGA Tour pro attend the same event. However, the Mad Scientist of golf, Bryson DeChambeau, and Lexi Thompson, were in the Bahamas to raise money for a good cause.

The golfers met in the Bahamas to raise money for the Bryson DeChambeau Foundation. DeChambeau shared the memories from the event with the public through his social media.

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TheFoundationworks for the betterment and to support the Junior golf initiatives to grow the game, health, and education. According to DeChambeaus Instagram caption, the annual event helped raise $350,000 for different charity foundations, including the National Kidney Foundation and Shriners Childrens Hospital.

Notably, it has been only two weeks since he had wristsurgeryto mend his injury. The golfer didnt play the majority of the events since the new year had begun. The 2022 Masters was only his third start this year, as he was constantly battling his wrist and hip injuries.

DIVE DEEPER

Who Is Bryson DeChambeaus former Caddie Tim Tucker?

about 1 year ago

Known for his long drives, DeChambeau had posted a video of him swinging a driver with one hand after his surgery. The Foundation event is the new update the golfer has shared with his fans since then.

Since the golfers were raising money, the event was that the highest bidder would get to play with their favorite golfer. According to the Story Lexi Thompson shared on her Instagram, the LPGA pro helped raise $45k at the event. The Story has since vanished from her account since it has a time limit of 24hrs.

The famous television presenterChris Harrisonhad originally shared the Story on his account, which she shared again. The content of the Story was as follows:

GETTING TO $23K TO PLAY GROVE XXIII WITHT THE AMAZING @lexi but it actually went for $45K!!! Great Fun at @brysondechambeau foundation event.

Thompson is one of the best LPGA Tour players in the world right now. She has won 11 championship titles, including a major. She has also represented America at the Olympics twice, in 2016 and 2020.

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Furthermore, the golfer has also shared a post on her Instagram indicating she is leaving the Bahamas after the event.

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Being public figures, the golfers have the medium to raise money and awareness for a good cause. And the two of the top players at the LPGA and PGA Tours, Thompson, and DeChambeau, have done just the same. They came together and raised money for a meaningful program.

Watch This Story: Golf Fans Will Not Like Bryson De Chambeaus Latest Update on Phil Mickelson

Read more from the original source:

Bryson DeChambeau and Lexi Thompson Were Both in the Bahamas, but for a Very Special Reason - EssentiallySports

Written by Jason Perlow, Senior Technology Editor Jason PerlowSenior Technology Editor

Jason Perlow is a technologist with over two decades of experience integrating large heterogeneous multi-vendor computing environments in Fortune 500 companies. His expressed views do not necessarily represent those of his employer, The Linux Foundation.

Last week, I decided to take a very long-needed vacation on Grand Bahama Island. And while I did not purposely intend to ditch my technology on this trip, the fact that it wasn't convenient to use my electronic creature comforts contributed significantly to my enjoyment.

Grand Bahama, an island of about 530 square miles, is only 60 miles to the east of Palm Beach, Florida. But it might as well be 6,000 miles away because its internet connectivity is terrible.

BTC, a single mobile telecom provider, provides 3G and 4G services throughout the island with limited cell coverage. Full-time and seasonal residents can get dedicated broadband internet. But at our timeshare condo residence, the Island Seas Resort, one broadband connection was shared by a few dozen apartments -- with limited Wi-Fi access points throughout the entire complex.

Overlooking Taino Beach on Grand Bahama from Tony Macaroni's Conch Experience

Before going to the island, my wife and I knew that connectivity would be lousy. We'd taken two other trips in 2008 and 2012, so we had some experience with the place. But to further complicate matters, Grand Bahama is still recovering from Hurricane Dorian (September 2019), which caused devastating damage to its eastern half and its principal town of Freeport to the west. Its tiny airport terminal is currently temporary, as its permanent structure is undergoing major repairs.

So why vacation on the island? Unlike Nassau/New Providence, which has about 275,000 residents and gets a constant influx of tourists from jam-packed cruise ships, Freeport/Grand Bahama has fewer people on it -- with a max population of about 52,000 at any given time. It has very little in terms of nightlife, restaurants, and bars. What it does have is many beautiful (and sparsely-visited) white sand beaches; a crystal blue ocean for snorkeling and scuba diving with lots of fish, some sharks, and manta rays; and great island cuisine.

Because we needed a barebones level of connectivity while we were away, I decided that only one of us needed mobile data. I asked my wife to contact AT&T and get us an unlimited international roaming contract for her phone for the month, which costs $10 per 24 hours of use in the Bahamas. That sounds like a lot of money for a one-week stay, but it's far less than any data overages we might have incurred otherwise.

My wife decided to bring her iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch because she absolutely had to have Apple Fitness Plus and close her rings every day. I decided to go minimalist by bringing only a global Android phone with me -- an OPPO Find X5 Pro review unit -- primarilyto take food photoswith its exceptional camera. I also took a six-year-old Kindle Oasis preloaded with books.

Also: Amazon Kindle Oasis: E-reader for the one percent

We could have also bought an eSIM from BTC for my phone, which is more affordable than the AT&T plan. But they are data skimpy, and we'd need to be very careful about the photos and videos cloud syncing if we used one. As it is, I had my wife turn off all the data sync stuff in iCloud for her photostream and application updates, just in case. We did need to use Google Maps on my wife's phone for GPS navigation in the car, but we pre-downloaded the maps for Grand Bahama so we could navigate offline.

High Rock Beach, Grand Bahama

After seeing just how bad the 3G and 4G connectivity on Grand Bahama was on my wife's phone, I decided not to get a data plan from BTC. I would connect to Wi-Fi at the timeshare, cafes -- wherever I could find it. And I was not going to get stressed if it didn't work because I was on vacation.

There's an interesting side effect to having slow, unresponsive internet connectivity: you put your phone down, and it forces you to engage with people and your environment. Since I knew my connectivity would be crappy for the week, I turned on DND, put both of my email accounts and Slack on OOO, and quiesced all my notifications.

Do you know what happened? After about half a day of painful withdrawal, I stopped stressing about it.

Instead of thinking of emails, social networking notifications, and instant messages, my only concerns for the day were getting up in the morning, having coffee and eating breakfast, going to the pool or beach, considering what beer (in Grand Bahama, it's Sands, brewed in Freeport) or cocktail (I recommend the Goombay Smash or the Yellow Bird) I was going to drink, deciding what we were going to do for lunch, choosing what I was going to read that afternoon, and then deciding what we were going to do for dinner.

Steamed Conch with Macaroni and Cheese at the Bell Harbor Inn, Grand Bahama

That's an oversimplification of what a typical vacation day in Grand Bahama is like, but it's not that far off the mark.

Because the Wi-Fi was slow and unreliable, it was painful to use it. So I spent my vacation actually having a good time instead of documenting it.

My wife told me that I was more present because I wasn't constantly looking at my phone. It was a side of me she hadn't seen in a while, as I'm always connected and distracted by notifications back home.

Having poor data connectivity has other advantages as well, including forcing you to engage with people to get information. While we did use Google searches to discover restaurants and shops, we found out very quickly that a lot of information was woefully out of date due to Hurricane Dorian. It turns out that word of mouth, driving around, and exploring are the best ways to get to know the place.

Don't get me wrong -- coming home and having my multi-gigabit broadband and 5G was great. I don't think I can ever give it up, at least not with my current profession. But there is something to be said for a "Grand Bahama" mode for our connected devices, especially after work and on weekends.

If there is an easy way for Apple and Google to simulate frustratingly-slow Caribbean internet connectivity -- so slow that you are disinclined to use technology when you aren't on the clock -- that's a feature we might all benefit from using.

Grand Bahama Mode in iOS 16 and Android 13? No problem.

See the article here:

On Grand Bahama, the internet is terrible. I loved it - ZDNet

Every year, visitors and locals will flock to the county to see our beautiful beaches. After all, we're home to miles upon miles of sandy beaches as well as the historic Jurassic Coast. It's no wonder people want to see the stunning sights that Dorset has to offer.

For some, our beaches serve as a great go-to area that many can rely on to have dog walks, evening strolls or morning runs. While others will argue, you don't have to fly to the other side of the world to have exotic beaches.

There have been many people who have said plenty of Dorset's beaches are comparable to the sunny locations of tropical destinations. For MyLondon reporter, Finn Byrne, his experience to one Dorset beach left him feeling like he had spent the day in the Bahamas.

Read more: Sandbanks beach ranked one of UK's best for summer 2022

Finn decided to venture from his busy London surroundings to the tranquil Highcliffe Beach near Christchurch. Highcliffe is often considered one of the best beaches in our county to visit - though these local photographers offer a list of other, lesser known beaches that are off the beaten track.

Here, Finn writes an account of his trip to the well-loved beach and his thoughts on the area.

A trip to the beach in April can often go one of two ways. After a few days of sunny weather I was convinced that the summer season had already begun and planned to make a trip to the South Coast to visit a beach best known for its spectacular views and long stretching shoreline. And after realising that it would only cost 25 for a return train ticket my mind was made up.

I took the train from Waterloo to Southampton and then made the small journey to Hinton Admiral, in Christchurch, on the Hampshire/Dorset border. I hadnt heard of Highcliffe beach before, but was told it was one of the best beaches along the South Coast. From the Hinton Admiral station it was then a thirty minute walk to the beach or alternatively a 1.60 hire bike ride to Highcliffe Castle where you can then walk down the steps to the golden beach.

I was blessed with the weather, and it seemed that I was right about summer arriving prematurely. Walking down the steps to the shore I felt as if I was abroad. This assumption was solidified through the abundance of palm trees and exotic plants, which convinced me that I might be in the Bahamas and not really the UK.

I was so caught up with the idea that I was abroad, I decided that it might be a good idea to cool off in the water. Unlike the Bahamas, the water was deceptively cold and I was freezing after swimming for less than five minutes. I had been fooled by the scenery and was on the verge of hypothermia.

This would have been embarrassing but as I left the water I realised there was hardly anyone around to see. The beach was almost deserted and along the five hundred metre stretch of coastline there were only another dozen or so people. Further up the beach there were more people enjoying the sun, but it was empty compared to the tourist-heavy alternatives of Brighton and Bournemouth on the South coast.

The quaint town of Highcliffe seemed a world away from the fast pace of city life which I had left behind. A lack of arcades and pubs was the only real downfall of this hidden gem but this was made up for by a cute village caf serving food and hot drinks. The weather took a turn and it became windy and a bit chillier but this didnt stop the fun.

There were numerous walking routes, cycle paths and activities to get stuck into. Being only two hours away from home meant that the thought of heading back wasnt hanging over me and I could relax knowing that home was always within touching distance. Golden sand, beautiful waters, long stretching beaches and a lack of tourism, made Highcliffe beach the perfect day trip getaway.

What is your favourite Dorset beach? Let us know to news.dorsetlive@reachplc.com

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Londoner visits Highcliffe Beach and compares it to the Bahamas - Dorset Live

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A MAN believed to be in his early 40s was shot andkilled at his home in Grand Bahama early yesterday morning, pushing the countrys murder count to 48 so far for the year, according to this newspapers records.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Stephen Rolle said officers were alerted to a shooting in the Bruce Avenue area shortly after 8.30am.

According to reports, a man was at his home when a vehicle pulled up. One of the male occupants got out ofthe vehicle, produced a firearm and began firing shots in his direction.

He was shot about the body multiple times, the police press liaison officer said.

That male then wouldve fled to the residence where he collapsed, and he was pronounced dead. EMS personnel attended the scene, and they discovered no signs of life.

Although police have not identified the victim, a relative told The Tribune the deceased is Javon Pinder aka JP, a father of two. However, hedeclined to speak further about the shooting.

According to ASP Rolle, the victim was known to police.

Asked if officers are concerned about retaliation in view of the incident, he said: Its not safe to assume that its going to be retaliation, but we keep our ears open and prepared for anything that comes forth.

We just want to urge the public to put those guns down again. We cannot say that enough because like you said, it could be your very own or a family member. If you have any information of where a firearm may be, contact the police and get that firearm off the streets to save another life being lost on Grand Bahama, he added.

ASP Rolle also told reporters that police are following some leads into the shooting and that officials are hoping to soon conclude the investigation.

Thursdays homicide comes after a man was shot and robbed on Soldier Road in New Providence on Wednesday night.

Sources say the victim is a man who was acquitted of murder last year.

However, Superintendent Audley Peters was unable to confirm his identity when asked about it yesterday.

There was a robbery that occurred last night where a male was in front of a residence in conversation with a friend, Supt Peters said yesterday. The male was approached by two men and when he saw them coming, he approached them and asked them what the situation was. Apparently, an altercation ensued and one of those suspects shot that male and took his vehicle along with some other personal items. The victim was transported to the hospital where he is receiving treatment for his injuries and that investigation is ongoing at the moment his condition is not life threatening.

The shootings come as police and the Davis administration seek to get a handle on violent crime in the country and after 22 homicides were recorded in March, one of the deadliest months on record in the country.

Anyone with information on these incidents is asked to call police at 919, 502-9991or Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS.

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Murder in Grand Bahama takes year's tally to 48 - Bahamas Tribune

By Steven Danforth Singer

The year was 1866. The brig Baltic departed the port of New York in September of that year, bound for the port of Galveston, Texas. On board was a large consignment of miscellaneous goods. Capt. Maddocks followed the standard route, passing the outside of the northern Bahamas to avoid the Gulf Stream, expecting another uneventful voyage. Unlike today, there were no weather forecasts, and the captain had no idea that a hurricane was heading for the Bahama islands. The unfortunate brig got slammed by the October 1866 hurricane which ravaged many parts of the Bahamas and sank a good many ships in the area. The Baltic was caught in the storms fury and her cargo shifted. She started taking on water and the crew frantically worked the pumps in hopes of keeping her afloat. She ended up wrecking approximately 200 feet off Ridleys Head on North Eleuthera, Bahamas, between Spanish Wells and Harbour Island. Its quite possible that Capt. Maddocks ran her aground in order to save the crew, and its believed all of the crew did survive.

The Baltic was built in Camden in 1854. Rated at 284 tons, her dimensions were 108 feet in length, 26 feet in breadth, and her depth of hold was 10 feet. At the time of her sinking, she was owned by W.H. Hooper of Camden.

The wreck was quickly buried under the shifting sands and mostly forgotten until 1992. A local fisherman, Nick Maillis, had always been interested in sunken treasure, and had found a number of wreck sites over the years during his fishing voyages. Local fishermen were familiar with the area as they would find dead fish here with no explanation why they died. Nick suspected something toxic may be in the area that was affecting the local fish population.While checking out the area, he found what appeared to be evidence of some wreckage sticking out of the sand.

Nick filed this away in his memory until another Bahamian treasure salvor contacted him in 1992 saying he had a salvage vessel available, and did Nick have any sites they could work on. Nick had applied for and was granted a salvage lease on this area through his salvage company, Bahamas Salbos Research and Recovery. Nick then agreed to let them work on this particular site. During that summer, the 100-foot salvage vessel El Esperanza, was brought to the wreck site. The wreck was again completely buried under sand, and the salvage vessel used its prop wash deflectors to begin to move away the sand on top of the site. Nick had put them directly on top of the wreck, and soon they began to uncover an almost totally intact 19th century sailing vessel, which turned out to be the brig Baltic, which had remained completely buried for 126 years.

The El Esperanza continued to uncover the wreck, and soon the upper part of the hull was exposed. Divers were able to enter the vessel through the upper deck and found a whole assortment of cargo items to be salvaged. What they found were medical supplies and instruments, munitions, dinner ware, religious figurines, ink bottles, spirits, silverware, food stuffs, plate glass porcelain, and a large amount of English Staffordshire china.

Before long, the deck of the El Esperanza was full of the recovered cargo items. The crew only worked about three weeks, but when they were done, they had recovered over 25,000 pieces of cargo. About 6,000 pieces of china have been recovered so far. The china was packed in barrels protected with straw, with approximately 100 pieces of china in each barrel. Complete sets of dinnerware china were recovered.

Other items recovered were porcelain from Germany and ginger jars of the Ching Dynasty from Chylong, China.

Some medical instruments recovered included brass hypodermic needles, and enema apparatus. Some of the rubber tubing for those had the patent dates, and one read, patent by Goodyear, 1857.

Hundreds of perfectly intact bottles of food stuffs were also brought up by the divers. Many were still in their packing crates which still had the contents legibly printed on the outside. The bottles of pickles still looked good enough to eat, though nobody attempted to do so. Bottles of apricots and capers were also recovered. Spirits bottles were still stacked just as they were 126 years ago.

Soon, the reason for the dead fish in the area became apparent. Large amounts of medical bottles began to be recovered believed to contain morphine, opium, arsenic, and other chemicals. The leaching of the chemicals from the wreck, is what had been killing the fish in the area over the years.

The identity of the wreck was determined when part of a wooden packing crate was recovered with the word, Brig Baltic, Texas. A wooden barrel of mackerel was also recovered dated 1866, with the packing companys name, and Gloucester, Massachusetts printed on the outside. They now had the name of the vessel, the year she sank, where she was bound, and evidence she was from a northeast port.

Salvage was slowed down because of the large cargo of plate glass blocked the way to the rest of the cargo hold. The approach of Hurricane Andrew, which soon struck the Bahamas and South Florida, put a permanent stop to any further salvage work. Nicks home was destroyed by the hurricane, and the wreck of the Baltic was buried again and temporarily forgotten. Fortunately, all the recovered artifacts were placed in secure storage and all survived.

The Bahamian government, the salvors, and Nick all got a share of the salvaged items. A Floridian, Tim Brodie, had heard of the salvage and met with Nick in the Bahamas. Tim researched the items in Nicks possession, and was able to identify manufacturers and place of origin on much of the porcelain, china, etc. Some were quite rare and sought after by collectors. Nicks collection was brought over to Florida and put on display for a time at the old Graves Museum of Archaeology in Dania, Fla. On May 24, 1997, most of Nicks collection went to auction at the Sloan Gallery Auction House, in Miami, Fla.

The brig Baltic may still remain relatively intact, buried under the sands of Eleuthera.

Steven Danforth Singer is a consultant and the author of Shipwrecks of Florida and More Shipwrecks of Florida. You can find more about him at anchorexplorations.com.

[Ed. Note: This article was previously published in the Winter 1996 issue of Treasure Quest Magazine.]

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The shipwreck and salvage of the Maine brig Baltic - Courier-Gazette & Camden Herald

NASSAU, BAHAMAS Coronavirus cases have doubled in the last two weeks, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville pointed out yesterday.

It remains to be seen if the recent infections, which have largely been the result of imported cases, indicate an upward trend as The Bahamas awaits gene sequencing of 100 samples to determine the presence of the omicron subvariant BA.2

Data gleaned from the Ministry of Healths COVID-19 dashboard, shows there were 42 cases recorded between April 10-16, compared to the 87 cases between April 17-23.

Another five infections were recorded on Sunday.

A closer look at the infections shows that of the 42 cases during the week prior, 33 of them or 78 percent of them were imported cases.

In the last week, 47 cases or 54 percent were imported cases.

Between April 3-9, there were 51 infections.

Of them, 24 or 47 percent had a history of travel in the last 14 days.

At the Office of the Prime Minister, Minister of Health Dr Michael Darville said the government was not minded to increase restrictions at this time, prioritizing the tourism stimulus.

But he said health experts were examining the cases closely.

Responding to a question from Eyewitness News, Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis advised on Monday that plans were underway to lift the mask mandate in The Bahamas by summer or sooner.

Yesterday, Darville tapered that announcement.

The prime minister did say that we are looking at removing the mask mandate and we are optimistic about it, the health minister said.

With that being said, over the last two weeks, we have been watching our numbers, our RT-PCR tests, and our numbers have doubled.

That is of concern. Secondly, we also notice in the United States, in states where tourists come to The Bahamas the numbers have been going up as well.

And then a judge in South Florida, there is an issue with the removing of the mask mandate in public transportations as well as on aircraft. That is another concern.

So while we are mindful and wishful to remove the mask mandate, we must take into consideration the scientific factors that could potentiate the possibility of imported cases coming into the country.

The minister said upon a downward trend being observed, that would mean that the issue of the mask mandate would be taken into consideration sooner than later.

Darville suggested the EOC has not recommended any further relaxations of the COVID rules.

Despite the prevalence of imported cases, the minister also said there is no intention to amend protocols, including travel at this time.

Were a tourist country and our policy is to try and ensure that our tourism sector thrives, which means that we need people to come in to spend money, he said.

We are watching and we cannot make a determination at this particular time, but I can tell you that some of the cases are travel-related and it is of concern.

For the moment, restrictions remain relatively low.

Mask wearing remains optional in resorts and in open spaces where there is social distancing.

Subvariant

Health officials have been carefully monitoring the new omicron subvariant that has spiked cases in both the United States and the United Kingdom, where it has become the dominant strain.

When contacted recently, Director of the National HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Programme Dr Nikkiah Forbes said it is still not yet known if the strain will cause another surge.

The Pan American Health Organization has said as cases surge in Europe and East Asia due to omicron BA.2, countries in the region ought to remain vigilant and urgently close vaccination gaps.

In the last week, hospitalized cases have remained at around six cases down from the 97 hospitalized cases reported on January 31, during The Bahamas fourth wave.

The average positivity rate testing compared to positive cases stands at 10 percent, double the WHOs recommendations.

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Darville: COVID infection doubled in last two weeks - EyeWitness News