Dive The BVI’s Artistic Artificial Reefs
by Nancy Read
The incredible work of a team of like-minded people, and the impact created with their energy and drive is evident when one dives on the artistically created underwater artificial ecosystems of the BVI. These unique displays are possible due to the hard work, dedication and devotion of the team behind Beyond the Reef. Spearheaded by Chris Juredin, Kendyl Berna and Laura Arton, the non-profit organization creates artificial reefs using recycled ships and planes to restore ocean eco-systems, provides services to restore the health of the reefs and boosts awareness of the conditions of the waters of the BVI for tourists and locals alike.
Chris owns and operates two local companies, Commercial Dive Services and We Be Divin’, both located at Village Cay Marina, Road Town. I had the pleasure of meeting Chris, who was anxiously awaiting the arrival of another dive vessel from Puerto Rico, when I arrived at their office to interview Kendyl Berna about the organization’s work. The new boat is specifically dedicated to 3 or 4 days a week of work cleaning up the debris on our reefs. The work will help the corals regain their original health and beauty, creating a more satisfying habitat for fish and divers.
Kendyl has the more creative side in Beyond the Reef. As an environmental scientist, she began her career in documentary filmmaking. While producing a marine-based show for Travel Channel here in the BVI, she met Chris and his team. They have been working together ever since to create underwater art ecosystems and to perform other beneficial services. Among these services is follow up research to monitor the success of the program, and to understand the conditions and challenges confronting the people of the BVI. Here is what I learned when I spoke to Kendyl…
As tourism is now such a vital part of the economy, both above and below the water, it seems only natural to take the best care that we can of our local waters and to plan accordingly on how to maintain this beautiful asset. A foremost concern is the devastating conditions of many of the BVI’s coral reefs. We know that nature is responsible for some of the destruction of our most precious reefs, having endured the hurricanes Irma and Maria of 2017.
Coral bleaching, the process when corals become white due to various stressors, such as temperature, light or nutrients is another cause of reef decline. Bleaching occurs when coral polyps expel the algae that live inside their tissue, causing the coral to turn white.
Another factor affecting our reefs is the stony coral tissue loss disease, a newly discovered virus affecting our main reef builders. Stony corals, or hard corals, are marine animals that build hard skeletons for protection. These, in turn, provide structural habitats for hundreds to thousands of vertebrate and invertebrate species. This is where the expertise of Laura Arton, who leads the stony coral treatment program, comes in.
Anchoring in years gone by has also caused reef damage. Hopefully, through education and a buoy system instituted by National Parks Trust over the past decades, damage caused by boats and ships in our waters has diminished.
We would love to see through the sinking of the wrecked ships and planes a sea teaming with fish, feeding and hiding amongst healthy corals, sea fans and underwater plant life. Unfortunately, there are many barren patches with no life, and no growth in the BVI, and that is how the Beyond the Reef Organization is trying to make an impact. Through the sinking of the wrecks, ships ad planes, which otherwise would be ending life in a scrap heap, Beyond the Reef is creating new reefs. They clean and strip each vessel and clean off anything that could be detrimental in the sea, and then enhance it with artwork. This is time consuming but an extremely important part of the process. Once the vessel is cleaned, the artwork begins under the jurisdiction of two sculptors… Drew Shook and Josh Wilson, who led the team of construction workers, welders, and artists to make the creations we see underwater today.
The first vessel that Drew and Josh worked on in the BVI was the Kodiak Queen, a wreck located in Road Harbor and sunk in April of 2017, off Nail Bay, Virgin Gorda. She was believed to have survived as one of just five ships from WWII’s Pearl Harbor. Now she provides optimal feeding grounds and hiding spaces for the heavily over-fished Goliath Grouper and other marine life populations. Unfortunately, after the storms of 2017, and the record-breaking swells which followed, some of the ship’s railings and a port side chunk of the ship were torn away, as well as the Kraken sculpture that had been attached on top. The good news is the ship is still a great dive, with natural corals and marine life thriving.
The next vessel to find a new purpose in life was the Willy T, the legendary pirate themed floating restaurant which offered entertainment and excellent food and drink for decades, at the Bight, Norman Island. Sadly, she met her demise above water when the Hurricanes of 2017 pushed her ashore. This is where the team of workers prepared her for her new life as an underwater dive site, erecting 16 skeletons of rebar and concrete and welding them in place to create her theme as an underwater pirate ship, to entertain divers and snorkelers for years to come. Interestingly, all of the welding helped to create electric impulses which held a charge, thereby enhancing the conditions for coral growth on the vessel when she finally was sunk at Key Bay, Peter Island on August 7th, 2019. She lies at 65’, having landed perfectly upright on the sand in between two coral heads. The 2020 update says that “Growth on the sculptures has already begun and the fish have been flocking!”
The next vessels to become an artificial reef were three airplanes, nicknamed “Sharkplaneos,” in December, 2019. A bull shark, a hammerhead, and a nurse shark were fashioned from the derelict fuselages. Any potentially harmful materials were removed, including cushions, wiring, oil, etc. The wings were removed for transporting and later reattached, adding artwork to make the sharks come alive. The Sharkplaneos are located at Great Dog Island, and they
continue to offer coral growth and habitat for fish populations, as well as a great photo op for divers, local youth, and anyone wanting to get involved in the ocean community.
Having created the underwater ecosystems in the BVI, this team of dedicated workers and volunteers sadly saw other needs… many yards of fishing net had to be removed, with efforts concentrated in Anegada, and fishing pots, abandoned or lost in storms, also had to be found and removed. This is a major thrust in creating a healthier reef system, and is one of the reasons that Kendyl, spends a lot of time at the most northern end of the BVI. Optimistically, with the support of Chris, and the new dive boat, and the donations of concerned ocean lovers, Beyond the Reef, under the direction of a very competent crew, will continue to make a difference here in the BVI, for years to come!
The Beyond the Reef team hopes all of these underwater ecosystems inspire youth and adults to take ownership of these beautiful waters, that they may offer many ocean-going job opportunities and interest in our surroundings. It is believed that perhaps one third of the BVI youth is not able to swim yet, possibly as low as one in ten are swimmers. A $5 donation, made by each diver who enjoys these underwater habitats, will go towards teaching young British Virgin Islanders to swim, with the aim of increasing local interest in ocean activities and job opportunities in the marine industry. A souvenir sticker from Beyond the Reef will be given to each donor, and the satisfaction of knowing that he or she is helping to expand the realm of possibilities for our youngest and most valuable resource in the future.
Kendyl and Chris are currently awaiting the benefits that an American non-profit 501-C3 offers, as potential donors await the opportunity to assist in the cause.
To learn more about Beyond the Reef, and its incredible activities, please visit https://1beyondthereef.com
