By Ricki B. Harris
November 1, 2004
My husband and I shared a great awe of the environmental treasures bestowed on this earth. We spent many happy moments enjoying the great outdoors together. When we first arrived at Sta. Marta Bay, we knew that we had happened onto an incredible treasure.
The reef which virtually touches the shore is colorful, diverse and healthy. Swimming in the lagoon or the water surrounding the mouth of Sta. Marta Bay, you are delivered into a new world. Great schools of colorful and exotic fish surround you. Eels and turtles co-habit with crabs and lobsters. The many corals and other vegetation virtually pulse with life and vigor. The rainbow does no justice to this place.
The dream of preserving this special fragile spot was born of love and despair. Coral reefs are fragile and wondrous gifts holding much of our oceans’ diversity. Only small sections of the earth have been blessed to know them. But tragically in the last decade many of the earth’s reefs have been decimated by global warming and pollution. When you find a pristine reef, which has known only a fraction of the devastation suffered by other reefs, you must protect it. You must try… that is the goal of Lee’s Reef Project.
As you will see in the pages that follow, Lee’s Reef Project is offering a forum to the divergent communities and interests that are sustained by the reef at Sta. Marta Bay. Lee’s Reef Project is a place to learn about the reef and what it needs to be sustained. A place where divers, local fishermen and most especially local children can learn to share the responsibility and the sheer joy of this natural wonder. Our three pronged goal is:
- Coral Reef Protection and Conservation
- Community Education and Awareness
- Community, Tourist and Diver Participation and Support.
