The Guardian Everton Simpson squints at the Caribbean from his motorboat, scanning the dazzling bands of colour for hints of what lies beneath. Emerald green indicates sandy bottoms. Sapphire blue lies above seagrass meadows. And deep indigo marks coral reefs. That is where he is heading. He steers the boat to an unmarked spot he knows as the “coral nursery”. Simpson started working as a “coral gardener” two years ago as part of grassroots efforts to bring Jamaica’s coral reefs back from the brink.
Forbes, I have been a long time vacation homeowner on Aruba, the tiny Dutch Caribbean island off the coast of Venezuela. Only 20 miles long and 6 miles across, the cactus-filled, dry island features my favorite beach in the entire world. Endless days spent on the famed Eagle Beach floating in crystal clear, aquamarine warm waters is why massive throngs of tourists return annually to this island paradise.