This small Bahamian island offering soft, powdery white sand no more than 65 miles off the coast of Miami started its life as an excavation site in the 1960s. Leased by Dillingham Construction, the island was dredged and exploited for that sand, made of a mineral known as aragonite, a component of pearls and coral. This precious sand was collected and barged over to Florida to help build up the Sunshine State’s pretty beaches and to make concrete and glass.
Ground Zero
In 2015, Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises’ executive chairman, signed a long-term lease with the Bahamian government to transform the man-made island. He committed significant funds to rebuild the island’s rich ecosystem in the Bimini Islands region, and to create a fun private-island experience for MSC passengers. He named it Ocean Cay.
First, he had 1,500 tons of metal pieces and debris left over by the construction company removed. Next, he had 125,000 tons of rock delivered to make the island a beautiful MSC port-of-call and marine sanctuary. Thousands of trees and indigenous plants were planted to recreate a Bahamian island’s native habitat.
Construction workers lived on a floating hotel-style vessel moored offshore until housing structures were built. They built colorful, sustainable apartment units designed to withstand sun, salt, and hurricanes.
Located in the center of the island, these low-rise buildings feature energy-efficient windows and insulation, LED lighting, water-saving fixtures, and corrosion-resistant materials. The units can accommodate up to 280 full-time employees, ensuring that the staff are available to open the island before an MSC cruise ship arrives.
They built a robust recycling system and advanced wastewater treatment designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero. There is also a cafeteria providing three meals a day, plus a laundry room, gym, resident doctor, and a staff shop.
Next, they created the MSC Foundation to oversee marine conservation, humanitarian aid, and sustainable development worldwide, and built the MSC Marine Conservation Center, reserving some of the housing units for reef-conservation workers and university students.
“The opening of our Marine Conservation Center marks a defining moment in our multigenerational commitment to ocean conservation,” says Vago, who also serves as chair of the MSC Foundation Executive Committee. “It brings to life the MSC Foundation’s concrete .…
By Jill Weinlein
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