A video has been released that shows a cruise ship anchor and chain wreaking havoc on a coral reef near the Cayman Islands, according to Yahoo. In the video, the two divers explore the reef and document the damage being done as they trace a long chain back to an anchor.
Scott Prodahl, a diving instructor, started filming with his diving buddy after he noticed a ship harbored near the reef. The video ends with a brief commentary and a shot of the cruise ship.
"As you will see in the video, a massive portion of the reef out front from Don Fosters and Eden Rock was completely destroyed today," wrote Prodahl.
The alleged ship was the Pullmantur Zenith, which was anchored off the coast of a George Town port.
The authorities were contacted since damaging the coral reef is illegal in that area, however, there was nothing that could be done since the ship was given permission to anchor there, according to The Independent.
The deputy director of the Islands' Department of Environment, Scott Slaybaugh, said that the incident was "regrettable" but within regulation, according to the Huffington Post.
"Although this reef was in a distressed state prior to the anchoring, we view any loss of any coral reef as highly regrettable in this age when coral reefs worldwide are in decline," said Slaybaugh.
"Both the ship's captain and harbor pilot followed established guidelines, so this is not a case of negligence or error on their parts. We do intend to follow up to see if damage may be mitigated and to review the operational procedures for any alterations that may prevent future incidents."
The ship was an affiliate of Royal Carribean.
