In a bizarre turn of events, a yacht owned by a billionaire who has worked to mitigate ocean acidification and stabilize and restore corals reefs has wound up damaging an estimated 14,000 square feet of the very ecosystems his charitable organizations are trying to protect.
According to Reuters and Sky News reports, officials said that a vessel owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen caused serious damage to a protected coral reef in the Cayman Island, as the yacht’s anchor chain destroyed more than four-fifths of the coral at the affected site.
Allen, who left the tech giant in 2000 and now oversees the Paul G. Allen Ocean Challenge, a competition centered around protecting the ocean, was not aboard the 300-foot yacht known as the Tatoosh at the time, officials told the media. The incident took place on January 14, as the vessel was moored near a pair of diving sites on the western coast of Grand Cayman.
The investigation continues, but Allen could face fines
In a statement, philanthropic foundation, Vulcan Inc., said that the Tatoosh was in “a position explicitly directed by the local Port Authority” and that after the ship’s crew “was alerted by a diver that her anchor chain may have impacted coral in the area,” they “promptly, and on their own accord, relocated their position to ensure the reef was protected.”
Vulcan added that they and the crew are “actively and cooperatively working with” authorities to “determine the details of what happened.” An early survey conducted by local divers have found extensive damage, but the investigation is still ongoing, according to Cayman News Service.
“In addition to assessing the damage and determining the cause of this incident, we are also paying close attention to lessons learned so that we can more effectively prevent these accidents while still hosting visiting yachts,” a spokesperson for the Cayman Department of Environment told the media outlet. Allen could potentially be fined for the damage caused by his vessel.
The ship at the heart of the matter, the Tatoosh, is said to be one of the largest yachts in the world, according to Reuters and Sky News. It is more than 303 feet long, and among its many features are a pair of helicopter landing pads, an observation lounge, a basketball court and a recording studio, said Retuers.
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Image credit: Thinkstock
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