It was March and in the high 80s with a searing sun as palm trees waved along a white sandy beach, lapped by turquoise water. No mistaking that for Vinalhaven. Yet we were reminded of Vinalhaven as we visited the two smaller islands off Puerto Rico’s northeast corner, Culebra and Vieques. Culebra is the same size as Vinalhaven, and one arrives either by ferry or small plane. The town is currently all dug up as a sewage system is installed. A new school is under construction. Culebra also experiences a seasonal invasion: snowbirds, the tropical version of summer people.
These islands’ most pressing environmental concern, besides improving the water quality, is protecting the endangered leatherback turtles that nest on two beaches from March to May and need darkness and privacy to do so. Any illumination in the area other than from the moonlit sea confuses the newly hatched turtles and prevents them from instinctively reaching water. Yet these undeveloped beaches and the hills behind them are valuable real estate; how long can the pressures to build there be resisted? Ecotourism would seem to be a good solution: the natural resources of the island valued enough do that they are protected, and in turn generate income. The coral reefs close to shore are still healthy and the underwater visibility is excellent; snorkeling is spectacular here. The wide and long powdery beaches framed by mangroves and palms invite endless days of low-impact recreational use, such as surfing, swimming and sunbathing. Kayaking is still more popular than jet-skis, biking more common on dirt roads than ATVs. But the balance is precarious.
Who’s in charge of development here? It would seem to be those with money, who can do what they want. The turtles enjoy more concern and protection for their native “lifestyle” than Culebrenses do. The United States encourages business development in Puerto Rico by providing tax incentives and accessible financing. With cruise ships beginning to anchor offshore and discharge passengers, a yachting scene filling the harbor with pleasure boats as fishing boats disappear, and a sprawling new upscale hotel/timeshare complex near completion, Culebra may have already lost the opportunity for local values to shape its future. Thankfully, this situation bears no resemblance at present to Vinalhaven’s, but the cautionary lesson is there: how does a beautiful island in a beautiful place resist economic pressures that ultimately threaten that very reality and traditional way of life? Joni Mitchell had a phrase for it: they paved paradise to put in a parking lot. There may not be a colony of leatherback turtles needing protection, but there are other things equally native, precious and endangered.