Plans for a second dolphin concession have put Bermuda in the world wide spotlight as hundreds of environmental protestors begin their campaign to protect Sinky Bay on the south shore.

Prominent marine organisations such as the World Society for the Protection of Animals and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society are urging people around the world to take action against plans to erect the Bermuda Dolphin Oasis at the former Sonesta Beach hotel. Bermudian Lisa Vickers is also gearing up for an international boycott of all Wyndham Hotels and Resorts ? where the facility will be located at Sinky Bay ? and is even prepared to take physical action by getting in the way of the dredging equipment.

Ms Vickers, who is studying for her doctorate in biology and runs the web site envirotalk.org, is joining forces with international marine protection organisations in an effort to raise awareness of the implications of setting up a second dolphin captivity facility in Bermuda.

Hundreds of e-mails and letters have been sent to the Department of Planning, from members of the public in Bermuda and elsewhere expressing their concerns.

This week the Development Applications Board is due to make a final decision on whether business owners Martin and Lynn Hassell will be able to begin construction of the facility at Sinky Bay.

Director of Planning Rudolph Hollis told that technical officers have been instructed to assess the site from a purely physical perspective and to "leave the politics out of the situation."

Yesterday protest divers staged an underwater campaign protesting the plans.

Ms Vickers said she was adamantly opposed to making Sinky Bay, a shallow bay located on the site of the new Wyndham Bermuda resorts, into a dolphin concession for the environmental havoc that could potentially occur.

In order to keep dolphins in the bay, extensive dredging must occur, said Ms Vickers, an action which could upset any marine species in the area and potentially harm the coral reefs which line the south shore.

Ms Vickers said the water in the bay is not very deep ? a cause for concern as dolphins kept in shallow water face increased risks during storm or hurricane situations.

"The peat in the bay goes down very deep. They will have to dredge the entire bay which could totally damage the dynamics of the bay, the water quality, the refresh rate, there could be many unanticipated environmental effects which we don't know about which may not only affect the marine environment but have a negative impact on the dolphins," said Ms. Vickers.

A summary of a report obtained from a biologist who also studied the area, said concerns arose because of the extent of the dredging that has to occur.

The report, given to under conditions of anonymity states that dredging could effect conditions in the bay.

"There is already an indication that anoxic conditions are present in the bay, and the possibility exists that these conditions may be exacerbated by the effects of dredging on sediment grain size, the effects of the enclosure on water exchange and the added nutrient inputs associated with feeding a group of mammals in an enclosed area. The potential decline in water quality that could result would affect all biota present," the report says.

The report also states that dredging has the potential to indirectly affect corals in the area, an issue Ms Vickers said is concerning particularly since the bay is ecologically unique being sheltered on the south shore.

"They've said there isn't any ecologically important fauna in the bay but the bay hasn't been studied, there could be a number of creatures living there which we don't even know about. The implications of dredging can stress the marine environment to such a considerable extent which could even increase erosion in the area," she said.

Marine mammal experts say dolphins suffer emotionally and physiologically from being kept in captivity and studied.

"One of the most worrying things is that a lot of dolphins die during transport to being kept in captivity. Their life span is shortened, they suffer so many more illnesses from being kept in captivity than they do in the wild," said Ms Vickers. "There is long lists of things they can suffer from being kept in captivity that real do happen, it's not just a probability."

Martin and Lynn Hassell, business owners of Bermuda Dolphin Oasis, told last week the area will be a safe and beautiful enclosure. They said hurricane evacuation plans include moving the dolphins into pools which will be set up at the SAL construction site where they will be monitored by trainers.

They have also proposed a silt screen will be erected around the enclosure to ensure sediment in the bay does not affect coral reefs.

When contacted by Mrs. Hassell said four dolphins will potentially be brought to the dolphin facility from Dolphin Discoveries ? an alliance facility in Mexico. More than four dolphins are planned for the facility but the owners said they plan to build up the business in stages through a breeding programme.

Mrs. Hassell said she had consulted with a number of biologists and had samples sent overseas to be tested through Bermuda Water Consultants, which she said found that dredging the area should help to clean out the bay.

"We're not getting any negatives, we've had a number of studies carried out with sediment samples sent overseas. A lot of information has been gathered about the area and presented to the department of planning," she said.

South shore dolphin evacuation procedures have been problematic in the past particularly during Hurricane Gert in 1999 when Dolphin Quest which had its facility located on the South Shore.

"Why would we let someone put someone in an enclosure in the same place on the south shore where it has caused problems before?" she said.

From a tourism perspective, Ms Vickers suggested promoting coral reefs and protecting them.

"What we are not promoting is Bermuda's immaculate coral reefs, the fact that we have some of the best shipwrecks in the world ? these are facts that we're not promoting enough. With regard to education and the effect this could have on local kids I've seen kids faces just light up from holding a sea cucumber at the aquarium," said Ms Vickers.

The Planning Department also revealed that the entire bay must be dredged to make the area deeper.

"In addition to making the bay deeper, apparently they are trying to get rid off the possibility of the dolphins catching black mussel disease - which would pose a threat if the bay was only partially dredged, hence they need to dredge the entire bay, - not just the part they wish to enclose," said Ms Vickers.

Sediment could pose a risk to the dolphins health.

"These people are sectioning off part of what actually is a public bay and we are going to let this happen.... for what? So a couple of rich guys can get richer?"she added.

Plans for the dolphin concession have also attracted the interest of Canadian activist Gwen McKenna who monitors the conditions of dolphin parks around the world.

In December 2001, Dolphin Fantaseas, a company of which Mrs. Hassell was CEO and a main shareholder, opened a dolphin facility in Antigua. and a number of UK newspapers have reported how Dolphin Fantaseas bought six dolphins from Cuba, through US partner Graham Simpson, and is under investigation by the US Treasury Office.

When asked about her past association with the business, Mrs. Hassell said she took the business and transformed Dolphin Fantaseas into a successful operation. She said Mr. Simpson purchased the dolphins from a broker in 2000 before she got involved with the company.

"We took a facility in trouble and brought it back to life and made it into a successful facility," said Mrs. Hassell.

Ms McKenna, however, said Government must exercise caution before allowing a person with a negative track record to set up a similar facility in Bermuda.

Recently, the facility in Antigua was shut down and the dolphins were evacuated to a tiny lagoon in Tortola, said Ms McKenna. The dolphin facility in Tortola is already overstocked with eight dolphins and now holds 17.

In past Dolphin Fantaseas has also been in and out of court seeking permits for catching wild dolphins in Antigua and Anguilla.

In June this year, Mrs. Hassell sold Dolphin Fantaseas Anguilla and Antigua to the Mexican based business Dolphin Discoveries.

When Dolphin Discovery took over this facility in June, they inherited the already blocked drain, according to Ms McKenna. Heavy rainfalls in Antigua recently caused flooding in the area of the dolphin facility with businesses and home owners experienced financial losses due to this flooding.

The reported how the government of Antigua asked Dolphin Discovery to remove its dolphins from this property so that the drains could be unplugged. The pond had over-run its banks since the channel was evidently blocked by Dolphin Discovery to prevent the overflow from running into the dolphin area.

Ms McKenna said Dolphin Fantaseas and its partners had been warned about choosing this site facility in Antigua due to the contamination levels in the salt pond directly across the street from the dolphin facility.

"We also warned her that the dredging that was done in the dolphin area would cause the water to be continually stirred up and silty. All our warnings were ignored. I later learned that Dolphin Fantaseas had to install some kind of filtration system at the site in an attempt to control the silty water. Many tourists complained the water was so stirred up you could not see the dolphins underwater," said Ms McKenna.

Eight new dolphin swim attractions have opened elsewhere in the Caribbean in the past two years with another eight proposed in an effort to boost tourism. Jamaica, Antigua, Anguilla, Cura?ao, and Tortola have tapped into the lucrative business. Four facilities are proposed in the Cayman Islands.

The Bermuda SPCA and the Dolphin Quest facility in Dockyard have joined forces against the establishment of the Dolphin Oasis.