American billionaire’s yacht damages Belize coral reef; owner pledges to work with Belize Audubon Society

Published by BBN Staff at February 17, 2020

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Posted: Monday, February 17, 2020. 11:18 am CST.

By BBN Staff: A yacht belonging to American billionaire investor, Daniel Loeb, is being investigated by Belizean authorities for reportedly dropping anchor on the barrier reef on Sunday, February 9.

A report by Bloomberg Green featured a statement that Loeb issued after the incident.

“As a life-long surfer and someone who loves the ocean, I was horrified to hear about this incident in Belize,” Loeb said. “We promptly contacted the Belize Audubon Society (a conservation group) and are committed to working together to restore the reef,” Loeb said.

The 61 meter Samadhi was caught on cameras as its anchored wrapped around live corals at the Unesco World Heritage site.

“While the extent of the damage is being assessed by officers of the Department of the Environment, preliminary investigations conducted on Tuesday, February 11th, confirms damage is evident but the extent is yet to be determined,” a statement from the Belize Department of the Environment noted.

The Belize Audubon Society said that Loeb is fully cooperating with authorities following the incident.

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