St. Maarten major milestone: First national marine park

I recall my first trip to St. Maarten with my late husband Martin. We were invited on the inaugural direct flight from John F. Kennedy airport on Royal Dutch KLM airlines. The trip began on a wonderful note with a lavish send off at the terminal, only to learn that our flight was delayed because of equipment malfunction.

There was a rumor that they couldn’t find the coffee. We spent a fitful night but wound up flying out smoothly the next morning. When we finally did arrive, I remember driving from Phillipsburg, the capital of Dutch St. Maarten, along a curvy mountain road and suddenly finding myself in the French St. Martin, capital of Marigot, without any warning; Not a border guard, a request for my passport, just a little sign, some French flags flying on terraces and a gendarme or two possibly imported from Paris.

This was my introduction to the island of two countries where English is spoken everywhere, making the American tourist feel welcome and wanted. Observing the Dutch and French culture intermingling with a third culture which developed over the years — Afro-Caribbean — is a boon to history buffs who wish to study legends, discoveries and conquests aside from enjoying the pleasures of a tropical paradise.

Now this tropical paradise has established its first national marine park — the Man of War Shoal Marine Park. This aquatic area is the first step St. Maarten has taken towards preserving the area known as the Proslyte Reef, the island’s most significant underwater habitat. According to the Minister of Economic Affairs, Tourism, Transportation and Telecommunications, the Honorable Franklin Meyers, the creation of this marine park demonstrates the island’s dedication to preserving the local environment as well as enhancing eco-tourism.

The Proselyte Reef includes the island’s most important marine habitat consisting of coral reefs and sea grass beds as well as large population of aquatic mammals, including whales, dolphins, sharks, sea turtles and fish. The reef also acts as a migratory stopover and breeding site for three IUCN Red List Species, 10 CITES Appendix 1 species and 89 Appendix 11 species.

The new park allows St. Maarten to have an official protected area that is enforced in accordance with the Specially Protected Areas of Wildlife (SPAW). It is also fast becoming a major diving site and a tourist “must do” while on vacation. Water sport enthusiasts can add this to their list of scuba diving and snorkeling facilities to take full advantage of.

Located at the northern end of the Lesser Antilles, the island’s 37 square miles has 37 breathtaking beaches and is home to many historical and family-oriented attractions. St. Maarten is actually the smallest island in the world to be shared by two nations, Kingdom of Netherlands and France, creating a European flair with a Caribbean twist. Besides its water sports, it is known as the “culinary capital of the Caribbean”.

The island offers an eclectic array of cuisine fusion. I enjoyed some fine diverse meals, Italian at Da Livio’s, French at Le Bec Fin and the Grand Case on French St. Martin. The Lady Mary’s Starlight Champagne Dinner Cruise was also very enjoyable. I ended the evening at one of the island’s 14 casinos on the Dutch side of the island, where I found playing roulette more relaxing and less frenetic than in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.

The Dutch also take particular pride in the fact that 77 nationalities make their home on their side of the island. I was fortunate enough to find myself witness to a pre-wedding celebration at the Grand Bay Hotel. An Asian-Indian procession was about to take place, starting in the lobby of the hotel. There seemed to be hundreds of splendidly attired women in lavishly beaded saris and bedecked with mounds of at least 23-karat necklaces, bracelets and rings lining up with their escorts to the ballroom. Another tourist told me that she had seen an equally beautiful parade in the lobby the night before by a Japanese wedding party.

People watching can be fun in St. Martin. The late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and her family were frequent guests at the posh resort La Semana. I think I spotted Geraldo Rivera talking to John Travolta while shopping on Front Street at the Duty Free Shops. You can also find yourself next to the likes of Cindy Crawford, Sandra Bullock, Al Pacino, Calvin Klein or Sylvester Stallone who are either watching or participating in what has become a world-class regatta event attracting yachts from all over the world. Robbie Ferron boasted to me that St. Martin has the best racing with the best weather, thanks to the trade winds.

To plan your visit to St. Maarten and explore the sights including this spectacular marine park, you can visit www.VacationStMaarten.com, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/VacationStMaarten and on Twitter at http://twitter.comStMaartenTravel. Or for the non-computer savvy, your local travel professional.

Copyright by Marcia Abramson

E-mail: mascribe@aol.com