Unscathed

WESTERN BUREAU:

Tourism activities on Jamaica’s longest river, Black River, in St Elizabeth, have not ceased owing to the passage of Hurricane Beryl, says Joseph Swaby, managing director of the Black River Safari Tour.

There was obvious devastation around the southern township. However, the iconic river tour, which has been in existence for the past 37 years, was unscathed by the Category 4 storm.

“We suffered no damage from the hurricane, apart from a few fallen tree limbs. No damage to our boats or our property, which was recently refurbished,” Swaby told The Gleaner on Wednesday.

“We carried all our boats upstream to prevent any strong waves from damaging them,” Swaby revealed, adding that they recently renovated their buildings and that aided in their not suffering any severe damage.

“We have a decked concrete roof on our main building and also a zinc roof on our storage area, which stood up perfectly to the storm.”

According to him, by Friday, two days after the storm, visitors from Negril were on the river tour. “The challenge we faced was the uncertainty of whether or not the roads were passable. Some of the hotels weren’t sure and didn’t recommend the trip to their guests,” explained Swaby, whose father, Charles, started the popular tour along the Black River.

The scenic tour on the island’s most navigable river, touts itself as an eco-tourism attraction which strives to educate visitors about the various forms of life and importance of the morass, while providing the thrill of a lifetime to its guests.

“We also now have a crocodile nursery programme that aids with the rescue and rehabilitation of crocs of all sizes,” shared Swaby, who added that work was currently being done on the nursery, which can be viewed by visitors on the safari tour.

One of the guests visiting the attraction on Wednesday while The Gleaner was there was Michael Leber, a German tourist on his second trip to Jamaica. He said his flight to Jamaica the previous Wednesday was diverted when Beryl hit Jamaica. It was not until Friday that he was able to land in Jamaica.

The Black River is a habitat for the Jamaican crocodile and is used for fishing and river boat tours by nature lovers.

However, having had serious damage from the Category 4 storm, many of the businesses in the locale remain without light. Several light posts were seen hanging precariously along the roadways leading into the town.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com