| Ocean Cay | |
| Island Type: | Cay |
| Location: | Atlantic Ocean |
| Map: | Bahamas |
| Coordinates: | 25.4209°N -79.2055°W |
| Archipelago: | Lucayan Archipelago |
| Country: | Bahamas |
| Timezone1: | EST |
| Utc Offset1: | -5 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | -4 |
| Iso Code: | BS-BI |
| Area Km2: | 0.42 |
| Area Ha: | 42 |
Ocean Cay is an island in the Bahamas located in the district of Bimini. It is located 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Bimini proper. Ocean Cay is an artificial island which was built by dredging in the late 1960s by Dillingham Construction of Hawaii [1] and was used to mine white Aragonite sand for diverse industrial purposes.[2] The cay has been redeveloped as a private island called Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve for MSC Cruises.[3]
Ocean Cay is an island that was man-made created originally for the mining of aragonite sand. The total size of the island is 42 hectares and the original owners also had dredged the area to allow for deep vessels to dock for the exportation of the sand.[4]
When Dillingham Construction abandoned the island, the cay fell into a state of decay. In 2015, the executive chairman of MSC Cruise line, Pierfrancesco Vago, signed a 100-year lease agreement with the Bahamian government to redevelop the island into a new resort for the cruise line. The cruise line planned to spend $200 million for the total project.[5]
The restoration would involve removing all of the abandoned mining facility and infrastructure. A 3-part documentary film series entitled Building Paradise Island by director James Redgate documented the cleanup of the island, the conservation leading to marine reserve status, and the building of a new resort from the ground up.[6]
The island has eight beaches which include Lighthouse Bay, North Beach, South Beach, Bimini beach, areas near the lagoon, and a beach reserved for employees. Each beach has at least one lifeguard on duty when the beach is open.[7]