inagua

The race for Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay (MICAL) is shaping up to be one of the more intriguing races in the Bahamas because there is no incumbent.

With Basil McIntosh stepping aside, the Progressive Liberal Party is effectively resetting in a constituency it won convincingly in 2021. McIntosh secured an estimated 630 votes, about 63 per cent of the votes cast — defeating Miriam Emmanuel of the Free National Movement, who received 335.

Those numbers suggest a strong PLP seat, but MICAL’s election history shows a more fluid story.

Emmanuel captured the constituency for the FNM in 2017, unseating PLP veteran Alfred Gray, who had held the seat for three terms. That shift, followed by the PLP’s reclaiming of the seat in 2021, highlights a reality that MICAL can shift politically.

Now, the PLP has nominated Ronnell Armbrister, a new standard bearer, who must establish name recognition and trust without the advantage of incumbency. The question is whether voters were backing McIntosh the individual, or the PLP party he represented.

Meanwhile, the FNM is positioning itself for a comeback with James Leo Ferguson on its 2026 ticket. Ferguson retired as an assistant superintendent and the officer responsible for Inagua, his candidacy represents an opportunity for the opposition to rebuild support in a seat it has won before.

The dynamics heading into this election are clear: The PLP is defending without an incumbent. The FNM is attempting to reclaim lost ground. And voters are being asked to reassess the PLP and the FNM.

What was once a relatively comfortable PLP victory will now become a more competitive race, one that could hinge more on candidate connection and grassroots campaign strength.

The question is, who is best positioned to take the seat?

US Coast Guard is still searching for a 20-year man, who reportedly jumped overboard a cruise ship on Thursday, 57 miles from Inagua, Bahamas.

The 20-year-old was with family aboard the 18-story Royal Caribbean’s Liberty cruise when he jumped the ship, shortly after 4 a.m. turning passengers’ vacation into a nightmare.

“It was insane,” said passenger Bryan Sims. “It was just surreal.”

The man who remains unidentified, reportedly got into an argument with his father over being intoxicated and in what appeared to be an impulsive, spur-of-the-moment decision, he jumped into the ocean after yelling, “I’ll fix this right now,” as his father and brother looked on helplessly.

“I had hung out with him and his brother in the hot tub until 3:30,” Sims told The Post. ” It was standing room only. He sat right beside me the whole time.”

“He was pretty drunk.

“As we were walking from the hot tub back to the elevators, his dad and brother were walking towards us.

“His dad was fussing at him for being drunk, I guess.”

“He jumped out the window in front of us all.”

It caused panic aboard the ship and the crew joined US Coast Guard in searching for the man.

“There was a lot of yelling, and the crew was alerted immediately,” another passenger,  Deborah Morrison, told The Post.

“His family was horrified, just beside themselves. I can’t even begin to imagine what they’re going through.”

The man has not yet been found but the Coast Guard said it will continue its search and rescue operation between Inagua and Cuba.

The southern islands of the Bahamas have been inundated with the influx of Haitian migrants over the weekend.

Authorities captured nearly 400 Haitian migrants on Sunday on an uninhabited island in the Ragged Island chain, after fishermen noticed a partially submerged vessel in the area.

This comes after 500 more migrants were captured in Matthew Town, Inagua on Saturday.

Officials said the groups will be deported as soon as they are processed.

In a video, Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper is seen speaking to the lively group in Inagua as they sit under a tent.

He tells them through an interpreter, “…You’ve had enough food and enough water. We are asking you to be patient. It is important that you follow the instructions of the officers. We want you to know that you have landed in the Bahamas illegally. Therefore we will help you, we will process you to return to your home,” as the migrants clapped.

ZNS reporter Lloyd Allen said in a social media post that the government was seeking to provide temporary housing for the migrants.

This influx comes as the authorities in the United States cleared a border camp in Texas, USA that sprung up with well over 30,000 Haitian migrants under a bridge.

According to Reuters, 12,000 migrants will appear before US immigration judges for stay, 8,000 were returned to Mexico and 2,000 were sent back to Haiti. The others were detained as the state decides its next move.

Locals in Inagua were surprised and happy as schools of fish appeared in the waters of Inagua after Isaias blew across the island.

A video circulated social media showing residents gathered near the water as an abundance of fish swim by.

One woman exclaims, “Looks like this tropical storm has brought some good things to Inagua. The fish are jumping.”

Forecasters on Friday, from the Department of Meteorology, issued a tropical storm warning for the island including Acklins, Crooked Island, Ragged Island, Mayaguana, Samana Cay.

Isaias did not leave any major damage behind, but pounded the island with heavy winds and rainfall.

After its passage, locals are seen throwing their nets into the water, catching fish and hauling the nets back to land.

One resident, Rico identified the species of fish as bone and shad.  Rico said he will use the catch to share among the islands for those people who may be without, as the country remains in lockdown because of  COVID-19.

Study shows that tropical storms influence movements of fish as they upset marine ecosystems and trigger sea levels. Tropical storms can also alter the habitat use, spawning behaviour and emigrations in the direction of deeper water.