Turtlegrass Resort & Island Club

19/08/2026

Under a court injunction and a stay from the planning authority, Yntegra is not permitted to carry out certain development or specified construction work on its Rosewood Exuma project on East Sampson Cay.

For weeks, we told the Bahamian Supreme Court works were going ahead without the required approvals. Yntegra told the courts there was no excavation, no removal of trees, no negative impact on the environment. What do these activities look like to you?

On August 11th, the night before the courts were due to look at the works, Yntegra offered to pause them. Why did it take an upcoming hearing for them to stop their work?
Exuma deserves better.

13/08/2026

Yesterday, we recorded a significant win in our legal fight to protect East Sampson Cay, Exuma, after Yntegra agreed to halt all construction, clearing, excavation and related works until the next scheduled court date.

The commitment is a direct result of Turtlegrass’ application for an emergency injunction following weeks of accelerating works on East Sampson Cay that we repeatedly informed the court, since July 30th, were being carried out without the required approvals. ‍

Yntegra was pressing forward, and we moved to stop the works before further damage became irreversible. Yntegra initially opposed the application, filing papers contesting Turtlegrass's case. Turtlegrass replied with evidence of what it says was unlawful work: bulldozing and clearing of vegetation, the pushing of topsoil and sand into the sea, the er****on of a dock, the delivery of prefabricated buildings, large-scale excavation to a depth of several feet, and the digging of more than two dozen foundation footer holes - all in an area of high ecological sensitivity that includes seagrass beds, coral habitat and hypersaline wetlands. ‍

It was only on the eve of yesterday's scheduled hearing, after Turtlegrass had opposed Yntegra's papers, and with the court about to hear whether the works were lawful, that Yntegra came forward with an undertaking to stop.‍

Turtlegrass regards the outcome as another win for the protection of a beautiful and ecologically sensitive corner of the Exumas. We remain committed to protecting the natural environment of the Exuma Cays and will continue to pursue all available avenues to ensure that any development on Sampson Cay proceeds lawfully and with proper environmental oversight.

https://www.turtlegrassresort.com/blog/turtlegrass-pressure-leads-to-halt-of-yntegra-works-on-sampson-cay

06/08/2026

08/07/2026

Aerial footage over the North Bay of Sampson Cay. July 7th, 2026. Sediment visible in the water beyond the containment barrier.

04/07/2026

In a recent social media post, Yntegra said it is moving ahead with works on Sampson Cay with "care and attention to detail," because "protecting the environment is at the heart of every decision we make." That includes, they noted, installing specialized underwater curtains to protect the marine environment.

Here is that curtain, filmed at Sampson Cay this week. The yellow boom is meant to contain sediment stirred up by works along the shoreline. The white cloud seen escaping into open water is that sediment. This is exactly what these curtains are supposed to prevent.

This escaping sediment ends up clouding the water, and can negatively impact the surrounding ecosystem, blocking sunlight marine life depends on, and smothering seagrass, coral and ground dwelling organisms it settles over.

Does this look like ‘care and attention’ to you? Is anyone paying attention?

03/07/2026

Pending the outcome of legal challenges, development at Sampson Cay is currently subject to an injunction by the court and stay by planning authorities. That means work should not be under way. This footage was taken this week. Does this look like work is on hold to you?

02/07/2026

An important update from our appeal over the proposed Rosewood Exuma development on East Sampson Cay.

The Bahamas Subdivision and Development Appeal Board has ruled that our expert evidence on the environmental impact associated with the proposed project will be considered in our site plan appeal. The Board reached this decision after hearing arguments from both sides on whether the evidence should be considered, and the appeal will now proceed with independent expert evidence in the record.

We believe The Bahamas deserves development that protects what makes it extraordinary. Standing up for that, in every room where the decisions get made, is a responsibility we accept We are confident in the merits of our position and in the contents of the evidence we’ve put forward to the Appeal Board. Decisions about Sampson Cay should be made with the science on the table.

Read our full statement published by Eyewitness News: https://ewnews.com/turtlegrass-welcomes-board-decision-to-admit-environmental-evidence-in-rosewood-development-appeal/

07/06/2026

Important Update!

The Bahamas Supreme Court has ordered Yntegra to disclose key documents it withheld in the Rosewood Exuma case; documents central to how this project received its environmental approvals. Yntegra’s failure to provide them led to a dedicated disclosure hearing and forced a postponement of the entire trial. This ruling is a major win for the community, for transparency, and for the rule of law. Bahamians will now finally be able to see how the Yntegra project came to be granted approvals by DEPP. We are extremely pleased that the Court recognised these were key documents that the other side had failed to disclose, even as their attorneys repeatedly insisted everything relevant had already been shared.
You can read the full news article at the link below:

https://ewnews.com/turtlegrass-hails-court-disclosure-order-in-rosewood-exuma-case/

04/06/2026

Honoured to have Turtlegrass Resort CEO Bob Coughlin featured in the Cincinnati Business Courier on conservation, community, and what drives him.

The article talks about Bob's philanthropy in the US and in The Bahamas, including through Friends of Exuma, a nonprofit he founded that funds conservation, youth development, and community programs across the island chain/

It's the same conviction behind the fight to protect North Bay. Right now, a proposal to dredge the bay threatens the seagrass beds and reefs that make Exuma worth fighting for. 8,300 people have already signed. If you haven't, now's the time
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“Most people who retire are looking for less to do."

29/04/2026

The Tribune investigated Yntegra Group and raised serious questions about its CEO's track record. This is the same group now seeking approval to develop one of the Exumas' most pristine environments. The stories raised serious questions, and they deserve answers.