Posted on May 6, 2026
By Simon Boxall
Physical works linked to the Grand Cayman Marriott Resort beach restoration project have begun, with crews now relocating part of the Cayman-Jamaica Fiber System subsea cable to make way for planned coastal structures.
Flow Cayman confirmed on 29 April that coastal works associated with the Marriott beach replenishment project require the “safe and permanent relocation” of the fiber system offshore cable landing route by approximately 25 yards south of its current location.
Coastal works license on the fence at the Grand Cayman Marriott Resort
The company said, “Liberty Networks remains the operator of the subsea cable and will closely supervise the relocation works.” Flow Cayman, as owner of the landing station and licensee, said it had engaged an experienced third-party contractor to carry out the work.
“To facilitate the project, there will be a short, planned maintenance window during which traffic on the CJFS cable will be temporarily redirected to the Maya subsea cable,” Flow Cayman said. “This will allow the relocation to be completed while maintaining connectivity and minimizing any potential impact to customers.”
On site this week, the project manager with Subsea Marine Services, said the original conduit, installed in the 1990s, was “jam-packed with sand”.
“We are currently breaking up some of the sand and getting it out,” he said, explaining that crews must clear the conduit, install new HDPE pipe and splice in a new armoured cable section before the wider shoreline works can proceed.
An employee of Subsea Marine Services considers how to clear a sand blockage from the submarine cable conduit on 29 April
The cable, which links Cayman and Jamaica, came into service in 1997 and remains part of Cayman’s international telecommunications infrastructure. Flow said it had worked closely with the Department of Planning, Department of Environment and OfReg on the relocation.
The cable move clears the way for the Marriott’s long-awaited beach restoration project, which is expected to include the importation of up to 8,000 cubic yards of sand, relocation of more than 200 reef balls, scour protection at the existing seawall and construction of two low-profile rock groynes.
A computer-generated image shows how the modified beach would look
The project aims to restore a usable beach in front of the resort, where chronic erosion has left little to no sand at times in recent years. As previously reported by the Compass, Marriott general manager Hermes Cuello said the goal was to begin work in early summer and have the beach restored before the winter tourism season.
Government has approved a full waiver of coastal works permit fees for the project, with an estimated value close to $1 million.
While the restoration is significant good news for the Marriott and for the southern end of Seven Mile Beach, the Department of Environment has warned that the project also carries wider implications.
In its coastal works review, the Department of Environment said the proposed groynes would be “precedent-setting” for Seven Mile Beach and could encourage other properties affected by erosion to seek similar structures or other individual fixes.
“There is a very real and high risk that granting permission for these structures will result in nearby properties coming forward with their own proposals for groyne structures,” the Department of Environment stated.
The department said “one of the worst outcomes” would be “uncoordinated and suboptimal groynes” being placed along Seven Mile Beach, permanently changing the island’s image.
The Department of Environment nevertheless recommended approval, noting the Marriott proposal had been supported by modelling, surveys, technical review and a monitoring programme. It also recommended the groynes be treated as temporary and removable if they fail to perform as intended or cause unacceptable impacts.
The department maintained that “a comprehensive regional beach nourishment project remains the best solution” for the wider southern Seven Mile Beach area.
