Penned by Sharon Flax Brutus. 8/12/2026

*Dearest Gentle Reader*,

Who am I? Sharon Flax Brutus - apparently the troublemaker -  to ask Officialdom to come to the public within 48 hours with a release clarifying proposed restrictions to public access at The Baths and Spring Bay?

Well, Gentle Reader, I asked.

The 48 hours have passed.
And as I write this, the public clarification I requested has not come.

So here I am. Not because I want confrontation. Not because I want to accuse anyone of anything. But because I could not live with my conscience as a Virgin Gordian, knowing what I now know and not sharing my concerns with the community that raised me. I have already lost two nights of sleep.

When I first received information that The Baths and Spring Bay could possibly be restricted to the general public during certain periods in order to accommodate private groups, I hoped - with everything in me - that what I had been told was not true.

Because this one hurts.

Virgin Gorda is not simply where I live or where I work. It is home. It is part of who I am. It is the community that raised me. I grew up loving this little island, understanding how special it is, and believing that some things - particularly our beaches and our natural treasures - are part of our collective heritage.

The Baths and Spring Bay are two of those places.

Before saying anything publicly, I did what I thought was the responsible thing. I reached out to Officialdom seeking clarification. I genuinely wanted someone to tell me:
“Sharon, what you heard is not true.”

Instead, I was stunned when, in those conversations, it was indicated that the substance of what I had heard was indeed true.

It was during those conversations that I asked that Officialdom come to the public within 48 hours with a release clearly explaining the restrictions -  what exactly is proposed, when and how often they would apply, the extent of the restricted access, the reasoning behind the decision and how it is intended to work.

I believed 48 hours was reasonable.

Apparently, some may ask who I am to set a deadline for Officialdom.

Fair question. I have no special authority. I am simply a Virgin Gordian asking questions about two places that mean an extraordinary amount to the people of this island.

And now that the 48 hours have passed without the requested public clarification, I believe I have a responsibility to share what I know and, equally importantly, to ask for the details that I do not know.

This is not a call for confrontation. It is a call for openness. It is a request for information. Perhaps there are circumstances, considerations or details that the wider public does not yet know.

That is precisely why Officialdom coming to the public is so important.
Let us hear the rationale. Let us understand what is being proposed.
Let us understand how frequently it will happen, for how long, who will be affected, what benefits are anticipated, and what safeguards will be put in place to ensure that we do not create a precedent with consequences we never intended.

I believe the people of Virgin Gorda and the wider BVI deserve that clarity.

I am in the tourism business. I understand the value of exclusivity. I believe in curated experiences. I make my living helping to create those special “wow” moments that cause our guests to fall in love with Virgin Gorda and return year after year.

So this is not about being anti-tourism or anti-business.
It is about asking whether, in our desire to create extraordinary experiences, there are some places where we should be especially careful about restricting public access.
For me, The Baths and Spring Bay are two of those places.

I do not believe that this is what Dr. O’Neal intended when he sold The Baths to the people of The Virgin Islands. 

Perhaps there is a financial consideration. Perhaps there are operational considerations. Perhaps there is information that will help us better understand why this decision was made.
Then please share it with us.

There may even be alternative ways to accomplish the same objective -  premium experiences, enhanced services and other opportunities that generate additional revenue while preserving reasonable public access.
Surely we are creative enough to find them.
I am not suggesting that I have all the answers.I am simply asking that we have the conversation. Because this is bigger than one group. It is bigger than one day.  And it is bigger than one tourism season.

The Baths and Spring Bay are part of the story of Virgin Gorda.

Generations of us have grown up knowing their rocks, their beaches and their waters. We have shared them proudly with the world. They are part of what makes our little island so extraordinarily special. That is why decisions about access to them matter so deeply.

What concerns me particularly is the indication that this may not be a one-off occurrence.
If that is the case, then surely it deserves careful consideration and public understanding before it becomes an established practice.
Because once something becomes established practice, it becomes much harder to ask how and why we allowed it to begin.

So, Gentle Reader, here we are.
The 48 hours I requested have passed.

I sincerely wished that a public statement was given priority and this would have  allowed all of us to better understand what is being proposed.  But I’ve not seen a statement nor have I had any conversations that truly make sense. 

And so I am doing what my conscience and my angel from above Norma tells me I must do.

I am sharing my concern with the community that raised me.
Not to inflame. Not to accuse.Not to create confrontation. But to ask for openness, details and conversation.  Maybe more voices can help us to get some answers. 

We can welcome the world. We can create extraordinary experiences. We can grow our tourism economy. But surely we can do all of that while protecting the things that are part of who we are.

Some things deserve particular care.
Some decisions deserve public discussion.

And some places are simply too deeply woven into the fabric of a community for us not to ask questions.

For me, The Baths and Spring Bay will always be among them.

Until next time, Gentle Reader…
Your resident troublemaker,

 ‘Norma’s Girl’