The temptation to sneak a little something past customs agents can be hard to resist. Maybe it’s an exquisite lavender honey from Provence, France or a treasure from the ELTE Botanical Garden in Hungary. Sometimes the most desired souvenirs aren’t the ones you pay for, but the ones you find and tuck in a pocket. But if every visitor takes one, there might not be anything left. This is especially important for natural resources.
Instead of relying on the honor system, countries have procedures in place to prevent the trafficking of protected materials. Even if it is something as seemingly innocuous as a beach treasure.
This lesson was illustrated very clearly by frequent cruiser Sail in Style (@sailinstylelife) while visiting Ocean Cay in the Bahamas.
In a short TikTok recorded on Ocean Cay, Sail in Style offered a quick view around a screening area where good-natured but strict agents confiscate contraband. The video, which is one of several from her cruise, has been viewed over 297,000 times, highlights some of the items people try to smuggle out, especially the coral.
Under onscreen text that said: “You really thought you could take protected coral as a souvenir??” the camera cuts between a smiling agent and a tub full of coral pieces and conch shells. Over the appropriate music Come Check This, the agent can just be heard saying: “Yes!” And his yes has got the energy of the man who can’t believe that, even after warning and instruction, people still try to hide chunks of coral in their bags and pockets.
But as Sail in Style notes in the caption, “Ocean Cay security will catch you every time,” she wrote. Located about 119 miles west of Nassau, Bahamas, Ocean Cay is a private island and marine sanctuary that belongs to MSC Cruises. There, the focus is on the protection and restoration of ocean coral. It has been designated a “Hope Spot” by Mission Blue, an organization that weds science to advocacy for planetary health through ocean health.
Holding something small and beautiful in your hands while remembering a wonderful trip is one of the small pleasures of life. And coral is just the kind of memento that can bring back such memories.
However, as one user, Steve/Luke noted, “Coral reefs are so essential to the environment.” To which Sail in Style added: “100%. They protect coastlines, support marine life, and take YEARS to grow… once they’re gone, they’re gone.”
Another user revealed how serious customs can be about keeping out flora and fauna. They brought back a seemingly harmless item purchased on vacation, and it was confiscated by customs. “I had bought a $5.00 bamboo hat once while on a cruise. We were doing a tour and I needed extra sun protection lol. Didn’t think anything of it until we docked back in Miami and they immediately confiscated it,” wrote Bear & Sammy.
But not everyone has gotten busted by security, “I have coral, seashells, conches, and sea glass and never once did the airport stop me lolll,” admitted Jayden.
When you travel internationally, upon re-entry to the United States, you’re asked to declare food, plants, wildlife and medications (among other things) acquired abroad. This is to prevent harmful foreign pests and possible diseases from getting a foothold in the country to potentially devastating effect.
But the protection of coral in leaving Ocean Cay isn’t as much about preventing harmful entities from leaving as it is about protecting the island’s fragile ecosystem. As a Hope Spot, the cay is considered a part of a critical network of biodiverse places contributing to the health of an existing marine area, and thereby the overall health of the planet.
Ocean Cay is currently home to “94 fragments of critically endangered elkhorn [coral], representing four distinct genotypes, and seeking to increase the number to 1,100,” reports Mission Blue. So harvesting even a little could harm these coral, which have already sustained major losses.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Disease and Health Consortium reports that since the 1980s, the elkhorn coral population declined 97% from white band disease. Then heat waves in 2023 and 2024 killed 89%-100% of known wild and restored colonies in the Florida Keys.
So forgoing a small souvenir might not seem like much in the way of conservancy, but its one small thing travelers can do to help coral colonies recover. Because coral reefs help protect the planet. So they need protecting too.
BoardingArea reached out to Sail in Style via TikTok direct message and with a comment on her post. We will update this when she gets back to us.
@sailinstylelife Ocean Cay security will stop you every time 👀 #cruisetiktok #oceancay #mscworldamerica #peoplebelike #fy ♬ Come Check This (Quickie Edit) – FETISH
