Tourists watched with amusement and a bit of frustration as armed sailors from the Mexico Navy portioned off the beach in front of the Gran Caribe Real hotel following claims that the hotel had illegally pumped sand from the ocean floor.After exceedingly high tides and rough waves caused by Hurricane Wilma eroded the beach in 2005, Mexico spent some $19 million to pump sand back onto the shore, but the action of the waves has slowly been eroding it away again.
To disrupt the erosion process, some hotels have begun to build concrete or rock jetties at the waterline to help keep the sand in place, but this is the first time that a hotel has actually been accused of using underwater pumps to move the sand from deeper waters and onto the beach.
Officials with the Mexico environmental enforcement agency that five people were detained and the beach was considered a crime scene and would remain closed until the matter is settled.Sunbathers moved to another beach and the hotel is arranging to accommodate guests as much as possible during the interim.
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