By Suzanne A. Marshall on the June 2020 Edition
It isn’t something we would normally think about, as we take the world for granted in so many ways. But on May 1, 2020, we received a call that morning from a local friend saying make sure you’re on your terrace watching Manzanillo Bay at noon. And be prepared to record video. And so, we did!
At exactly 12 noon, every ship in the bay began blowing their ship horns as we listened in wonder. This was an orga-nized tribute for seafarers aboard ships around the world that are unable to return or disembark at ports due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Have you ever spent any time thinking about those huge vessels coming and going from port, loaded with immense piles of containers, bringing traded goods back and forth, from around the world? Even car carriers are a common site here in Manzanillo.
We certainly knew about the cruise ship tragedies around the world and so many cases of the disease that left many of them stranded at sea like floating incubators. Well, guess what? I have since learned that there are 1,647,500 sea-farers working around the world to bring us about 90 percent of the world’s trade. 90 percent!
As I have since come to learn, the ship horn demonstration was heard at ports all around the world. Synchronized to make the world aware that (as I am told) there are 150,000 sailors aboard these ships that are due for crew changes on May 15, 2020. It does not appear that that is going to happen. I have no information as to the presence of COVID-19 aboard these vessels. One can only ponder and make assumptions that there must be some, given their exposure in every port of call.
So, let’s all salute these people sailing out there, helping get our needs met and pray that they will be able to come home to their family and loved ones soon.
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Suzanne A. Marshall hails from western Canada and has been living the good life in Manzanillo over the past 8 years. She is a wife, mom and grandma. She is retired from executive business management where her writing skills focused on bureaucratic policy, marketing and business newsletters. Now she shares the fun and joy of writing about everyday life experiences in beautiful Manzanillo, Mexico, the country, its people, the places and the events.
