Giant vessel off Bonita Beach sparks questions as WINK News digs into international fiber optic project

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (WINK) — A massive vessel sitting just off the coast of Bonita Beach has caught the attention of beachgoers for days, prompting calls to WINK News from viewers wondering what it's doing offshore.

The questions come just one week after WINK News reported on TelcoSub's project to bring an international submarine fiber optic cable ashore in Bonita Springs. The project will connect to a cable landing station near Imperial River Road before linking Florida with Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador.

After viewers began asking whether the vessel could be connected to that project, WINK News started digging.

Colton Baugh, a crew member with Bonita JetSkis & Parasailing, said the ship has become a topic of conversation among customers.

"People were like, 'What are they doing out there?' We probably answered that question 50 times."

Baugh said the large vessel wasn't working alone.

"They had three other boats out there, like the Coast Guard and two other diver boats, and then the big rig all the way out there."

He also noticed activity happening beneath the water's surface.

"You could see the sand and the water getting kicked up, and it would just kind of go along with the current."

As part of the reporting, WINK News tracked the vessel using MarineTraffic, which identifies it as Sarah Bordelon, an American multipurpose offshore vessel. The tracking information shows it traveled from Louisiana and is now positioned off the coast of Bonita Beach.

To learn more, WINK News reviewed the same state and federal permits used in last week's reporting. 

Those documents describe an international communications project that includes bringing a submarine fiber-optic cable ashore in Bonita Springs using a main cable-laying vessel, small support boats, and a marine dive crew working nearshore.

The City of Bonita Springs also provided WINK News with local permitting documents approving work within the city, including installation of a temporary horizontal drilling pit to bring the undersea cable ashore before it continues underground to the cable landing station.

WINK News asked the City of Bonita Springs whether the offshore work currently taking place is connected to the project.

A city spokesperson said it "certainly could be," but explained the work taking place offshore falls outside the city's jurisdiction because the city's authority begins at the Coastal Construction Control Line and extends landward.

The spokesperson said the city is working to gather more information, but could not confirm whether the vessels currently offshore are part of the project.

WINK News also reached out to TelcoSub, the vessel operator, and Logan Diving & Salvage, seeking confirmation.  Logan Diving & Salvage Representatives said no one was available to comment because of the holiday.

While the permits describe the type of offshore operation required to install the international fiber optic cable, our team has not independently confirmed that the vessels currently off Bonita Beach are performing that work.

We’ll continue following the story and update this article as more information becomes available.