Why did Treasure Island drain its famous lagoon?

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – A social media post Saturday might lead you to believe that cyber pirates are wreaking havoc on the Las Vegas Strip.

“The hackers have drained Treasure Island,” Las Vegas blogger Jacob Orth posted on X, along with a video panning out showing a dried-up lagoon outside the Strip resort. It’s as if the pirate ships are in dry dock.

But resort officials said Monday it was routine maintenance. On Tuesday, Treasure Island issued the following statement: “Siren’s Cove is scheduled for annual maintenance, which involves cleaning and maintaining all of the pipes in the well. This process will take approximately four to six weeks.”

There are no more pirate battles. Those ended in 2003 when MGM acquired Mirage Resorts and renamed “The Battle of Buccaneer Bay” to “Sirens of TI,” just as Treasure Island was renamed on its Strip marquee. But everyone still calls it Treasure Island.

After purchasing the resort from MGM for $775 million in 2009, Phil Ruffin took over management.

Sirens of TI was intended to appeal to a more mature audience, but this free show was also a flop and closed in 2013. The show cost an estimated $5 million a year and was quite a spectacle, running four times a night, with pyrotechnics and pirates diving into the lagoon.

Like the Mirage’s volcano and the later fountains at the Bellagio, the free pirate shows drew crowds to the Strip. The Treasure Island boardwalk along the Strip filled up as show times approached.

Today, Siren’s Cove serves as the backdrop for a first-class patio restaurant, Señor Frog’s, and as the Strip entrance for the country chain Gilley’s.