landmarks and attractions in bahamas

7/28/2019 Landmarks and attractions in Bahamas

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Most interesting

attractions and landmarks in

The Bahamas

Gatis Pvils, 17 July 2010

No.23. http://www.wondermondo.com/Bahamas.htmImage:Deans Blue Hole.

Ton Engwirda, Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA-3.0 Netherlands
http://www.wondermondo.com/Bahamas.htmhttp://www.wondermondo.com/Bahamas.htmhttp://www.wondermondo.com/Bahamas.htmhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dean_Blue_Hole_Long_Island_Bahamas_20110210.JPGhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/nl/deed.enhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/nl/deed.enhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dean_Blue_Hole_Long_Island_Bahamas_20110210.JPGhttp://www.wondermondo.com/Bahamas.htm


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The low lying, comparatively small Bahamas are quitepopular destination for mass tourism. Most people enjoy

here a complete relaxation without bothering too much

about travelling around and researching the intricacies

of local history and nature.

Interested visitor though will be rewarded with many

unique monuments of nature and also several excitingcultural attractions. Islands are rich with legends

including stories about unusual creatures looming in the

wild forests and swamps.

Islands consist of limestone of the former coral reefs

rised above the sea level. Here have formed thousands of

sinkholes and similar formations. Most of them aresmall and often the indigenous Lucayan people used

them as flowerpots for cultivated plants in the past.

Some sinkholes though are large and unusual. Many large sinkholes and cave systems are connected to the sea

and during the tides can be observed either incredible funnels sucking out the water (even a boat can

disappear in these funnels) or giant bulges from the incoming water. Even more exotic are black holes

these formations are unique in the world as they contain bacterial layer which generated heat heating the

water up to 40 C hot!

Big Blue Hole of Cat Island north of Cat Island. Legendary lake here supposedly lives a monster which

devours horses. Deep karst sinkhole, well connected with the sea through underwater cavities. Strong sea

induced currents may bring objects from the lake into the sea.

Black Hole of Andros South Andros. 300 m wide

and up to 47 m deep round water filled sinkhole with a

layer of violet jelly layer of bacteria at 18 metres depth.

Microoganisms have heated up the water to 40 C.

Church's Blue Hole North Andros. 140 m wide,

beautiful, almost perfectly round water filled sinkhole,

one of the many in this area. Covered with 18 m thick

layer of freshwater. Sea water starts below it.

Dean's Blue Hole Long Island. World's deepest

sinkhole in the sea, 202 metres deep and only 25 35 metres across.

Crossection of South Andros Black Hole in south north direction.Gatis Pvils, basing on S.Schwabe, R.A.Herbert,2005, CC-BY-SA-3.0

Just some 100 kilometres away from the crowdedcity of Nassau with its highrise hotels there is nearlyunexplored land with some of the most mysteriouskarst formations in the world black holes.The best known and the most impressive amongthem is theBlack Hole of Andros (The Black Holeof South Andros). Dark waters of this weird lake

hide a layer of microorganisms which have heatedwater up to 36 C.

Wondermondo is unique project: it aims to describe the most interesting man made and natural attractions /

landmarks in the whole world.

Author of website www.wondermondo.com and each article in it is Gatis Pvils. Visit the site to find a lot more

information!

Church's Blue Hole.Tim Horton, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5
http://www.wondermondo.com/Countries/NA/Bahamas/SouthAndros/AndrosBlackHole.htmhttp://www.wondermondo.com/Countries/NA/Bahamas/SouthAndros/AndrosBlackHole.htmhttp://www.wondermondo.com/Countries/NA/Bahamas/LongIsland/DeansBlueHole.htmhttp://www.wondermondo.com/Countries/NA/Bahamas/LongIsland/DeansBlueHole.htmhttp://www.wondermondo.com/index.htmhttp://www.wondermondo.com/index.htmhttp://www.wondermondo.com/index.htmhttp://www.wondermondo.com/http://www.wondermondo.com/http://www.wondermondo.com/http://www.wondermondo.com/index.htmhttp://www.wondermondo.com/Countries/NA/Bahamas/SouthAndros/AndrosBlackHole.htmhttp://www.wondermondo.com/Countries/NA/Bahamas/LongIsland/DeansBlueHole.htmhttp://www.wondermondo.com/Countries/NA/Bahamas/SouthAndros/AndrosBlackHole.htm


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Ocean Hole South Eleuthera. Rounded sinkhole filled with sea water, for most part up to 30 m deep. It

experiences sea tides as it is connected to the 300 m distant sea with underground passages. At the southwest

corner is located very deep, unexplored hole possible entrance in such passage.

Thunderball Grotto Exuma. Beautiful underwater cave sinkhole under the limestone cliffs of small

island near Staniel Cay.

There are numerous and very diverse caves in Bahamas, many still waiting for their explorers. It is speculated

that below the sea level here can be found very extensive

cave systems. Many of these caves have impressive

dropstone formations (also below the sea level) and

some contain artefacts and petroglyphs left by the extinct

Lucayan people.

Many caves with valuable finds are kept secret from

tourism industry to prevent damage to ancient artefacts

and dripstone formations.

Dunmore's Cave Long Island, near Deadman's Cay.

Cave with 2 tunnels, one unexplored tunnel leads to the

sea. Contains Lucayan petroglyphs.

Hamilton's Cave Long Island, near Deadman's Cay.

One of the most impressive cave systems in Bahamas,

460 m long, contains beautiful dripstone formations and

ancient Lucayan artefacts.

Hartford Cave Rum Cay. Seaside cave with the

carvings, possibly even writings of Lucayans.

Mystery Cave Stoking Island, Exuma. Underwatercave system with three known entrances Mystery Cave,

Angelfish Cave (both in the ocean) and the Bottomley's

Blue Hole on the island, total explored length exceeds 3

km, some tunnels are very large. Contains large amount

of endemic species of sea organisms.

Preacher's Cave North Eleuthera. Large niche

burial site of early Lucayans from 8th century AD with

few petroglyphs. First home of European settlers in

Bahamas in 1640.

Bimini Road Bimini. Unusual natural monument some 0.8 km long geological formation which

resembles ancient man-made linear structure, located in 5.5 m depth. For a while it was considered to be a

unique megalithic structure. There are several more similar sites in the Bahamas f.e.Andros Temple.

East Plana Cays Acklins. The only island where survived Bahamian Hutia (Geocapromys ingrahami

(J.A.Allen, 1891)). Population of these large rodents on this narrow, 10 km long island could reach 12,000.

Later hutia has been introduced to several more islands of Bahamas.

The Healing Hole Bimini. Unusual, mineralised spring coming up from the cave in the salt marshes of

North Bimini. Considered to have unique healing powers, although this seems to be largely exaggerated.

Sinkhole in Preacher's Cave.Paul Schultz, Flickr/CC BY 2.0
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pasfam/4233227398/in/set-72157622987162091/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/http://www.flickr.com/photos/pasfam/4233227398/in/set-72157622987162091/


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St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church Long Island.

Beautiful Art Deco style church built after 1946 by Father

Jerome Hawes.

Grey Lady of Great Isaac Cay Bimini. Small island site of legends, reputedly haunted by a spirit of mother

deceased in shipwreck nearby and looking for her child.

Rich with other stories as well.

Atlantis Paradise Island New Providence.

Enormous resort complex with the first highrise building

in Bahamas, which in many respects symbolises

contemporary Bahamas. Built in 1997 2007,

impressive Postmodern architecture.

Atlantis Paradise Island.Fotodawg, Flickr / CC BY 2.0

landmarks and attractions in bahamas

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