|
By Seeta Terry Shaw Roath
The most northern of the major Bahamian islands, Grand Bahama lies just 75 miles off the coast of Florida. The city, Freeport, has all the conveniences of a city yet is minutes away from the wonders of nature.
Out of all the 700 islands and cays that make up the Islands of the Bahamas, Grand Bahama Island has the distinction of hosting the second highest number of native bird species. For birdwatchers and nature lovers, the island is a true mecca, a place where they can see 18 of the 28 species of Bahamian birds that are not seen in the United States, Canada, or Europe.
Just five minutes away from business activities, the Bahamas National Trust Rand Memorial Nature Centre has nature trails through 100 acres of protected Bahamian forest featuring graceful pink flamingoes, the national bird of the Bahamas, and 21 species of native orchids.
The goal of this Center is to preserve the natural Grand Bahamian habitat as a heritage for future generations. Over 130 Bahamian plants have been identified. These include the whiskbroom fern, believed to have been the first plant in the world to stand upright; the uniola, a springy grass used by Bahamians to stuff mattresses; the sharp-pointed agave, with leaves which serve as needles and threads; and the love vine, thought to be a powerful aphrodisiac.
The Garden of the Groves is close by with thousands of exotic plants and flowers from around the world amid waterfalls, streams, ponds, flamingoes and lush fern gullies.
Through a pine forest, only a few miles away, is the Lucayan National Park that features the largest explored underwater cave system in the world, along with trails leading through a forest of tamarind and gamalemi trees, a mangrove swamp, and a number of blue holes.
Hydroflora Gardens, located in Freeport, offers visitors a fascinating look into the science and technique of hydroponics – growing plants without soil. The tropical and sub-tropical flowers and plants produced on this five-acre compound are as beautiful as their growth process is interesting. Among the unusual exhibits are several of what are called “Bible” plants and a sunken garden.
Then there is Paradise Cove, 15 miles from the International Bazaar in Freeport, on the southwestern shore of the island. It offers direct access to Deadman’s Reef, which abounds with a myriad of marine life, and Duck Pond, which is known for its wild ducks and wetland birds, such as egrets and blue herons.
An outstanding natural attraction on the island is the Dolphin Experience located at the Underwater Explorers Society (UNEXSO). Visitors can not only see and learn about dolphins and sharks, but also swim with them, pet them, and sign up as an assistant trainer. UNEXSO’s 13 dolphins are free to come and go as they wish. They live in pens at the UNEXSO facility, but are released into the open sea several times a week to rendezvous with divers at a nearby reef for the “Dolphin Dive” experience. Although this has never happened, if the dolphins wished they could simply swim off and never return.
As part of one of the largest reef systems on earth, the reefs of the Grand Bahama island are spectacular in both geographical scope and biological diversity. Among the island’s underwater treasures are the hawksbill turtle, seahorses, dolphins, Caribbean reef sharks, and dozens of species of both coral and fish.
Photo courtesy of www.bahamasimagebank.com |
