Eleuthera, Bahamas March 2022
Eleuthera, it’s still not for everyone.
Eleuthera is 110 miles (180km) long and in few places more than 1 mile (1.6km) wide. To its east is the Atlantic Ocean and to its west is the Caribbean Sea. Its located 50mi (80km) east of Nassau and forms part of the Great Bahama Bank. The name Eleuthera comes from the greek (eleutheros) meaning “free” and was given to the island by the “Eleuthera Adventurers” who landed on the north shore of the island in the 1640s. They were a group of English Puritans and religious independents that had come from Bermuda with religious freedom as the driving force. They were expelled from Bermuda for failure to swear allegiance to the crown becoming the first concerted European effort to colonize The Bahamas.
The island is home to what is considered the “Narrowest Place on Earth” or the Glass Window Bridge. Measuring only 30 feet at its narrowest this tiny strip of land is the only thing separating the Atlantic Ocean from the Caribbean Sea. It is also home to an estimated 150 beaches that line both coastlines. Often, you can visit a beach without another soul in sight, which is what attracts many of its visitors.
Cocodimama (Alabaster/Receiver’s) Beach
A beach with three names! I prefer to call it Cocodimama Beach, it’s also called “Alabaster Beach” (on Google) and it was known as “Receiver’s Beach” during the US Navy occupation of Eleuthera from 1950 to 1980 because it would receive US Navy ships and personnel at the pier to its south. Its located on the western coast of the island and is a quintessential Caribbean beach with soft white sand and shallow water. The beach stretches for more than a mile starting just south of the Governor’s Harbor Airport. The southern edge of the beach is formed by Alabaster Bluff which provides protection from southerly winds, another reason why the beach is often calm. The many trees that line the beach and provide shade for beachgoers also makes Cocodimama one of the most popular beaches on the island.
Coral Coastline
The Bahamas are well known for light blue waters and coral reefs. Eleuthera is no different! The barrier reef on both coasts (Atlantic and Caribbean) are vital to the ecosystem of the island playing 5 key roles. The reef on the Atlantic side provides protection for the coastline by breaking up large waves during high tides and storm surges reducing erosion and damage to the island from extreme weather. Both coasts boast critical underwater nurseries which are thought to be home to over a quarter of the world’s fish population which rely on these shallow reefs for breeding and nursing. These vital nurseries further serve to provide a food source for millions of people. One of the most important roles of the reefs is ocean filtration. They utilize CO₂ from the ocean water to form hard shells reducing emissions from the ocean into the atmosphere. Lastly, they provide an economic benefit from eco-tourism. Without care and awareness for these reefs the impacts of destruction or degradation could be catastrophic for humans most notably Bahamians.
Cathedral “Spider” Caves & Boiling Hole
Eleuthera’s Karst Topography (formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite and gypsum) has contributed to a large number of caves and blue holes on the island. The Boiling Hole and Cathedral Caves are two of these features which are located just south of Rock Sound across the road from the Allen Chapel AME Church. When you enter the path from the road you first arrive at the boiling hole which gets its name from the gas building up at the bottom and bubbling to the surface. Upon continuing down the path there’s a wooden ladder that you must descend to enter the caves. Once there you can see roots cascade down from the trees above extending all the way to the cave floor. Due to its shallow nature and exposed holes on the cave ceiling light is allowed to pass through and flashlights are not needed.
Ocean Hole - Rock Sound
Eleuthera’s Ocean hole is a large inland salt water lake that sits on a protected park roughly 2 acres in size and approximately 1 mile from the ocean in the settlement of Rock Sound. The Bahamas government designated it a protected area in 1970 and has invested in various infrastructure since then. Across most of the Ocean Hole, the max depth is 101-110 ft but it has one section in the Southwest corner that was thought for some time to be bottomless. It was verified that this “bottomless” hole actually connects to the ocean through a test with traceable dye; however, it is sufficiently deep that no fish from the ocean pass under to the ocean hole. The fish that live there today were placed there in the past and also do not migrate out to the ocean due to the depth of the pass through.
South Palmetto Point
South Palmetto Point is a settlement in Central Eleuthera located on the Caribbean side of the island approximately 13 mi (21 km) south of Governors Harbor Airport and 5 mi (8 km) south of Governors Harbor itself with Savannah Sound 4 miles to its south. Its central location and remote nature make it a perfect place to vacation. The island is 112 mi (180km) long and South Palmetto Point lies 51 mi (82 km) from Sapphire Blue Hole in the north and 45 mi (73 km) from Lighthouse Beach in the south making it the perfect area to stay to reach all of the islands beaches and attractions. Its two beach, South Palmetto Point Beach and Pawpaw Beach offer two remote and unique beach experiences on Eleuthera. With an estimated 150 beaches on Eleuthera each offers a unique experience with South Palmetto Point Beach offering a shallow white sand beach and Pawpaw Beach offering an isolated beach that’s difficult to get to with rocky shores. If you want privacy, either of these are a great option.
Desert Rose (Adenium Obesum)
The Desert Rose is a semi-succulent shrub or small tree that grows from 3.3-9.8 ft (1–3 m) in height which is poisonous to humans if ingested due to the cardiac glycosides (class of organic compounds that increase the output force of the heart and decrease its rate of contractions) it produces. It is classified as Toxicity Category 2 (moderately toxic and moderately irritating), with Category 1 (highly toxic and severely irritating) being the most severe. It has pachycaul stems (plants with disproportionately thick trunk for its’ height) and a stout, swollen basal caudex (a fat, swollen stem, trunk, or aboveground roots). It is a rather slow-growing plant, only growing about 12 inches per year. Their vibrant flowers are 1-2 in (2.5-5 cm) long, funnel-shaped, 5-lobed and clustered at the ends of branches. They are white, pink or red in color often pale in the center with darker edges.
Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia Milii)
Crown of Thorns is a woody succulent subshrub or shrub that’s native to Madagascar; however, it can be found all around the world today as a houseplant. It is slow growing reaching 3-6 ft (.9-1.8 m) outdoors or 2 ft (.6 m) indoors and can bloom all year round. It is one of the few succulents with real leaves having bright, colorful bracts (a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure) that surround very small flowers. The bracts can be red, yellow, or pink and appear at the ends of 2 in (5cm) stalks. The more intense the light it receives, the longer and more often they bloom. Its sap is moderately poisonous to humans and can cause sever stomach pain, throat and mouth irritation and vomiting. It has been recommended by WHO (World Health Organization) for use in aiding snail control, especially in endemic countries.
White-Cheeked Pintail (Anas Bahamensis)
The White-cheeked (or Bahama) Pintail Duck is a species of dabbling duck (feed mainly at the surface rather than diving) which can be found in the Caribbean, South America and the Galapagos. They live in areas of brackish water such as mangroves, estuaries and brackish ponds. They are mainly brown with distinctive white cheeks, throat and tail and black bill with red at the base on either side. They feed on aquatic plants and small animals obtained by dabbling (to immerse hands or feet partially in water and move them around gently). This pair was found in a brackish pond near Cocodimama Beach.
Northern Curly-Tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus Carinatus)
The Norther Curly-Tailed Lizard is part of the family of iguanas and is native to The Bahamas, Cuba and the Cayman Islands. They are omnivores (eats plants and animals) and have often been known to eat other lizards. Their main habitat includes arid and urban forest regions, where there is easy access to rocks to use as shelters and they are also found on beaches where they bury themselves in the sand after sunset. Their dorsal scales are keeled (have a ridge down the center that may or may not extend to the tip of the scale) and pointed. Their most notable feature, their curly tail, is used to warn off predators and also indicate when no predators are present. They were introduced to Palm Beach Florida in the 1940’s to combat sugar cane pests and are now considered invasive.
Bahamian Green Anole (Anolis Smaragdinus)
The Bahamian Green Anole is endemic (found unique in only one part of the world) to The Bahamas. Male anoles tend to be larger and with larger heads and a thicker tail than females. They also have larger and more colorful dewlaps (throat fan). They often change colors from dark brown to a vivid green depending on their surroundings (temperature and humidity). They are able to adhere to and climb smooth surfaces due to the millions of microscopic fibers on the pads of their toes. They are semi-arboreal (tree-climbing) and diurnal (active during the day). Males court females by bobbing their heads up and down and pushing up and down with their front legs. Like other lizards, anoles have developed the defense mechanism of releasing or “dropping” their tails to escape if grabbed by the tail by a predator. A new tail will generally grow back in a few weeks, but it is rarely the original color, texture or size.
Golden Silk Orb Weaver (Trichonephila Clavipes)
The Golden Silk Orb Weaver is the only species of genus Nephila (orb weaving spiders) that can be found in the Western Hemisphere. They inhabit forests and wooded areas from the southern US and the West Indies and as far south as Argentina. As is typical with most spiders, there is little real danger from an encounter with them. It will bite only if held or pinched, and the bite itself will produce only localized pain with a slight redness which quickly goes away and is much less severe than a bee sting. Prey consists of a wide variety of small to medium-sized flying insects, including flies, bees, wasps, small moths and butterflies. The silk of their web usually has a golden color which is visible to the naked eye giving them their common name of “Golden Silk” Orb Weaving Spider.
Nerita Plicata (tropical sea snail)
Nerita Plicata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk characterized by a globose shell, elevated spire, and strong spiral ribs. To help regulate temperature and avoid desiccation (to dry out or remove moisture), individuals of Nerita plicata often cluster or form dense aggregates as seen here. Upon settlement in the upper intertidal, juveniles and adults feed by scraping microalgae and cyanobacteria from hard, rocky substrate using a radula (a structure of tiny teeth used for scraping food particles off a surface and drawing them into the mouth). Sexes are separate, with males and females engaging in copulation with internal fertilization. Following mating, females deposit egg capsules containing multiple eggs that develop and hatch into larvae. Individuals can reach up to 1.4 in (3.5 cm) in length.
Storm Front at Between the Rocks Beach
On an island you are surrounded by the relatively flat ocean allowing you to see for miles around providing some of the most amazing views of the passing skies. Because of this, you can typically see a storm coming from a distance and watch it leave when it’s over.
Clouds are made up of countless microscopic water droplets that scatter incoming light from the sun, only allowing a small fraction of it to reach our eyes. The more water droplets in the cloud, the darker it will appear. This storm slowly approached with a distinct storm front creating this starkly contrasting skyline. The stark contrast highlights the edge of this storm giving warning of impending rain.
Waves on the Caribbean Coast
The island of Eleuthera has over 150 beaches which face in every direction; north, south, east and west. The large number of beaches that face every nautical direction make this a perfect beach island no matter the direction of the wind or weather. Eleuthera straddles the divide between the Atlantic Ocean, with beaches along its eastern shore, and the Caribbean Sea, with beaches along its western shore. As you traverse the island from south to north the island bends westward creating beaches that face both to the north and south ensuring that no matter the direction of the wind, there is always a calm beach to visit.
Sunset at South Palmetto Point
The sun always sets in the West! Depending on your latitude (distance north or south from the equator) and the axial tilt of the earth (think seasons) the sun will set at a different angle in the sky. Given a constant latitude, as the seasons change the earths axis, as it relates to the sun, also changes. This can be most easily noticed by finding true West on a compass and noting the location on the horizon, as compared to true West, which the sun sets each day. During the summer solstice (June 20th or 21st) the sun is directly over its northernmost point or the Tropic of Cancer which lies at latitude 23.4°N. After this point the sun will set further south in the sky every day until the Winter Solstice (December 21st or 22nd) when it reaches the Tropic of Capricorn located at 23.4°S, its southernmost point in the sky. This sunset was on March 26, 2022 at South Palmetto Point or latitude 25.1°N when the sun was directly over 2.2°N (just north of the equator). As it relates to True West, the sun set to the south on the horizon.
Receive's Beach Old Navy Pier
Duck in the pond at Cocodimama Beach
Sunrise in South Palmetto Point
Oil Pump at abandoned Naval Base
Ocean Waves at Cocodimama Beach
White Desert Rose
Abandoned Navel Base near Cocodimama Beach
Mexican Prickly Poppy
Caribbean Shoreline
Clouds at Sunset in South Palmetto Point
Yellow Elder at Island Farms
Produce at Island Farm
Rainbow Bay Beach (right side)
Rainbow Bay Beach (left side)