Blue Lagoon Island
Encyclopedia
Blue Lagoon Island is a private island
located 5 km (three miles) from Nassau, Bahamas
and serves as a local tourist attraction.
In 1875, Charles King-Harmon, an Englishman who was later knighted and became Governor of Cyprus
, bought the island from the British Crown for 35 Pounds. He owned it for 11 years, until he sold it to a Bahamian, Sir Augustus John Adderley, for 105 British Pounds. Adderley kept it for six years. Two Americans who wanted to cultivate corn
and vegetables offered him 145 Pounds. The farming effort failed and in 1902 they sold it to Abraham Van Winkle for a ten Pounds loss (135 British Pounds).
Van Winkle hired hundreds of laborers to dredge out the salt marsh and blasted a cut into the lagoon from the sea, planted 5,000 palm trees
and built over a mile of meandering concrete paths. He later imported a zoo of monkey
s, peacocks
, turkeys
, pheasant
s, parrot
s, and iguanas
to populate the paradise garden. He shared the island with the public by bringing guests over on his boat at a rate of $1 per person.
From 1916 to 1979 (63 years) the island was owned by the McCutcheon family. John T. McCutcheon was The Chief Foreign Correspondent of the Chicago Tribune
, a Pulitzer Prize
winner, and political cartoonist. He purchased the island (Salt Cay) by mail sight unseen for $17,500 from the estate of Van Winkle, a New Jersey
manufacturer who had died. He called it Treasure Island and for decades it was known under that name in The Bahamas
.
Part of the charm of the island used to be the primitive living conditions.
During World War II, the island was requisitioned for a year by the allies
for use as a secret training base for three teams of British and American underwater demolition squads who would swim the seven miles (11 km) around the island every day. Explosives and depth charges were blown up regularly around the island, and in the evenings, just for fun, they would toss hand grenades over the cliff. It was felt that the concussions weakened the cliff so much that it caused the small fort to collapse.
In October 1979, L.A. Meister, purchased the island.
In 1991, a storm cut the island in two at the northwestern corner of the lagoon where the current bridge is located. On a sunny, clear, windless day, the island experienced 9 metre (30 foot) swells generated by the storm over 2000 km (1,242.7 mi) away.
Private island
A private island is a disconnected body of land wholly owned by a single private citizen or corporation. Although this exclusivity gives the owner substantial control over the property, they still fall within the jurisdiction of national and sometimes local governments.-Ownership:There are many...
located 5 km (three miles) from Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
and serves as a local tourist attraction.
History
Prior to the late 19th century the island's lagoon was a salt marsh and was referred to legally as Salt Cay. The Island became a stopover for pirates and privateers who used the island to cull salt from the lagoon to preserve their food and as a rest stop while they waited for permission to enter Nassau Harbour.In 1875, Charles King-Harmon, an Englishman who was later knighted and became Governor of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, bought the island from the British Crown for 35 Pounds. He owned it for 11 years, until he sold it to a Bahamian, Sir Augustus John Adderley, for 105 British Pounds. Adderley kept it for six years. Two Americans who wanted to cultivate corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
and vegetables offered him 145 Pounds. The farming effort failed and in 1902 they sold it to Abraham Van Winkle for a ten Pounds loss (135 British Pounds).
Van Winkle hired hundreds of laborers to dredge out the salt marsh and blasted a cut into the lagoon from the sea, planted 5,000 palm trees
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
and built over a mile of meandering concrete paths. He later imported a zoo of monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
s, peacocks
Peafowl
Peafowl are two Asiatic species of flying birds in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae, best known for the male's extravagant eye-spotted tail, which it displays as part of courtship. The male is called a peacock, the female a peahen, and the offspring peachicks. The adult female...
, turkeys
Turkey (bird)
A turkey is a large bird in the genus Meleagris. One species, Meleagris gallopavo, commonly known as the Wild Turkey, is native to the forests of North America. The domestic turkey is a descendant of this species...
, pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
s, parrot
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
s, and iguanas
Iguanidae
Iguanidae is a family of lizards, composed of iguanas and related species.-Classification of Iguanidae:Two different classification schemes have been used to define the structure of this family. These are the "traditional" classification and the classification presented by Frost et al. .Frost et...
to populate the paradise garden. He shared the island with the public by bringing guests over on his boat at a rate of $1 per person.
From 1916 to 1979 (63 years) the island was owned by the McCutcheon family. John T. McCutcheon was The Chief Foreign Correspondent of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, a Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winner, and political cartoonist. He purchased the island (Salt Cay) by mail sight unseen for $17,500 from the estate of Van Winkle, a New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
manufacturer who had died. He called it Treasure Island and for decades it was known under that name in The Bahamas
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
.
Part of the charm of the island used to be the primitive living conditions.
During World War II, the island was requisitioned for a year by the allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
for use as a secret training base for three teams of British and American underwater demolition squads who would swim the seven miles (11 km) around the island every day. Explosives and depth charges were blown up regularly around the island, and in the evenings, just for fun, they would toss hand grenades over the cliff. It was felt that the concussions weakened the cliff so much that it caused the small fort to collapse.
In October 1979, L.A. Meister, purchased the island.
In 1991, a storm cut the island in two at the northwestern corner of the lagoon where the current bridge is located. On a sunny, clear, windless day, the island experienced 9 metre (30 foot) swells generated by the storm over 2000 km (1,242.7 mi) away.