Cayos Cochinos
Encyclopedia
The Cayos Cochinos or Cochinos Cays are a group of two small islands (15°58′18.99"N 86°28′31.34"W) (Cayo Menor and Cayo Grande) and 13 more small coral cay
s situated 30 kilometers northeast of La Ceiba
on the northern shores of Honduras
. Although geographically separate, they belong to the Bay Islands department
and are part of Roatán
municipality. The population numbered 108 at the 2001 census
. The total land area measures about 2 km².
The islands are a Marine Protected Area and are managed by the Honduran Coral Reef Foundation. The coral reef
here is part of the world's second largest coral reef
system known as the Meso-American Barrier Reef
. There is a scientific research station on Cayo Menor, the smaller of the two main islands in the system.
National Geographic writes, "The waters around this collection of coral cays are a marine biologist's dream: protected by the government, off-limits to commercial divers and fishermen, and busy with creatures that may not yet have names." "The Cayos Cochinos reefs are the least disturbed ecosystem in the Bay Islands," says Dr. Matthias Hammer, founder of Biosphere Expeditions
.
or Roatan
.
The actions taken in preserving the underwater environment has left the Cayos Cochinos waters as the healthiest and most pristine marine life in the Bay Islands
. The Honduras Coral Reef Fund is responsible for upholding the environmental restrictions and protecting the marine park, and collect a park entrance fee from all those who enter ($5/day, $10/week, $20/month).
Since the 1970s only one tourist destination has been available in Cayos Cochinos, Plantation Beach Resort, offering lodging on Cayo Grande. Plantation Beach Resort is a PADI
resort catering to divers, snorkelers, and others wishing to enjoy this island paradise. Both Garifuna villages offer cheap lodging for backpackers who wish to stay in either East End or Chachahuate in hammocks or hostel-like huts.
, the Cayos and surrounding waters were declared a marine reserve in 1994, with the help of the Smithsonian Institution
, in order to protect all marine and terrestrial flora and fauna within a 460 km² area. The reserve extends eight kilometers in all directions. Laws prohibit all commercial fishing, netting, and trapping within the marine park. Local Garifuna are permitted to fish with hand lines, but prohibited from netting and spearfishing. In designated areas, there is a lobster diving season for qualified Garifuna fishermen. Since 1994, the Smithsonian Institution
, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Honduras Coral Reef Fund, Operation Wallacea and other non-profit organizations have helped preserve the natural beauty of the area.
Cay
A cay , also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans , where they provide habitable and agricultural land for hundreds of thousands of people...
s situated 30 kilometers northeast of La Ceiba
La Ceiba
La Ceiba is a port city on the northern coast of Honduras in Central America. It is located on the southern edge of the Caribbean, forming part of the south eastern boundary of the Gulf of Honduras...
on the northern shores of Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
. Although geographically separate, they belong to the Bay Islands department
Bay Islands (department)
Islas de la Bahía is one of the 18 departments into which the Central American nation of Honduras is divided. The departmental capital is Roatan, on the island of Roatán....
and are part of Roatán
Roatán
Roatán, located between the islands of Útila and Guanaja, is the largest of Honduras' Bay Islands. The island was formerly known as Ruatan and Rattan...
municipality. The population numbered 108 at the 2001 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
. The total land area measures about 2 km².
The islands are a Marine Protected Area and are managed by the Honduran Coral Reef Foundation. The coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
here is part of the world's second largest coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
system known as the Meso-American Barrier Reef
Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System
The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System stretches over 1000 km from Isla Contoy at the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula down to the Bay Islands of Honduras...
. There is a scientific research station on Cayo Menor, the smaller of the two main islands in the system.
National Geographic writes, "The waters around this collection of coral cays are a marine biologist's dream: protected by the government, off-limits to commercial divers and fishermen, and busy with creatures that may not yet have names." "The Cayos Cochinos reefs are the least disturbed ecosystem in the Bay Islands," says Dr. Matthias Hammer, founder of Biosphere Expeditions
Biosphere Expeditions
Biosphere Expeditions is a wildlife research and conservation non-profit organization whose main focus is to conserve the biosphere with volunteer-led scientific conservation expeditions to several countries around the world...
.
Tourism
The Cayos Cochinos archipelago is a unique retreat for travelers looking to escape urban landscapes and crowded tourism centers. The islands have no roads, thus no cars or bikes. There is a hiking trail that connects residences and beaches on Cayo Grande. There is a lighthouse on the highest point of the island which can be hiked to and offers a panoramic view of all Cayos Cochinos. The only inhabitants of the islands are Garifuna fishing villages (Chachauate and East End), 9 private homes on Cayo Grande, and 6 homes on the 13 smaller keys. The islands are accessible by boat from La Ceiba or by sailboat charter departing from UtilaÚtila
Utila is the third largest of Honduras' Bay Islands, after Roatán and Guanaja, in a region that marks the south end of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the second-largest in the world...
or Roatan
Roatán
Roatán, located between the islands of Útila and Guanaja, is the largest of Honduras' Bay Islands. The island was formerly known as Ruatan and Rattan...
.
The actions taken in preserving the underwater environment has left the Cayos Cochinos waters as the healthiest and most pristine marine life in the Bay Islands
Bay Islands (department)
Islas de la Bahía is one of the 18 departments into which the Central American nation of Honduras is divided. The departmental capital is Roatan, on the island of Roatán....
. The Honduras Coral Reef Fund is responsible for upholding the environmental restrictions and protecting the marine park, and collect a park entrance fee from all those who enter ($5/day, $10/week, $20/month).
Since the 1970s only one tourist destination has been available in Cayos Cochinos, Plantation Beach Resort, offering lodging on Cayo Grande. Plantation Beach Resort is a PADI
Professional Association of Diving Instructors
The Professional Association of Diving Instructors is the world's largest recreational diving membership and diver training organization founded in 1966 by John Cronin and Ralph Erickson...
resort catering to divers, snorkelers, and others wishing to enjoy this island paradise. Both Garifuna villages offer cheap lodging for backpackers who wish to stay in either East End or Chachahuate in hammocks or hostel-like huts.
Conservation
Established as a key area of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef SystemMesoamerican Barrier Reef System
The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System stretches over 1000 km from Isla Contoy at the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula down to the Bay Islands of Honduras...
, the Cayos and surrounding waters were declared a marine reserve in 1994, with the help of the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, in order to protect all marine and terrestrial flora and fauna within a 460 km² area. The reserve extends eight kilometers in all directions. Laws prohibit all commercial fishing, netting, and trapping within the marine park. Local Garifuna are permitted to fish with hand lines, but prohibited from netting and spearfishing. In designated areas, there is a lobster diving season for qualified Garifuna fishermen. Since 1994, the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Honduras Coral Reef Fund, Operation Wallacea and other non-profit organizations have helped preserve the natural beauty of the area.
External links
- Plantation Beach Resort
- http://opwall.com Operation WallaceaOperation WallaceaOperation Wallacea is an organisation funded by tuition fees that runs a series of biological and conservation management research programmes operating in remote locations across the world...
is a charitable biological research group working in various areas of Honduras, including Cayo Menor - Garifuna of Honduras/Cayos Cochinos