Great Guana Cay
Encyclopedia
Great Guana Cay is an islet
located in The Bahamas
. It is a long but narrow islet which is 9 miles (14.5 km) in length. It is located in the centre of the Abaco Islands
. It is located about 8 miles from Marsh Harbour which is located at the coordinates of ((26.54N 77.15W)).
There is a five and a half mile long beach on the ocean side of the island which is one of the longest in the Bahamas. There is a cove
located on the island called Kidd's Cove named after a pirate.
The island has a population of approximately 150 people who live on a settlement which stretches along the beach.
Guana Cay has been continuously populated by Bahamian loyalists for over 200 years. Today, the island celebrates near 100% employment. The island hosts one of the best surviving coral reefs in the Bahamas.
reefs in the West Indies and also contains a large amount of virgin forest, making it prime habitat for migrating birds and Abaco endemics. Loggerhead turtles, green turtles and hawksbill turtle
s all nest on the island's beaches. White-crowned Pigeon
s, white-tailed tropicbird
s both nest on the island. Before removal of the crabbing-ground mangrove
s by a golf development, land crabs such as mountain crabs were common and were hunted for food by the native population.
. http://www.saveguanacayreef.com
Jean-Michel Cousteau
's Ocean Futures Society, the Sierra Club
, Greenpeace
, Global Coral Reef Alliance, Mangrove Action Network and other conservation groups work side by side with the native islanders in a 3 year long battle against the golf resort, which is expected to destroy the mangroves and coral reef of the island.http://www.globalcoral.org
and appeared before the highest court in the British Commonwealth on July 7, 2009 against the Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club
. In 2006, Save Guana Cay Reef successfully halted development at Baker's Bay through the privy council. http://www.thenassauguardian.com/national_local/284783813365579.php
In August 2008, Save Guana Cay Reef gained conditional leave to appeal their case to the Privy Council
.
. Coral reefs require nutrient-poor environments, and megadevelopments such as Baker's Bay will alter the nutrient makeup of the reef significantly, according to the developer's own EMP. http://henge.bio.miami.edu/coastalecology/sustainable%20development/EMP_Jan_2007.pdf
The development plan calls for removal of roughly half the island's remaining mangroves. Mangroves act as filters to the coral reef, and scientists believe this will fuel the destruction of the coral reef. http://www.mangroveactionproject.org
and Karen Bjorndal.
Islet
An islet is a very small island.- Types :As suggested by its origin as islette, an Old French diminutive of "isle", use of the term implies small size, but little attention is given to drawing an upper limit on its applicability....
located 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...
. It is a long but narrow islet which is 9 miles (14.5 km) in length. It is located in the centre of the Abaco Islands
Abaco Islands
The Abaco Islands lie in the northern Bahamas and comprise the main islands of Great Abaco and Little Abaco, together with the smaller Wood Cay, Elbow Cay, Lubbers Quarters Cay, Green Turtle Cay, Great Guana Cay, Castaway Cay, Man-o-War Cay, Stranger's Cay, Umbrella Cay, Walker's Cay, Little Grand...
. It is located about 8 miles from Marsh Harbour which is located at the coordinates of ((26.54N 77.15W)).
There is a five and a half mile long beach on the ocean side of the island which is one of the longest in the Bahamas. There is a cove
Cove
A cove is a small type of bay or coastal inlet. They usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often inside a larger bay. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creeks, or recesses in a coast are often considered coves...
located on the island called Kidd's Cove named after a pirate.
The island has a population of approximately 150 people who live on a settlement which stretches along the beach.
Guana Cay has been continuously populated by Bahamian loyalists for over 200 years. Today, the island celebrates near 100% employment. The island hosts one of the best surviving coral reefs in the Bahamas.
Settlement
Great Guana Cay's settlement is known for its rich loyalist culture and architecture, as well as its lively social scene. Several traditional loyalist homes exist in the settlement, which wraps around a natural harbor.Wildlife of Great Guana Cay
Great Guana Cay is a unique Abaco barrier island in that it hosts both one of the healthiest surviving elkhorn and staghorn coralStaghorn coral
The Staghorn coral is a branching coral with cylindrical branches ranging from a few centimetres to over two metres in length and height. It occurs in back reef and fore reef environments from 0 to 30 m depth. The upper limit is defined by wave forces, and the lower limit is controlled by...
reefs in the West Indies and also contains a large amount of virgin forest, making it prime habitat for migrating birds and Abaco endemics. Loggerhead turtles, green turtles and hawksbill turtle
Hawksbill turtle
The hawksbill sea turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in its genus. The species has a worldwide distribution, with Atlantic and Pacific subspecies. E. imbricata imbricata is the Atlantic subspecies, while E...
s all nest on the island's beaches. White-crowned Pigeon
White-crowned Pigeon
The White-crowned Pigeon is a species of bird in the family Columbidae . It inhabits the northern and central Caribbean islands and some places on the North and Central American mainland...
s, white-tailed tropicbird
White-tailed Tropicbird
The White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus, is a tropicbird, smallest of three closely related seabirds of the tropical oceans and smallest member of the order Phaethontiformes. It occurs in the tropical Atlantic, western Pacific and Indian Oceans...
s both nest on the island. Before removal of the crabbing-ground mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
s by a golf development, land crabs such as mountain crabs were common and were hunted for food by the native population.
Baker's Bay Controversy
Great Guana Cay leaped to international prominence in conservation circles when the residents of the island grouped together to form Save Guana Cay Reef, an organization designed to fight the large footprint of the Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean ClubBaker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club
- Overview :Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club is a controversial private resort community in the Northeastern Bahamas. The development is located near Baker's Bay in Great Guana Cay situated between the Sea of Abaco and the Atlantic Ocean. The project is a resort development of 385 homes...
. http://www.saveguanacayreef.com
Jean-Michel Cousteau
Jean-Michel Cousteau
Jean-Michel Cousteau is a French explorer, environmentalist, educator, and film producer. The first son of ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, he is the father of Fabien Cousteau and Celine Cousteau.-Biography:...
's Ocean Futures Society, the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
, Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
, Global Coral Reef Alliance, Mangrove Action Network and other conservation groups work side by side with the native islanders in a 3 year long battle against the golf resort, which is expected to destroy the mangroves and coral reef of the island.http://www.globalcoral.org
Legal Fight
Save Guana Cay Reef has won the right to leave for privy councilPrivy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
and appeared before the highest court in the British Commonwealth on July 7, 2009 against the Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club
Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club
- Overview :Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club is a controversial private resort community in the Northeastern Bahamas. The development is located near Baker's Bay in Great Guana Cay situated between the Sea of Abaco and the Atlantic Ocean. The project is a resort development of 385 homes...
. In 2006, Save Guana Cay Reef successfully halted development at Baker's Bay through the privy council. http://www.thenassauguardian.com/national_local/284783813365579.php
In August 2008, Save Guana Cay Reef gained conditional leave to appeal their case to the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
.
Nutrients, Corals and Mangroves
Scientific opposition to the Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club argue that the artificial marina, fertilized golf course and massive footprint of the development is unsuitable for a location adjacent to a coral reefCoral 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...
. Coral reefs require nutrient-poor environments, and megadevelopments such as Baker's Bay will alter the nutrient makeup of the reef significantly, according to the developer's own EMP. http://henge.bio.miami.edu/coastalecology/sustainable%20development/EMP_Jan_2007.pdf
The development plan calls for removal of roughly half the island's remaining mangroves. Mangroves act as filters to the coral reef, and scientists believe this will fuel the destruction of the coral reef. http://www.mangroveactionproject.org
Celebrity opposition
Several celebrity conservationists have voiced their disapproval of Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club, including Jean-Michel CousteauJean-Michel Cousteau
Jean-Michel Cousteau is a French explorer, environmentalist, educator, and film producer. The first son of ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, he is the father of Fabien Cousteau and Celine Cousteau.-Biography:...
and Karen Bjorndal.