Pelican Island
Encyclopedia
Pelican Island was a small uninhabited island that once existed off the west coast of Bridgetown
and Fontabelle, in St. Michael, Barbados
. According to historical record, the island received its name from brown pelican
s that would nest there.
To get there, one could have used one of the pair of nearby boat jetties along the Barbados shoreline, or during low tide it was believed to have been possible to wade out to the island as well.
The island held a quarantine facility specifically for sick crew and passengers from ships, so as to not spread communicable / infectious diseases to the mainland. There were housing facilities for patients, a morgue, a caretaker's quarters and a laundry area equipped with a cauldron for boiling clothes for sterilisation.
Over the five years of 1956 to 1961 the Caribbean Sea
between the island and Barbados
was reclaimed and filled in during the building of the Bridgetown Port
, and now Pelican Island has become incorporated into the mainland in the Bridgetown Deep Water Harbour complex.
There is now a tourist attraction called The Pelican Village ("Pelican Crafts Centre") in the area, at the port, as a tribute to the separate island that once existed there.
Bridgetown
The city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael...
and Fontabelle, in St. Michael, Barbados
Saint Michael Parish, Barbados
StatisticsParish:Saint MichaelArea:Largest city:BridgetownPopulation :94,860 inhab.Population density:2,432.31 inhab/km²Parliamentary representation- House seats11MapParishes of Barbados...
. According to historical record, the island received its name from brown pelican
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
s that would nest there.
To get there, one could have used one of the pair of nearby boat jetties along the Barbados shoreline, or during low tide it was believed to have been possible to wade out to the island as well.
The island held a quarantine facility specifically for sick crew and passengers from ships, so as to not spread communicable / infectious diseases to the mainland. There were housing facilities for patients, a morgue, a caretaker's quarters and a laundry area equipped with a cauldron for boiling clothes for sterilisation.
Over the five years of 1956 to 1961 the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
between the island and Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
was reclaimed and filled in during the building of the Bridgetown Port
Port of Bridgetown
The Port of Bridgetown , is a seaport in Bridgetown on the southwest coast of Barbados...
, and now Pelican Island has become incorporated into the mainland in the Bridgetown Deep Water Harbour complex.
There is now a tourist attraction called The Pelican Village ("Pelican Crafts Centre") in the area, at the port, as a tribute to the separate island that once existed there.
External links
- Pelican Village
- Pelican Island, Barbados Investment and Development Corporation.