The beaches define the Bahamas, a 13,878-square-kilometer North American country. The archipelagic nation is known for its white sands, crystal blue waters, and tropical vegetation. But these are not the only characteristics of this nation populated by over 385,000 people. There may not be a lot of people living here, but the number of people in the island nation on any given day is more than just 385,000, as the Bahamas is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.
The Bahamas has some interesting history. The first inhabitants of the island nation were the Lucayan people, the indigenous people of the Caribbean. There were around 30,000 of them when Christopher Columbus discovered the country in 1492. By 1494, the country was under Spanish rule and the Lucayans were sent to Hispaniola as slaves.
The English then settled in the area in 1648 after expressing interest over it as early as 1629. During the late 17th century and early 18th century, the island became popular among pirates. This prompted Great Britain to annex the territory in 1718. Piracy was eventually stopped.
During the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), The Bahamas became a target for the U.S. forces in 1776. The U.S. occupied Nassau in 1776. In 1782, the Spanish took Nassau from the U.S. and returned the territory to Great Britain. In 1783, the nation was occupied by British nationals, Americans who remained loyal to the British Crown, and their black slaves.
The different nationalities that lived in the country kept Bahamian cuisine flavorful, interesting, and delicious. Food is certainly one of the best things in Bahamas. Its national dish is the conch, a shellfish, cooked in at least a dozen different ways: soup, fritters, pizza, and more.
If the beaches in The Bahamas are amazing, people should check out its national parks, too. Here are the top 10 national parks people should check out:
1. Abaco National Park
Located on the Abaco Islands, from which it got its name, the park has a land area of 83 square kilometers (20,500 acres). It was established in 1994. There is so much more in The Bahamas than just beautiful beaches. This park is the perfect example of another vista in the archipelagic country—it is a pine forest. One-fourth of the park is just a sea of pine trees, which are very important in the breeding the Bahama parrots or Abaco parrots. These birds feed on the seeds from the pine trees known as Caribbean pine, which are great sources of protein that help develop chicks. These parrots also nest in limestone cavities on the pine forest’s ground.
What’s so special about the Bahama or Abaco parrot? This is a native Bahamian animal that grows between 12 and 13 inches when fully grown. It is colorful with its white head, mostly green body, with red feathers on its cheek. It is also unique as two of its toes are facing forwards and two others are facing backward. This species used to be found in as many as seven islands in The Bahamas. Now, it is only found in two islands, one of which is the Abaco. The population of this species is also less than 3,000.
Other birds that populate this island are the Bahama Mockingbird, Bahama Swallow, Bahama yellowthroat, loggerhead kingbird, olive-capped warbler, West Indian, and white-crowned pigeon.
2. Bonefish Pond National Park
This five-square-kilometer (1,235 acres) park in New Providence is an important nursery for various marine animals. One of them is the conch, which is the country’s national food. The conch is a mollusk with a spiral shell. The meat is edible and eaten in various ways including the raw form. The Bahamians also have different ways of cooking them.
The park is a large pond with surrounding plants and weeds. Most parks are established to protect natural resources. In the case of this park, it aims to protect the conch and crawfish. The pond’s protection was eventually expanded to include barracuda, damselfish, needlefish, snapper, and most importantly, bonefish. This type of fish can grow as large as 19 pounds and 41 inches long. Bonefish is not just a popular fish for food, it is also a popular target for fly fishing, which is a popular sport in The Bahamas.
There are also red mangroves in the park, which makes it a popular area for some aquatic birds.
3. Crab Replenishment Reserve
Despite what the name suggests, this is a national park in Andros. It has a land area of 16 square kilometers (4,000 acres) and most of it is intended for the protection and proliferation of land crabs. Most Terrestrial crabs can be found far from the sea. The area has been eyed for various developments but the government knows it is an important habitat for terrestrial crabs.
Tourists who want to visit this park need to have a guide. It is one of the most unique tourism experiences in The Bahamas or anywhere else for that matter. This is the country that allows people to swim with pigs after all.
4. Fowl Cays National Park
People might call this place a diver’s paradise. The park contains coral reef systems that are beautiful and unique. Some of the corals are native to the island nation. The park was established in 2009 to protect the park’s reef system as well as the seagrass bed, which is an important habitat among grunts, parrotfish, and surgeonfish.
A staghorn coral nursery was also established in the park. This type of coral is stony with cylindrical branches that range from as short as a few centimeters to two meters. This type of coral is rare and found mostly in important cays, like the Florida Keys and some parts of The Bahamas, as well as the Caribbean islands.
While diving is the most obvious tourist activity in the area, the park also has a great sandy bottom, which means it is an ideal place for swimming. There is also a great spot for picnicking. The little cays within the park are also a popular place for some sea birds.
5. Inagua National Park
Home of the world’s largest breeding colony of the West Indian Flamingos, this national park established as early as 1965 is worth every tourist’s time. It has a land area of 890 square kilometers (220,000 acres) located in Great Inagua.
This park is among the oldest in The Bahamas, but the intent of the park is even older. As early as 1904, there were already concerns about the population of the West Indian flamingos, which seemed to have found a home in the area. In the early 1900s, this species of the flamingo was on the brink of extinction. In the 1970s, the colony has over 50,000 flamingos. Nearby islands of Acklins, Andros, Crooked Island, Cuba, and Mayaguana also experienced a resurgence in the flamingo population because of the breeding in Inagua.
There are also other birds that nest and breed in the park so that in 1997, the area was designated as an Important Bird Area. The park is also home to the native Bahama parrot, the endemic Bahama woodstar, hummingbird, and Bahama pintail. Other birds in the park are the American kestrels, brown pelicans, burrowing owls, cormorants, roseate spoonbills, reddish egrets, snowy egrets, stripe-headed tanagers, and tri-colored herons.
That same year, it was also listed as a wetland of international importance.
6. Lucayan National Park
Named after the native people and the first inhabitants of The Bahamas, the park located in Grand Bahama was established in 1982. It has a land area of just 40 acres but the beauty that emanates from this small park is huge. The park has an underwater cave system that is part of the largest underwater cave system in the world. The cave’s water has an amazingly beautiful blue color. Unfortunately, swimming is not allowed in the area to preserve the cave’s natural beauty and elements. Diving is sparingly allowed for those who get special permits.
The beach inside the park is great for picnics. There are also boardwalks where people could walk around and discover stunning sceneries within the park, which was significant in the discovery of remipede, a kind of blind crustaceans, in the 1970s.
The park has also been designated as an Important Bird Area because of its abundant bird population. Among the species found in the park are the Bahama swallow, olive-capped warbler and thick-billed vireo.
7. Moriah Harbour Cay National Park
This park covers 68 square kilometers (16,800 acres) in Exuma. It was established in 2002 but its territory was expanded in 2015. The park provides different ground textures from seagrass beds, dunes, and grassy land. The park also has some pristine beaches and mangrove creeks.
The mangrove creeks and some parts of the beach are favorites among aquatic birds. On land, among commonly sighted birds are the following: gull-billed, least tern, nighthawk, osprey, oystercatcher, and plover. The mangroves are also nurseries for some marine animals: crab, crawfish, conch, grouper, mangrove snapper and yellowtail.
The thriving vegetation in the park includes bay cedar, buttonwood, palmetto, and sea oat.
8. Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park
The perfect park for underwater diving and snorkeling, this natural preserve in Central Abaco was established in 1972. It has a total area of eight square kilometers (2,100 acres). The park aims to protect the extensive coral reef system in this part of The Bahamas. An undersea cave habitat is also part of the park’s territory. There was a need to protect the area because of various unique and native marine life.
There are four sections in the park: Channel Rock, Gaulding Cay, Sandy Cay, and Sandy Cay Reef. Each of these sections has its own diverse marine life to showcase.
There are over 170 species of plants and animals that thrive in the park. Divers and snorkelers will surely enjoy swimming with green sea and loggerhead turtles. Bottlenose dolphins are also spotted here. The park is also a known nesting area for bridled terns.
9. Tilloo Cay National Reserve
Located in Hope Town, this small 11-acre park was established in 1990. While still officially known as a national reserve, it has been officially designated as a national park by the Bahamas National Trust. It was established to protect the population of white-tailed tropicbird, which nests in the park. This is among the smallest species of seabirds. This type of bird frequents the sea because it mainly feeds on flying fish, crabs, and squid.
There are also other seabirds found in this park, which makes it a great birding location. The cay is also surrounded by refreshing blue waters, which make for a great swimming destination. Tilloo Cay also has some shallow waters that are perfect for children.
10. West Side National Park
Mostly a marine park, West Side covers half of the archipelago of Andros. It was established in 2002 and its territory was expanded in 2012, and now has 6,070 square kilometers (1.5 million acres) of area. It is one of the largest protected regions in The Bahamas. It is characterized by tidal creeks and coastal mangrove forests.
This park also has an abundance of butterflies, particularly the atala species, which are drawn to the Caribbean pine that thrives in the interior of the park. Vegetation in the mangrove sections is buttonwood and black, red and white mangroves.
The mangroves are also important areas for the West Indian flamingo, which also flocks to this park. Some various reptiles and amphibians live in the park: Andros rock iguana, which is an endangered species; Bahama brown, Bahama green, and Cuban twig anoles; Bahamian boa constrictor; blue-tailed and curly-tailed lizards; and Cuban tree frog.
Marine animals commonly spotted in the park are the green sea, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles; bull and nurse sharks, as well as Atlantic tarpon, bonefish, conch, lobster, and smalltooth sawfish.