Staniel Cay is an

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

located in The

Exuma Cays Exuma is a district of The Bahamas, consisting of over 365 islands, also called cays. The largest of the cays is Great Exuma, which is 37 mi (60 km) in length and joined to another island, Little Exuma, by a small bridge. The capital ...

, a district of

The Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...

. Staniel Cay is located roughly south of

Nassau Nassau may refer to: Places Bahamas *Nassau, Bahamas, capital city of the Bahamas, on the island of New Providence Canada *Nassau District, renamed Home District, regional division in Upper Canada from 1788 to 1792 *Nassau Street (Winnipeg), ...

and southeast of

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. The island has a population of less than 118 full-time residents and has an area of less than . Staniel Cay is inhabited by a small Bahamian village which lies on the western shore. The village is composed of residential housing, a few restaurants, a church, a police station, post office, a library, three small retail stores and marine supply shops. Staniel Cay is protected by

the Bahamas National Trust The Bahamas National Trust is a non-profit organisation in the Bahamas that manages the country's 32 national parks.. Its headquarters is located in New Providence in the Bay Street Business Centre, East Bay Street. Its office was formally locate ...

, the organization in charge of the conservation and preservation of places of historic interest and natural beauty in The Bahamas.

History

Staniel Cay was established in 1783 when the

American loyalist Loyalists were colonists in the Thirteen Colonies who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolutionary War, often referred to as Tories, Royalists or King's Men at the time. They were opposed by the Patriots, who supporte ...

settled the entire archipelago of

Exuma Exuma is a district of The Bahamas, consisting of over 365 islands, also called cays. The largest of the cays is Great Exuma, which is 37 mi (60 km) in length and joined to another island, Little Exuma, by a small bridge. The capital ...

. The island gained its popularity with the establishment of The Staniel Cay Yacht Club in 1956, founded by Bob Chamberlain and Joe Hocher. A variety of businesses operate on Staniel Cay to provide accommodation and organize activities. ''Thunderball Grotto'', a limestone cave situated on the western coast of Staniel cay, was the setting of the 1965 ''

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

'' film '' Thunderball''. It was from this film the name Thunderball was given to the grotto. The island was also used as a filming location for a scene in the 1983 James Bond film ''

Never Say Never Again ''Never Say Never Again'' is a 1983 spy film directed by Irvin Kershner. The film is based on the 1961 James Bond novel '' Thunderball'' by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original story by Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham, and Flemi ...

''. Staniel Cay has a small airport called Staniel Cay Airport, which makes the island reachable both by sea and air. The airport closed for seven months in 2015 for runway repairs and reopened to air traffic on 18 November 2015.

Language

The official language of Staniel Cay is

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, but dialects exist among the different islands and Cays. A blend of African, English, and island dialects makes up the

Bahamian English Bahamian English is a group of varieties of English spoken in the Bahamas and by members of the Bahamian diaspora. The standard for official use and education is British-based with regard to spelling, vocabulary, and pronunciation; however, pe ...

language. The idiom on the island was influenced by the

African slaves Slavery has historically been widespread in Africa. Systems of servitude and slavery were common in parts of Africa in ancient times, as they were in much of the rest of the ancient world. When the trans-Saharan slave trade, Indian Ocean sl ...

and other settlers.

Physical geography

Staniel Cay is located near the center of Exuma Cays. The island, located between Big Major Cay and Bitter Guana Cay, is one of the larger islands within the Exuma Cays. The island is composed of beaches, salt water, and a variety of vegetation. An abundance of

coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups. Co ...

can be found along the shores of Staniel Cay. It is accessible through scheduled flights, charter airplanes, and private planes, using its 3000-foot airstrip. It is also possible to reach the island by boat providing anchorages for yachts.

Flora and fauna

View of the Island in the Exuma Archipelago

Vegetation includes

palm trees Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae **List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (ba ...

bougainvilleas ''Bougainvillea'' ( , ) is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the four o' clock family, Nyctaginaceae. It is native to eastern South America, found from Brazil, west to Peru, and south to southern Argentina. ...

hibiscus ''Hibiscus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising several hundred species that are native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species ...

and seagrape. A diverse range of red, black and white

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evoluti ...

can also be found on the island. Flora includes

sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalks t ...

and

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs ...

, which are typically served as local dishes. Fauna includes the typical Bahamian Pig and Anolis lizards. In 1977, small groups of

brown anole The brown anole (''Anolis sagrei''), also known commonly as the Cuban brown anole, or De la Sagra's anole, is a species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is native to Cuba and the Bahamas. It has been widely introduced elsewhere, ...

were released in Staniel Cay, small brown and yellow

lizards Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia althou ...

with black markings on their backs. These small

reptiles Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the Class (biology), class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsid, sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, Squamata, squamates (lizar ...

are 17–20 cm long and usually live in forests. The reptiles feed on the insects around the island. The waters are populated with fish and vegetation of varying sizes including larger fish such as: sharks, groupers, barracuda, angelfish, and butterfly fish, miniature crabs, and daredevil shrimp.

Climate

Staniel Cay has a

tropical savannah Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands is a terrestrial biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. The biome is dominated by grass and/or shrubs located in semi-arid to semi-humid climate regions of subtropical and t ...

climate. In the summer the average air temperature is approximately . In winter the average air temperature is in the mid 20s. Water temperatures are degrees all year long. Moreover, cloudy days are often warm and the precipitations are concentrated in the warmest months, which are July, August and September.

Economy

A large part of Staniel Cay's economic support is provided by the Staniel Cay Yacht Club and The

Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is a protected area in the Exuma, Exuma Cays of the Bahamas. The protected area extends from Shroud Cay in the north to Bell Cay in the south. The vegetation consists of mangrove communities, with the east sides be ...

. Initially, Park laws allowed a daily fishery catch quota. In 1986, due to unverifiable pressure on fish, lobster, coral reefs and other

marine life Marine life, sea life, or ocean life is the plants, animals and other organisms that live in the salt water of seas or oceans, or the brackish water of coastal estuaries. At a fundamental level, marine life affects the nature of the planet. M ...

, the Trust declared the entire park a “fishery reserve”. Now such areas are promoted as one of the best ways to sustain fishery resources. Staniel Cay's economy is based on

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

. Tourism together with tourism-driven construction and manufacturing accounts for approximately 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago's labor force. The

has become an important factor in the economy of the Exuma Cays through tourism, farming, coastal fishing and public education.

Environmental protection

Sustainable tourism has increased in reputation in recent years, particularly for destinations such as Staniel Cay. The island relies heavily on its natural attributes, making the most of its reputation as an untouched tropical island. According to the Bahamas National Trust (BNT), 80% of visitors to the Exuma Cays come to experience nature. According to the BNT, 16,665 people visited Thunderball Grotto between November 2012 and April 2013. The area around Staniel Cay is managed and protected by the BNT as it falls within the boundary of the

. This park was created in 1958 and stretches 455 km² in size. The park protects the marine environment and establishes a no-take, marine reserve. In January 2013, the BNT published a report that reviewed current sustainable tourism models which lead to the adoption of the Tourism Optimization Management Model. The model focuses on the interactions tourist have with the environment and how they could be improved. The BNT established a Project Management Group consisting of local stakeholders as well as representatives from the Ministry of Tourism.

Culture

Staniel Cay has a mixture of different cultural traditions with ancient customs. Due to the level of tourism many festivals are oriented towards entertaining visitors and travellers to the island. Bahamian music ranges in style and includes genres such as Caribbean Reggae and Rake-n-Scrape. Other traditional cultural activities include storytelling. One cultural festival on the island is

Junkanoo Junkanoo is a street parade with music, dance, and costumes with origin in many islands across the English speaking Caribbean every Boxing Day (26 December) and New Year's Day (1 January). These cultural parades are predominantly showcased in t ...

. It is a festival celebrated on

Boxing Day Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...

New Year's Day New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...

and other holidays. It is a festival of music, art and dance.

Religion

The on Cay church with services held during the week and every Sunday is Mount Olivet Baptist Church. About 32% of the population of the Bahamas are

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

and

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

. 20% belong to

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

groups and about 24% are

Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

, such as the Methodists (6%), the Church of God (6%),

Seventh-day Adventists The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventism, Adventist Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the Names of the days of the week#Numbered days of the week, seventh day of the ...

, and members of the

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

. Roman Catholics constitute 19% of the population. There are also groups of

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

, Baháʼís,

Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...

Hindus Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

, and

Rastafarians Rastafari, sometimes called Rastafarianism, is a religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control of ...

and a strong

Greek Orthodox The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek language, Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the Eastern Orthodox Church, entire body of Orthodox (Chalced ...

community. Traditional practices as

Voodoo Voodoo may refer to: Religions * African or West African Vodun, practiced by Gbe-speaking ethnic groups * African diaspora religions, a list of related religions sometimes called Vodou/Voodoo ** Candomblé Jejé, also known as Brazilian Vodu ...

Obeah Obeah, or Obayi, is an ancestrally inherited tradition of Akan witches of Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Togo and their descendants in the African diaspora of the Caribbean. Inheritors of the tradition are referred to as "obayifo" (Akan/Ghana-region ...

are still practiced in some areas.

Visitor activities

Staniel Cay has a variety of activities and events for tourists and residents to participate in on the island. These include beach activities,

snorkeling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, a ...

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

, and

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

. Staniel Cay has guided tours, activities, and the well-known swimming pigs.

Snorkeling

Marine life can be explored by participating in a variety of

activities. There are miles of coral reefs on Staniel Cay and neighbouring islands and Cays. The waters surrounding the islands are clear and shallow, making snorkeling easy for first-timers, but a variety of places exist for more experienced divers.

Grotto A grotto is a natural or artificial cave used by humans in both modern times and antiquity, and historically or prehistorically. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high ti ...

s can be found around the island, including Thunderball grotto which is a natural

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

cavern which can be entered underwater or at low tide. Light enters through a vaulted ceiling and a variety of sea-life swim in the water below, including the purple

parrotfish Parrotfishes are a group of about 90 fish species regarded as a Family (biology), family (Scaridae), or a subfamily (Scarinae) of the wrasses. With about 95 species, this group's largest species richness is in the Indo-Pacific. They are found ...

yellowtail snapper The yellowtail snapper (''Ocyurus chrysurus'') is an abundant species of snapper native to the western Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Although they have been found as far north as Massachusetts, their normal r ...

s, Angelfish and Sergeant Majors. The island is surrounded by shallow

reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock out ...

s within a few feet of the surface. Farther out from the islands, the waters are cluttered with thousands of shallow water sites, coral heads, and reefs. Snorkeling does not require the specialized technique, training and gear which means it is available from many activity providers, including hotels, lodges and resorts on and around Staniel Cay. Alternatively, local snorkeling guides can provide the information for independent snorkeling adventures.

Scuba diving

Staniel Cay and the surrounding islands within Exuma contain a wide range of scuba diving attractions, such as steep reef walls, historic ship wrecks, coral reefs, and a diverse range of marine animals. Because of the clarity within the water, Staniel Cay and the surrounding islands offer good conditions for underwater photography and video. “Scuba Diving Top 100: Best Diving in the Caribbean & Atlantic” rated Bahamian Scuba Diving as the number one “best advanced diving locations of the world”. Furthermore, the Exuma Islands were ranked third for the “Best Underwater Photography”. Professional diving operations such as �
Staniel Cay Adventures
�� offer personalized dive trips in the waters of the Exuma Cays custom dive boat. PADI professionals offer a variety of dive courses, ranging from the most basic beginner lessons to more advanced specialty courses. All training takes place in warm, clear water, and is sanctioned by top certifying agencies.

Sea kayaking

Another activity on the Staniel Cay is kayaking. Due to the weather conditions the possibility to reserve a kayak and discover the Exuma Cays by water is offered at any time of the year.

Sand beaches

Staniel Cay and the Exuma Cays offer thousands of miles of white-sand beaches. The shallow waters provide a pristine setting for a selection of activities available throughout the islands. These beaches have translucent emerald-green water and an abundance of marine life. Bungalows and villas are tucked into the tropical landscape featuring branded 4-star boutique hotels. This embodies the idea of seclusion, where even the largest resorts have fewer than 200 rooms. PigBeachTourists

Swimming with pigs

Staniel Cay is located in close proximity with another Exuma island called

Pig Beach Pig Beach located on Big Major Cay (also known as Major Cay) is a beach on an uninhabited island (or cay) located in Exuma, the Bahamas. The island takes its unofficial name from the fact that it is populated by a colony of feral pigs which live ...

, officially known as Big Major Cay, which is an uninhabited island populated by swimming feral pigs. With a total of 365 islands, located south of

and only 40 minutes from Florida, on the island of Big Mayor Cay, these pigs are found in abundance. Exuma's swimming Pigs draw thousands of tourists each year. The swimming pigs are surrounded by a variety of local legends. Rumors suggests that the pigs were brought to the island by sailors who planned to eat them upon their return. The pigs were said to have subsisted on

food waste Food loss and waste is food that is not eaten. The causes of food waste or loss are numerous and occur throughout the food system, during production, processing, distribution, retail and food service sales, and consumption. Overall, about o ...

abandoned by passing ships. According to locals, the truth behind the swimming pigs’ story can be traced back to the early 1990s. The pigs were said to have been raised on Staniel Cay before the locals decided to move the animals. The pigs were relocated to the uninhabited island, Big Major Cay, where the pigs were left to roam free. As time progressed, the population of the pigs gradually began to multiply. Periodically, inhabitants of Staniel Cay would head over to the island, pick the fattest pig, and share the meat to locals. As word began to spread of the island, tourism came with abundance. And with tourism, came nourishment for these animals. The islands growing reputation inspired the award-winning short film ''When Pigs Swim'', the first film dedicated to discovering the origin of the swimming pigs. Directed by

Charles Allan Smith Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

, the documentary was shown at five international film festivals.

Events

Every year The Staniel Cay Yacht Club and The Staniel Cay Sailing Club organizes the Regatta around New Year's Day. This event attracts visiting yachtsmen cruising The Exuma Cays to test the speed of their craft in a competition against traditional Bahamian sloops. In August, the Annual Staniel Cay Bonefish Tournament occurs, another important event which attracts foreigners and brings home the locals.

References

External links

* {{AirNav, MYES Islands of the Bahamas Exuma