Foul Bay refers to a bay, beach, and village in Saint Philip Parish, alongside the southeast coast of

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estima ...

. Foul Bay Beach is used for excursions, picnics, wedding ceremonies, and receptions by locals and visitors to the island. It is also a nesting area for

hawksbill sea turtle The hawksbill sea turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Eretmochelys''. The species has a global distribution, that is large ...

s. There are different explanations of how the area got its name. Up to the mid-1950s fishermen used to sell their catch on Foul Bay Beach. The fish were de-scaled and gutted on the spot. The smell was foul, hence the name. Another story claims the name is a misspelling of "Fowl" Bay, and that the area once hosted many migrating birds. Late 18th and early 19th Century Documents pertaining to British slavery in Barbados show the area's name as both "Foul" and "Fowl." As the local government developed the fishing industry, designated

fish market A fish market is a marketplace for selling fish and fish products. It can be dedicated to wholesale trade between fishermen and fish merchants, or to the sale of seafood to individual consumers, or to both. Retail fish markets, a type of wet ma ...

s were set up in

Oistins Oistins (Pronounced /'ȯis-tins/ -- UN/LOCODE: BB OST), is a coastal area located in the country of Barbados. It is situated centrally along the coastline of the parish of Christ Church. The area includes a fishing village as well as a tourist are ...

, Speightstown, and

Bridgetown Bridgetown ( UN/LOCODE: BB BGI) is the capital and largest city of Barbados. Formerly The Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael. Bridgetown is sometimes locally referred to as "The ...

. Foul Bay Beach was cleaned by the National Conservation Commission, and it continues to be maintained by a team from the Commission who remove leaves, seaweed, and litter from the beach.

References

Bays of Barbados {{Barbados-geo-stub