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Staniel Cay is an
island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...
located in The
Exuma Cays Exuma is a district of The Bahamas, consisting of over 365 islands and cays. The largest of the islands is Great Exuma, which is 37 mi (60 km) in length and joined to another island, Little Exuma, by a small bridge. The capital and largest to ...
, a district of
The Bahamas The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97 per cent of the archipelago's land area and 88 per cent of ...
. Staniel Cay is located roughly south of Nassau and southeast of
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
. 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 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 refugee colonists from thirteen of the 20 British American colonies who remained loyal to the British crown during the American Revolution, often referred to as Tories, Royalists, or King's Men at the time. They were opposed by ...
settled the entire archipelago of
Exuma Exuma is a district of the Bahamas, district of The Bahamas, consisting of over 365 islands and Cay, cays. The largest of the islands is Great Exuma, which is 37 mi (60 km) in length and joined to another island, Little Exuma, by a small bridge ...
. 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'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
'' 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 (novel), Thunderball'' by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original story by Kevin McClory, Jack Wh ...
''. 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, 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 English spoken in The Bahamas and by the Bahamian people. The standard for official use and education is largely British-based with regard to spelling, vocabulary, and pronunciation. However, Bahamian English also contains ...
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 once commonplace in parts of Africa, as they were in much of the rest of the ancient and medieval world. When the trans-Saharan slave trade, Red Sea 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 group ...
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

Vegetation includes
palm trees The Arecaceae () is a family of perennial, flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are colloquially ...
, bougainvilleas,
hibiscus ''Hibiscus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Malva, mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising List of Hibiscus species, several hundred species that are Native plant, native to warm temperate, Subtropics, subtropical ...
and seagrape. A diverse range of red, black and white
mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...
can also be found on the island. Flora includes
sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...
and
tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is indigenous to tropical Africa and naturalized in Asia. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this spe ...
, 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 Common name, commonly as the Cuban brown anole, Bahaman anole, or De la Sagra's anole, is a species of lizard in the Family (biology), family Dactyloidae. The species is native to Cuba, the Bahamas, ...
were released in Staniel Cay, small brown and yellow
lizards Lizard is the common name used for all squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The ...
with black markings on their backs. These small
reptiles Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...
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 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. 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 collective ecological communities that encompass all aquatic animals, aquatic plant, plants, algae, marine fungi, fungi, marine protists, protists, single-celled marine microorganisms, microorganisms ...
, 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, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
. 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 Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park 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 Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. 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 (also Jonkonnu) is a festival that originated during the period of African chattel slavery in British American colonies. It is practiced most notably in The Bahamas, Jamaica and Belize, and historically in North Carolina and Miami, w ...
. It is a festival celebrated on
Boxing Day Boxing Day, also called as Offering Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Boxing Day was once a day to donate gifts to those in need, but it has evolved to become a part ...
,
New Year's Day In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year, January 1, 1 January. Most solar calendars, such as the Gregorian and Julian calendars, begin the year regularly at or near the December solstice, northern winter ...
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
Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
. 20% belong to
Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
groups and about 24% are
Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
, such as the Methodists (6%), the Church of God (6%),
Seventh-day Adventists The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabba ...
, and members of the
Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...
. Roman Catholics constitute 19% of the population. There are also groups of
Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
, Baháʼís,
Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
,
Hindus Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, and
Rastafarians Rastafari is an Abrahamic 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 the movement and much ...
and a strong
Greek Orthodox Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Greek Christianity, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christians or more broadly the rite used in the Eastern Rom ...
community. Traditional practices as
Voodoo Voodoo may refer to: Religions * West African Vodún, a religion 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 ...
or
Obeah Obeah, also spelled Obiya or Obia, is a broad term for African diaspora religions, African diasporic religious, Magic (supernatural), spell-casting, and healing traditions found primarily in the British West Indies, former British colonies of th ...
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 (American and British English spelling differences#Doubled in British English, British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of human swimming, swimming face down on or through a body of water while breathing ...
,
scuba diving Scuba diving is a Diving mode, mode of underwater diving whereby divers use Scuba set, breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface breathing gas supply, and therefore has a limited but variable endurance. The word ''scub ...
,
fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
, 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
snorkeling Snorkeling (American and British English spelling differences#Doubled in British English, British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of human swimming, swimming face down on or through a body of water while breathing ...
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 or grot is a natural or artificial cave or covered recess. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high tide. Sometimes, artificial grottoes are used as garden fea ...
s can be found around the island, including Thunderball grotto which is a natural
limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
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 Parrotfish (named for their mouths, which resemble a parrot's beak) are a clade of fish placed in the tribe Scarini of the wrasse family (Labridae). Traditionally treated as their own family (Scaridae), genetic studies have found them to be dee ...
,
yellowtail snapper The yellowtail snapper (''Ocyurus chrysurus'') is an abundant species of Lutjanidae, 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, the ...
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 component, abiotic (non-living) processes such as deposition (geol ...
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.


Swimming with pigs

Staniel Cay is located in close proximity with another Exuma island called Pig Beach, 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 Nassau 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 The causes of food going uneaten are numerous and occur throughout the food system, during food production, production, food processing, processing, Food distribution, distribution, Grocery store, retail and food service sales, and Social clas ...
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.


See also

*
List of islands of the Bahamas The following is an alphabetical list of the islands and cays of the The Bahamas, Commonwealth of The Bahamas. A *Abaco Island *Abner Cay *Abraham's Bay *Acklins, Acklins Island *Adderley Cay *Alcorine Cay *Alder Cay *Allan Cays *Allans Cay ...
* Staniel Cay Airport * Pig Beach *
Exuma Exuma is a district of the Bahamas, district of The Bahamas, consisting of over 365 islands and Cay, cays. The largest of the islands is Great Exuma, which is 37 mi (60 km) in length and joined to another island, Little Exuma, by a small bridge ...


References


External links

* {{AirNav, MYES Exuma