Dear to the hearts of
sailors, yachtsmen and fishermen, southeast of the Biminis, is a cluster
of 30 islands and close to 100 cays known as The Berry Islands. Decked
with green and fringed with drifts of sand, here you can find a
multitude of magical harbours and swim-ashore
beaches.
With a land mass totaling only about a dozen square miles, these cays
rest on the eastern edge of the Great Bahama Bank, starting with Great
Stirrup Cay and extending to Chub Cay in the south; the largest of them
is Great Harbour Cay at 3,800 acres.
These largely uninhabited islands offer spectacular
diving
and
snorkeling
and are known for championship
sportfishing,
second only to the
Biminis.
It is a big cruising and angling area and record catches have been made
of mackerel, blue and white marlin
and sailfish. Bonefish, crawfish
and conch are plentiful, but people are scarce.
The islands' main attraction are their
seclusion and privacy and they have a reputation as a holiday retreat. A
good number of the cays like Fraser's Hog Cay and Bonds Cay, suitable
for stock raising and agriculture, are privately owned. There are more
millionaires here per square mile than most places on earth. Whale Cay
was once the site of an extensive coconut and sisal plantation. |