Caribbean Tales - The Bahamas - Berry Islands
Berry Islands
Just to the northeast of Andros, on the northeastern edge of the Great
Bahama Bank, lie the Berry Islands. Lying in a long lacy line, this cluster
of 30 islands and close to 100 cays covers an area of 12 sq. miles and sprawls
over 40 miles of open sea along the edge of the mile-deep Tongue of the Ocean,
35 miles northwest Nassau. These cays rest on the eastern edge of the Great
Bahama Bank, starting with Great Stirrup Cay, it's lighthouse was built in
1863, and extending to Chub Cay in the south, There is a deep-water canyon
at Chub Cay, the Chub Cay Wall, which starts at 80 feet and drops to 4000
feet, the canyon is located in 45 feet of water; the largest of them is Great
Harbour Cay at 3,800 acres, tt is the venue for the chain's biggest settlement,
Bullock's Harbour. Others are Little Stirrup Cay, Little Harbour Cay, Fish
Cay, Bird Cay, Frozen Cay, Whale Cay and Little Whale Cay. The two largest,
Great Harbor Cay and Chub Cay, are where most of the Berry Island residents
live, and are the centers for activity. A good number of the cays like Fraser's
Hog Cay and Bonds Cay, suitable for stock raising and agriculture, are privately
owned. The Berry Islands are part of the Bahama Out Islands, or Family Islands
as they are often called.