Andros Bahamas:
Bonefish Capital of the World
Andros Island is the largest of all the Islands (104 miles long and 40 miles
wide) but has the smallest population for its size. It has an abundance of
bonefish and the world's third largest barrier reef which is over 140 miles long
and is renowned for its superb diving sites and marine life. Andros (2,300 square miles) is the fifth largest island in the Caribbean,
but only has a population of 8,000 people
Andros is the largest of the Bahama islands, dwarfing the more
densely populated New Providence in size almost tenfold. Teaming with lush green
foliage, spunky land crabs, and wild orchids of every possible color, Andros is
an Edenic paradise. And if you like to get your feet wet, Andros has more then a
few beaches to do it, as well as some of the best diving sites in the world,
filled with deep coral canyons and magnificent blue holes.
Andros Bahamas History
The island was given the name “Espiritu Santo,” the Island of the Holy
Spirit” by the Spanish, but is also called San Andreas on a 1782 map. The modern
name is believed to be in honour of Sir Edmund Andros, Commander of Her
Majesty’s Forces in Barbados in 1672 and Governor successively of New York,
Massachusetts and New England.
It is also believed that the island could have been named after the inhabitants
of St. Andro Island on the Mosquito Coast as 1,400 of them settled in Andros in
1787.
Loyalists and their slaves also settled in Andros in the late 19th Century.
Cotton and sisal were grown and later sponging became a flourishing industry in
Andros for many years.
Legend has it that a sort of leprechaun or gremlin known locally as the
chickcharney holds sway and migrated to Red bays in the 19th century with
the Seminole Indians.
Andros Bahamas Geography
Andros lies in the Atlantic Ocean and is made up of many islet and cays,
comprising a North, Middle and South Bight. There is much shallow water and lots
of swamp, which in some areas connects with fresh water streams. Andros, known
for its abundant fresh water supplies, has an atmosphere of mystery, having its
forested and remote areas.
Other settlements are San Andros, Nicholls Town, Lowe Sound, Staniard Creek,
Mangrove Cay, Driggs Hill, Kemps Bay, Long Bay Cays, The Bluff, Deep Creek,
Little Creek, Pleasant Bay, Mars Bay, Smith’s Hill, Black Point, Behring Point,
Cargill Creek, Calabash Bay, Love Hill and Stafford Creek.
Andros Bahamas Points of Interest
Located 20 miles west of New Providence, Andros has four airports and three
official ports of entry. It is also home to the Atlantic Undersea Testing and
Evaluation Centre (AUTEC) Base in Fresh Creek, one of the world’s busiest
underwater testing facilities; and the Androsia factory established by
Rosie Birch and produces batik with exquisite local design; bonefishing lodges,
blue holes, and caves.
As an added bonus, not only is Andros home to one of the largest
populations of bonefish, it is also home to the third largest barrier reef in
the western hemisphere.
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