Ecotourism

The Southern Berry Islands Marine Reserve encompasses more than a dozen cays and islands and is home to a rich assortment of birds including the West Indian Whistling Duck, abundant marine and wildlife species, as well as a host of cultural sites that date back to the beginnings of English settlement in the area. For nature lovers, rent a kayak and paddle around the southernmost tip of Great Harbor Cay, which offers one of the most fertile mangrove creeks to be found in the Bahamas where you can get up close and personal with the marine life swimming beneath you in the crystal-clear Bahaman water. Explore the breathtaking beauty of Hoffman Cay's Sugar Beach Cave, which is home to a 600-foot wide blue hole that daily witnesses the unique interplay of area marine life. History lovers will thrill at offshore excursions to such storied destinations as Big Whale Cay to visit the first Anglican Church built in the area, or the impressive lighthouses that have guided mariners safely past Great Stirrup Cay since 1863. Many of the ecotourism activities are accessible only by water, so most of the tourist packages are conducted by boat.