An Outback Paradise in the Deep South

If you’re a tropical nomad, conservationist, bird watcher, birder, nature lover, love national parks, looking for your next adventure or just want quiet time, visit the island of Inagua. It’s a hidden gem. But you’ll have to visit to hear the calls of the wild and experience the best kept secret in The Bahamas.

By Keesha Claudia Bethell Photographs courtesy of Elijah Sands, Patricia Vasquez and Heather Carey of the Bahamas National Trust

Bahama Parrot

In Inagua, you trade in the luxury hotels and casinos for guest houses and villas that bring to life the unique charm of a quaint village. Combine all things nature with authentic Bahamian hospitality and you have a one-of-a-kind eco experience. In this article, we’ll share how a 90-minute Bahamasair flight from Nassau to the southernmost island in the Bahama chain, will bring you face-to face with six unique eco experiences. You’ll get a sneak peek at why Inagua is the best kept secret in The Bahamas.

Secret 1: Two for one

Inagua is made up of two islands: Great Inagua and Little Inagua. The population lives on Great Inagua—that’s where the capital—Matthew Town—is located. When you land in Matthew Town, you realize that you’re in the “Bahamian Outback”. Its somewhat arid appearance still supports plush nature attractions and varieties of wild animals roaming free; there’s a uniqueness in the air that gives you an inkling that fast-paced living has been left far behind you. Then, you exhale, close your eyes and inhale Mother Nature in all her splendour.

Little Inagua is as quiet as it gets because it’s uninhabited and untrodden. It could give you an uninterrupted nature experience. Here’s the thing: the only way to get there is by boat, which can be quite a challenge. Why? Well, it’s that unexplored and still a mystery.

Great Inagua has two parks. The first is the Inagua National Park. The 287 square miles of raw, tropical island beauty is so unique that The Bahamas has submitted it for a UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Natural heritage sites are restricted to those natural areas that furnish outstanding examples of Earth’s record of life or its geologic processes; provide excellent examples of

Secret 2: Inagua is home to Protected National Parks

Burrowing Owl ongoing ecological and biological evolutionary processes; contain natural phenomena that are rare, unique, superlative, or of outstanding beauty; or furnish habitats for rare or endangered animals or plants; or are sites of exceptional biodiversity.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) refers to the park as a “wetland ecosystem protected as a habitat that supports characteristic flora and fauna and as a resource of economic, cultural, scientific and recreational value”. The area is internationally recognized as a Key Biodiversity Area and is the only site in The Bahamas designated on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.

The other park on Great Inagua is the Union Creek Reserve - a mangrove tidal creek and the site of a former sea turtle research facility. Union Creek includes 4,940 acres and is a natural habitat for green and hawksbill sea turtles. Mangroves surround the creek, and the bottom is covered in lush seagrass meadows. Little Inagua in its entirety is literally a park. In fact, it’s called the Little Inagua National Park. It’s said that Little Inagua is the “largest uninhabited island in the

wider Caribbean”. The island exists in a natural, undisturbed state and the biodiversity implications and values of this island are enormous.

Interesting stuff, right? Keep reading.

Secret 3: It’s a bird lover’s utopia

“For serious birders, it’s tough to beat Great Inagua”, that’s what Forbes Magazine had to say in an April 2022 article. To add to that, we’ll share some figures from Avi-base - The World Bird Database: “As of December 2021, its catalog listed 213 species and 4 introduced species. Can you imagine how many feathery friends you’ll make whether with a local expert bird guide or by a random encounter? You’ll cast your eyes on bird families of cormorants, egrets, pelicans, various species of warblers and songbirds. Other birds are the roseate spoonbill and burrowing owl.”

Two things you won’t see anywhere else in the world, for sure, are the endemic Inagua sub-species of the Bahama parrot and the Inagua woodstar hummingbird. Correction—there are three things you’ll only find in Inagua: the endemic species

Wild Donkey Bonsai Forest

Salt Mountains and an almost immeasurable number of flamingos. The island is the site of the largest breeding colony of West Indian flamingos in the world. This national bird of The Bahamas now numbers more than 70,000 after a 40-year journey back from near extinction.

Secret 5: There is a natural Bonsai forest

We know what you’re thinking - a Bon-what in where? No worries, we’ll explain. On the southern coast of Great Inagua, there are constant breezes of wind and salt which force trees, after growing to about four feet out of the ground, to bend over to grow downward where their canopies grow along the soil. Put that all together and you have a unique sight that you’ll have to discover for yourself and a natural Bonsai forest in The Bahamas.

Secret 6: There are White Mountains

If you’re thinking the white in the mountains represent snow, you’re wrong. In Inagua, there are salt mountains. On Great Inagua, about a million pounds of salt is produced per year under the Morton Salt Company which covers 300,000 acres of the island.

Inagua is perfect for salt production because the climate is mostly dry. The sun and wind provide the energy that evaporates the water and produces concentrated brine. Impurities are removed by controlled movement of the brine through reservoirs. That’s the Inagua-way of producing pure crystallized salt mountains.

Bonus:

Keep an eye out for cows, donkeys and boars roaming freely. They’re a little shy when it comes to guests on the island. You must be quiet, so you don’t scare them away. If you do get to see them, be sure to smile and whisper, “Hello, there. Bahamasair sent me.”

And there you have it - six secrets of Inagua that you can share with friends and family. Those secrets only scratch the surface of what Inagua has to offer. To uncover the rest, you’ll have to go visit for yourself. UA

Reddish Egrets Inagua National Park