district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...
of the
Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the a ...
, covering about of the northwestern part of the
Out Islands
The Out Islands are the islands that make up the Bahamas with the exception of New Providence Island, where the capital and largest city, Nassau, is located and Grand Bahama Island, where Freeport is located.David Hamilton-Jones, "Problems of Int ...
.
The Berry Islands consist of about thirty
island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An isla ...
s and over one hundred small islands or cays, often referred to as "The Fish Bowl of the Bahamas." They have a
population
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction usi ...
slaves
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
.
Attractions
The Berry islands are still relatively undeveloped, with two small regional airports and no hotels, but do have townhouses and beach villas for rent for visitors. Most of the islands are uninhabited, but are strikingly beautiful. During the winter season the islands are visited by out-of-town guests and second home residents, but the difficulty of reaching the Berry Islands and the lack of infrastructure keeps things low-key. Due to seasonal residents, the Berry islands can say that they have more resident millionaires per unit area than any other place in the world.
The main attraction is big game fishing. Some of the fish that can be found there are
billfish
The term billfish refers to a group of saltwater predatory fish characterised by prominent pointed bills (rostra), and by their large size; some are longer than . Extant billfish include sailfish and marlin, which make up the family Istioph ...
,
tuna
A tuna is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae (mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (max length: ...
,
grouper
Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes.
Not all serranids are called "groupers"; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name "grouper" ...
,
tiger fish
Tigerfish can refer to fish from various families, and derives from official and colloquial associations of these with the tiger (''Panthera tigris''). However, the primary species designated by the name "tigerfish" are African and belong to th ...
,
yellowtail snapper
The yellowtail snapper (''Ocyurus chrysurus'') is an abundant species of snapper native to the western Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Although they have been found as far north as Massachusetts, their normal ...
,
wahoo
Wahoo (''Acanthocybium solandri'') is a scombrid fish found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. It is best known to sports fishermen, as its speed and high-quality flesh makes it a prized and valued game fish. In Hawaii, the wahoo is ...
,
king mackerel
The king mackerel (''Scomberomorus cavalla'') or kingfish, is a migratory species of mackerel of the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. It is an important species to both the commercial and recreational fishing industries.
Description
Th ...
, and many more. In May, Great Harbour Cay is packed with visitors and fishing captains such as Habana Joe who go there for the annual fishing
tournament
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
. There are also great spots for
snorkelling
Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, ...
and
scuba diving
Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for " Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chr ...
Great Harbour Cay
Great Harbour Cay is the major island in the north Berry Islands. It has a population of 353 (2010 census).Great Harbour Cay Airport
Great Harbour Cay Airport is an airport serving Great Harbour Cay, one of the Berry Islands in The Bahamas.
Facilities
The airport resides at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 13/31 with an asphalt
Asph ...
.
Chub Cay
Chub Cay is an island in the Berry Islands chain of the Bahamas. It has a population of 46. (2010 census)
The main activity and source of income for the residents of Chub Cay are support of activities at the Chub Cay Resort & Marina and sport f ...
, site of
Chub Cay International Airport
Chub Cay Airport is an airport in Chub Cay in the Berry Islands in The Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic ...
, is the second largest island in the chain and is known an "the
billfish
The term billfish refers to a group of saltwater predatory fish characterised by prominent pointed bills (rostra), and by their large size; some are longer than . Extant billfish include sailfish and marlin, which make up the family Istioph ...
capital of the Bahamas."
Little Stirrup Cay
CocoCay or Little Stirrup Cay is one of the Berry Islands, a collection of Bahamian cays and small islands located approximately 55 miles north of Nassau. It is used for tourism by Royal Caribbean Group exclusively. Little Stirrup Cay is adjace ...
is leased by
Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International (RCI), also formerly known as Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL), is a cruise line brand founded in 1968 in Norway and organised as a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group since 1997. Based in Miami, Flo ...
, which calls it Coco Cay, and acts as a private island for tropical activities engaged in by visitors on its cruise ships of the Royal Caribbean and
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises is a cruise line headquartered in Miami, Florida and a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group. Celebrity Cruises was founded in 1988 by the Greece-based Chandris Group, and merged with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line in ...
labels.
Great Stirrup Cay
Great Stirrup Cay is a Sloan, Gene (June 24, 2017). "Norwegian Cruise's private Caribbean isle gets a serious spruce up". ''Times-Colonist'' (Victoria, British Columbia). p. D5. island that is part of the Berry Islands in the Bahamas. Norwegian C ...
is owned by
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), also known in short as Norwegian, is an American cruise line founded in 1966, incorporated in Bermuda and headquartered in Miami. It is the fourth-largest cruise line in the world by passengers, controlling about 8. ...
and is used for similar purposes.
Cistern Cay is a private island located next to Great Harbour Cay.
Little Whale Cay a private island that was developed as residence by
Wallace Groves
Wallace Groves (–30 January 1988) was a prominent financier, who, after his release from federal prison in 1944, moved to the Bahamas and there founded and operated the free trade zone, resort, and casino development Freeport on Grand Bahama Isl ...
