The Tribune

ABACO’S six national parks offer those looking for late summer vacation ideas before preparing for back-to-school the chance to get a close-up view of nature by island hopping from the mainland to the various cays.

The adventure can begin at the Abaco National Park in southern Abaco and easily accessible by car from Marsh Harbour towards Sandy Point. With over 20,500 acres of pine forest the park is rich in biodiversity and offers a number of trails for hiking and bird watching.

Children can see and learn about the many species of birds, including the endangered Bahama Parrot, indigenous to Abaco. Visitors must contact the Bahamas National Trust’s (BNT) Abaco office in advance to organise a guided tour with the park warden.

Known for its outstanding beauty with its wild and pristine natural environment, Tilloo Cay Reserve is seven miles southeast of Marsh Harbour. The park, though small, is an important nesting site and breeding ground for White–tailed Tropicbirds and other sea birds. The bird life is best viewed by boat.

Eight miles north of Cherokee Sound, and five miles from Little Harbour, Great Abaco, is the Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park (PCLSP), a 2,100 acre park accessible by boat only. It contains beautiful undersea caves, extensive coral reefs and abounds with fish and other marine life. Swim, snorkel or dive in the park at Sandy Cay Reef or explore the rocky seashores, sandy beaches and coastal habitats. Moorings are provided at no charge but the BNT does accept donations.

Two other marine treasures in Abaco are the Walker’s Cay National Park and the Fowl Cays National Park. Reef structures and diversity of marine life have attracted divers to these areas for years. Walker’s Cay can be discovered by boat in the northernmost part of the Abaco chain and its barrier reef is home to schools of Pompano, Amberjack, colourful tropical fish, turtles, eagle rays and large marine predators such as sharks and barracudas - all in their natural habitat. As there are no moorings in the park, extreme care should be taken when anchoring.

Unlike Walker’s Cay, where a boat is required for exploring, Fowl Cays National Park is conveniently located by Marsh Harbour and has a variety of tunnels and towers to a natural whirlpool inside the park at the right tide.

Lastly, Black Sound Cay National Reserve off Green Turtle Cay and a short bike or golf cart ride from the small settlement of New Plymouth is a miniature park comprising thick stands of mangrove vegetation, important habitats for terrestrial plant and animal life.

For more information, contact the Bahamas National Trust at 367-6310 or 225-4479 or visit their website: 
www.bnt.bs