Bahamas Habitat Overview

Politically, the Bahamas are considered a part of the Caribbean though geographically speaking they are a part of the North American plate, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Gulf Stream on the west.

A coral archipelago, the Bahamas consists of some 700 Islands, mostly flat limestone formations and 2000 small islets or cays spread out over an area of about 13,939 sq miles. Though surrounded by shallow waters, sometimes only a few metres deep, the Bahamian seas with its brilliant blue waters are spectacular.

The soil in most areas is thin and infertile and at places limestone rock has been exposed at the surface.  There are pockets of swampy landscape that are uninhabited regions. Massive hollows on the landscape called ‘blue – holes’ often open into underground caves. Though there aren’t any rivers or streams on the Islands, fresh water can be found close to the surface usually resting on salt water.    

Pine trees, cabbage fern and palms dominate the vegetation in the northern and western islands changing into cacti and hardy shrubs as you move southwards.   Mangrove tress can also be found on the Western shores. A variety of wildlife, including a number of bats, the endangered hutia, the wild boar, feral cattle donkeys, horses and lizards inhabit the archipelago. The Atlantic waters are home to the bottle-nosed dolphins, humpback and blue whales.