Bimini is the westernmost
districtThe Districts of the Bahamas provide a system of local government everywhere in The Bahamas except New Providence, whose affairs are handled directly by the central government...
of the Bahamas composed of a chain of islands located about 53 miles (81 km) due east of
Miami, FloridaMiami is a major coastal city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. Miami is the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida. With an estimated population of 424,662 in 2007, Miami is the largest city within the Miami metropolitan area, which is the...
. Bimini is the closest point in the Bahamas to the mainland
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and approximately 137 miles (209 km) west-northwest of
NassauNassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 260,000 , nearly 80 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
.
Geography
The largest
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
s are
North Bimini and
South Bimini. The District of Bimini also includes
Cay Sal BankCay Sal Bank is the third largest and the westernmost of the Bahama Banks. It is located between 23º27'N - 24º10'N and 079º25'W – 080º35'W...
, more than 62 miles (100 km) further south, which is geographically not a part of the Bimini Islands but a separate unit. North Bimini is about seven miles (11 km) long and 700 feet (210 m) wide. Its main settlement is
Alice TownAlice Town is a town in the Bahamas. It is located on North Bimini island. It is the centre of the tourist trade on the island: there are several hotels, bars and restaurants. North of Alice Town is the main settlement called Bailey Town. To the north of Bailey Town is Porgy Bay....
, a collection of shops,
restaurantA restaurant prepares and serves food and drink to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, and
barsA bar is an establishment that serves drinks, especially alcoholic beverages such as beer, liquor, and cocktails, for consumption on the premises....
surrounding a single road known as "The King's Highway".
South Bimini houses an airstrip,
South Bimini AirportSouth Bimini Airport is an airport in South Bimini on Bimini in the Bahamas . The airport was used as a staging point on the show Destination Truth.-Airlines and Destinations:*Continental Airlines...
, and offers a quiet alternative to the slow bustle of North Bimini. There is a small community of homes on South Bimini known as Port Royale. For many years, South Bimini tourists were limited to boaters because there were few accommodations other than private homes.
The ocean surrounding the islands is considered to be one of the world's top
big-game fishingBig-game fishing, often referred to as offshore sportfishing, offshore gamefishing, or blue-water fishing is a form of recreational fishing, targeting large fish renowned for their sporting qualities, such as tuna and marlin.-History:...
spots. Because Bimini is close to Miami, Florida, many American anglers go to the island by boat to fish or to enjoy the local nightlife.
Scuba divingScuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater for recreation, commercial or industrial reasons.Unlike early diving, which relied exclusively on air pumped from the surface, scuba...
and
snorkelingSnorkeling is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, a wetsuit may also be worn...
are also popular activities, as there are many
shipwreckA shipwreck is the remains of a ship that has wrecked, it having either been sunk or beached. A shipwreck can refer to a wrecked ship or to the event that caused the wreck, such as the striking of something that causes the ship to sink, the stranding of the ship on rocks, land or shoal, or the...
s in the area, such as the wreck of the
SS SaponaSS Sapona was a concrete-hulled cargo steamer that ran aground near Bimini during a hurricane in 1926. The wreck of the ship is easily visible above the water, and is both a navigational landmark for boaters and a popular dive site....
, which ran aground in 1926 during a hurricane. The top of the ship is exposed to the air while the bottom half is submerged. Parts of the wreck were stripped over the years and some of the wood was used in the construction of the
Compleat Angler HotelThe Compleat Angler Hotel was a modest three-story hotel on the island of North Bimini in the Bahamas. The establishment, located in the center of Alice Town, contained 12 guestrooms in addition to its rowdy bar. It is notable for its association with Ernest Hemingway, who was a guest from...
and bar on North Bimini.
History
Bimini is home to several landmarks said to contain mystical properties of obscure origins. Much of the historical data about these places is speculative in nature, and experts in various fields have opined across the full spectrum of explanation. The most contentious of these sites is
The Bimini RoadThe Bimini Road, sometimes called the Bimini Wall, is an underwater rock formation near North Bimini island in the Bahamas. The Road consists of a 0.8 km long northeast-southwest linear feature composed of roughly rectangular to subrectangular limestone blocks.-History:On September 2, 1968,...
.
During the period of
Prohibition in the United StatesIn the history of the United States, Prohibition, also known as The Noble Experiment, is the period from 1919 to 1933, during which the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol for consumption were banned nationally as mandated in the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States...
, Bimini was a favorite haven and supply point for the
rum-runningRum-running is the business of smuggling or transporting of alcoholic beverages or any other illegal drinks;illegally, usually to circumvent taxation or prohibition. The term usually applies to transport of goods over water, over land it is commonly referred to as bootlegging.-History:It wasn't...
trade. Some claim that the term "
the real McCoy"The real McCoy" is an idiom used throughout much of the English-speaking world to mean "the real thing" or "the genuine article" e.g., "he's the real McCoy"...
" was applied to the
rumRum is a distilled beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses and sugarcane juice by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak and other barrels...
provided by
William S. McCoyWilliam Frederick McCoy , also known as "Bill" McCoy, was an American sea captain and rum runner smuggler during the Prohibition in the United States....
, who used Bimini to transport
whiskeyWhisky or whiskey is a type of alcoholic beverage distilled from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and maize...
to America during the Prohibition, although the phrase pre-dates the Prohibition Era – it is first recorded in the US in 1908 – and the phrase is the subject of numerous fanciful folk etymologies.
Chalk's International Airlines operated flights between Miami and the Bahamas since 1917, so the company was an island institution for generations. As goods on the island were expensive because of shipping costs, many locals used Chalk's flights to buy cheaper goods in Florida and take the goods to Bimini. A Grumman Turbo Mallard of
Flight 101On December 19, 2005, Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States to Bimini, Bahamas, with an unscheduled stop at Watson Island, Miami, Florida , crashed off Miami Beach, Florida. Witnesses saw white smoke billowing from the plane, before an explosion ripped off...
was en route to Bimini when it crashed on December 19, 2005 killing all 18 passengers and 2 crew; at least eleven of the passengers were Bimini residents. Locals on Bimini mourned the dead.
Just a few weeks later, on January 13, 2006, one of the most famous establishments in Bimini, the
Compleat Angler HotelThe Compleat Angler Hotel was a modest three-story hotel on the island of North Bimini in the Bahamas. The establishment, located in the center of Alice Town, contained 12 guestrooms in addition to its rowdy bar. It is notable for its association with Ernest Hemingway, who was a guest from...
burned to the ground in a raging fire. The bar is best remembered for the photographs and memorabilia of
Ernest HemingwayErnest Miller Hemingway was an American writer and journalist. He was part of the 1920s expatriate community in Paris, and one of the veterans of World War I later known as "the Lost Generation." He received the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 for The Old Man and the Sea, and the Nobel Prize in Literature...
that lined its walls; these photos were lost in the fire, which also took the life of owner, Julian Brown.
The Fountain of Youth
Juan Ponce de LeónJuan Ponce de León, was a Spanish explorer. He became the first Governor of Puerto Rico by appointment of the Spanish Crown. He led the first European expedition to Florida, which he named...
and his search for the
Fountain of YouthThe Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring that reputedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks of its waters.Florida is often said to be its location, and stories of the fountain are some of the most persistent associated with the state...
included references to Bimini.
ArawakThe term Arawak , was used to designate some of the peoples encountered by the Spanish in the West Indies in 1492 and thereafter...
and/or
TaínoThe Taínos are pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is believed that the seafaring Taínos are relatives of the Arawakan people of South America...
spoke of a land called "Beimini" where the fountain could be found. Although the location was erroneously associated with the Bahamas, the natives referred to a location in the
Gulf of HondurasThe Gulf or Bay of Honduras is a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, indenting the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. From north to south, it runs for approximately 200 km from Dangriga, Belize, to La Ceiba, Honduras....
. Though de León's expedition brought him to
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
, the fountain was rumored to exist within the shallow pools of South Bimini. Today there is a small freshwater well with a plaque commemorating the Fountain of Youth. The location is on the road leading to the
South Bimini AirportSouth Bimini Airport is an airport in South Bimini on Bimini in the Bahamas . The airport was used as a staging point on the show Destination Truth.-Airlines and Destinations:*Continental Airlines...
.
Found within the salt water
mangroveMangroves are trees and shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S. The saline conditions tolerated by various species range from brackish water, through pure seawater , to water of over twice the salinity of ocean seawater,...
swamp that covers four miles (6 km) of North Bimini is
The Healing Hole, a pool that lies at the end of a network of winding tunnels that stretch underground. During outgoing tides, these channels pump cool,
mineral-ladenMineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value. Salts, sulfur compounds, and gases are among the substances that can be dissolved in the water. Mineral water can often be effervescent. Mineral water can be prepared or can...
fresh water into the pool. Natural
lithiumLithium is a soft, silver-white metal that belongs to the alkali metal group of chemical elements. It is represented by the symbol Li, and it has the atomic number three. Under standard conditions it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly...
and
sulfurSulfur or sulphur is the chemical element that has the atomic number 16. It is denoted with the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Sulfur, in its native form, is a yellow crystalline solid. In nature, it can be found as the pure element and as sulfide and sulfate minerals...
are two of the minerals said to be contained in these waters, which seem to exhibit curative properties, as people express a sense of mental and physical rejuvenation after their visit.
Endemic species
Bimini is home to several unique, endemic and threatened species. The Bimini
BoaThe Boinae are a subfamily of non-venomous boas found in Central and South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. Five genera comprising 28 species are currently recognized.-Geographic range:...
(
EpicratesEpicrates may refer to:* Epicrates of Ambracia, an ancient Greek and Middle Comedy playwright* Epicrates of Athens, an ancient Athenian involved in political affairs* Epicrates , a group of harmless boas...
striatus fosteri) protected by Bahamian law is the largest of the terrestrial
reptileReptiles, or members of the class Reptilia, are air-breathing, generally "cold-blooded" amniotes that generally have skin covered in scales or scutes. They are tetrapods and lay amniote eggs, whose embryos are surrounded by the amnion membrane...
s on Bimini. The Bimini
AmeivaAmeiva is a lizard genus which belongs to the family of Teiidae.-Classification:Genus Ameiva*Ameiva ameiva – Common Ameiva*Ameiva anomala*Ameiva auberi*Ameiva bifrontata*Ameiva bridgesii*Ameiva chaitzami...
(
Ameiva auberi richmondi) is a very common, fast moving
lizardLizards are a very large and widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 5,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
on the island. The
Smalltooth sawfishThe smalltooth sawfish , also known as the wide sawfish, is a sawfish of the family Pristidae, found in shallow tropical and subtropical waters in coastal parts of the Atlantic, including the Mediterranean. Reports from elsewhere are now believed to be misidentifications of other species of sawfish...
(
Pristis pectinata) is one of the rarest
fishA fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins...
in the world, sometimes listed as a critically endangered species by conservation groups.
Notable residents
Ernest HemingwayErnest Miller Hemingway was an American writer and journalist. He was part of the 1920s expatriate community in Paris, and one of the veterans of World War I later known as "the Lost Generation." He received the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 for The Old Man and the Sea, and the Nobel Prize in Literature...
lived on Bimini from 1935 to 1937, staying at the
Compleat Angler HotelThe Compleat Angler Hotel was a modest three-story hotel on the island of North Bimini in the Bahamas. The establishment, located in the center of Alice Town, contained 12 guestrooms in addition to its rowdy bar. It is notable for its association with Ernest Hemingway, who was a guest from...
. He worked on
To Have and Have NotTo Have and Have Not is a 1937 novel by Ernest Hemingway about Harry Morgan, a fishing boat captain who runs contraband between Cuba and Florida. The novel depicts Harry as an essentially good man who is forced into blackmarket activity by economic forces beyond his control...
and wrote a few articles, but mostly he
fishedBig-game fishing, often referred to as offshore sportfishing, offshore gamefishing, or blue-water fishing is a form of recreational fishing, targeting large fish renowned for their sporting qualities, such as tuna and marlin.-History:...
aboard his boat
Pilar,
trollingTrolling is a method of fishing where one or more fishing lines, baited with lures or bait fish, are drawn through the water. This may be behind a moving boat, or by slowly winding the line in when fishing from a static position, or even sweeping the line from side-to-side, eg when fishing from a...
the deep blue offshore waters for
marlinMarlin, Istiophoridae, is a "billfish" and is closely linked to freshwater trout. A marlin has an elongated body, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long rigid dorsal fin, which extends forward to form a crest. Its common name is thought to derive from its resemblance to a sailor's marlinspike...
,
tunaTuna are ocean-dwelling carnivorous fish in the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers—they have been clocked at —and include several warm-blooded species...
and
swordfishSwordfish , also known as Broadbill in some countries, are large, highly migratory, predatory fish characterized by a long, flat bill. They are a popular sport fish, though elusive. Swordfish are elongated, round-bodied, and lose all teeth and scales by adulthood. They reach a maximum size of 177 in...
. Hemingway was attracted to Bimini by tales of the incredible fishing available in the
Gulf StreamThe Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico, exits through the Strait of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland...
, the legendary “river” of warm water that rushes north past the Bahamas. An
Atlantic blue marlinThe Atlantic blue marlin is a species of marlin, endemic to the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic blue marlin feeds on a wide variety of organisms near the surface. By using its bill, it can stun, injure, or kill while knifing through a school of prey, and then return at leisure to eat...
with a mass of caught off Bimini allegedly inspired Hemingway to write
The Old Man and the SeaThe Old Man and the Sea is a novella by Ernest Hemingway, written in Cuba in 1951 and published in 1952. It was the last major work of fiction to be produced by Hemingway and published in his lifetime. One of his most famous works, it centers upon Santiago, an aging Cuban fisherman who struggles...
and
Islands in The StreamIslands in the Stream was the first of Ernest Hemingway's novels to be published posthumously.The book was originally intended to revive Hemingway’s reputation after the negative reviews of Across the River and Into the Trees. He began writing it in 1950 and advanced greatly through 1951...
.
South Bimini was home to Colonel Joseph C. Mackey, the founder of
Mackey AirlinesMackey Airlines, also known as Mackey International Airlines, was an airline which mainly served Florida and The Bahamas. Flights flew primarily out of West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami to a number of islands in the Bahamas and to Turks and Caicos....
, which was later bought by Eastern Airlines. He built a home on the very southern tip of South Bimini. This structure would become the
Sunshine Inn and is currently a bar and restaurant, though the hotel is gone.
Among Port Royale's other notable residents was
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.The Rev'd and Hon. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. was an American politician and pastor who represented the Harlem section of Manhattan in New York City in the United States House of Representatives between 1945 and 1971. He was the first African-American elected to Congress from New York...
, who was excluded from the
U.S. House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the "House," is the lower house of the bicameral United States Congress, the upper house being the United States Senate. The composition and powers of the House and the Senate are established in Article One of the Constitution...
because of allegations that he misappropriated Committee funds for his personal use. He stayed in Bimini from January, 1967 to April, 1969 in self-imposed
exileExile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened by prison or death upon return...
until the
Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States, and leads the federal judiciary. It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justices, who are nominated by the President and confirmed with the "advice and consent" of the Senate...
ruled that the House had acted unconstitutionally when it excluded Powell, a duly elected member.
In May 1987,
ColoradoColorado is a U.S. state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. It may also be considered to be part of the Western and Southwestern regions of the United States. Colorado entered statehood in 1876 and was nicknamed the “Centennial State”...
SenatorThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate and the House are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution . Each U.S state is represented by two senators,...
Gary HartGary Hart is an American politician, lawyer, author, professor and commentator. He formerly served as a Democratic Senator representing Colorado , and ran in the U.S...
's presidential bid was derailed after media reports exposed an affair with model
Donna RiceDonna Rice Hughes was the key figure in a widely-publicized 1987 political scandal that ended the second campaign for the Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States of Gary Hart amid allegations of marital infidelity...
. Photos taken of the Senator on an overnight trip to Bimini on the yacht
Monkey Business fed the media frenzy. An intimate photo of Rice sitting on the lap of Hart on one of Bimini's docks was the nail in the coffin for Hart's campaign for the presidency.
The popular singer
Jimmy BuffettJames William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer, songwriter, author, businessman, and recently a movie producer best known for his "island escapism" lifestyle and music including hits such as "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday". He has a devoted base of fans known as "Parrotheads"...
also spent some time on South Bimini while writing one of his books.
Bimini Bay controversy
In May 2008, marine conservationist
Jean-Michel CousteauJean-Michel Cousteau is a French explorer, environmentalist, educator, film producer, the first son of ocean explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau and is the father of Fabien Cousteau and Céline Cousteau.-Summary:...
criticized Bimini Bay Resort, calling it a "catastrophe" and announcing, "allowing Bimini Bay to continue with phase II would certainly strip this island paradise of its precious natural riches. Over time, visitors and residents alike will suffer the decline of economic, social and environmental prosperity..." In response, some Bimini residents disagreed with Cousteau and voiced their support for Bimini Bay Resort, citing its environmental protections and economic promise.
Other meanings of Bimini
Bimini is a term and name derived from the
TainoThe Taínos are pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is believed that the seafaring Taínos are relatives of the Arawakan people of South America...
words
Bibi (Mother) and
Mini (Waters), meaning Mother of Many Waters. Taino is a
Native AmericanThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Americas, their descendants, and many ethnic groups who identify with those peoples...
language of the Caribbean islands. Bimini is also the original Pre-Columbian Taino Arawak name for the land now known as
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
.
A
Bimini topA Bimini top is an open-front canvas top for the cockpit of a boat, usually supported by a metal frame. Most biminis can be collapsed when not in use, and raised again if shade or shelter from rain is desired. Bimini tops differ from dodgers in that dodgers include protection in front and on the...
is a type of canvas shelter on a small boat.
Further reading
- Curran, A., and B. White, eds., 2005, Terrestrial and shallow marine geology of the Bahamas and Bermuda. Special Paper no. 300. Geological Society of America, Boulder, Colorado. ISBN: 0-8137-2300-0
- Kresge, Dave, 2005, VantagePoint Guide to Bimini, VantagePoint Guides. ISBN 0-9729589-1-6
- Saunders, Ashley, 2000, History of Bimini, Volume I, New World Press. ISBN 0-80-829-219 (S)
- Shinn, E. A., 2009, The mystique of beachrock. in Perspectives in Carbonate Geology: A Tribute to the Career of Robert Nathan Ginsburg, P. K. Swart, G. Eberli, and J. A. McKenzie, eds., pp. 19-28. Special Publication no. 41. International Association of Sedimentologists. ISBN 0-13-9781405193801
- Zink, David, 1978, 'The Stones of Atlantis, Prentice Hall Trade. ISBN 0-13-846923-7
External links