Spittal Pond, Bermuda
Encyclopedia
Spittal Pond is the third largest pond in Bermuda
, and is surrounded by Bermuda's largest wildlife sanctuary, the Spittal Pond Nature Reserve. It is located close to the Atlantic
coast of Smith's Parish
.
Ostensibly fresh water, with no connection to the nearby Atlantic, the pond is in fact brackish
, as the ocean can inundate the lake during severe storms. For this reason, parts of the lake can become discoloured and malodorous due to the work of sulfur
-producing bacteria which thrive in brackish conditions.
The lake is a major transition area for migratory birds crossing the Atlantic, and as such is a good birdwatching area. Waterfowl of many kinds—from geese to flamingo
es—are common sights.
The origin of the name is uncertain, although it can probably be traced to one of several places in Scotland
that have Spittal as part of their names.
On September 5, 2003 severe damage was done to the reserve by Hurricane Fabian
.
Many of the endemic plants and trees that once lived here, especially the Bermuda Cedar
have been killed off by introduced species, such as the Mexican Pepper, Casuarina, Fiddlewood, Chinese Fan Palm, and Asparagus Fern.
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, and is surrounded by Bermuda's largest wildlife sanctuary, the Spittal Pond Nature Reserve. It is located close to the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
coast of Smith's Parish
Smith's Parish, Bermuda
Smith's Parish is one of the nine parishes of Bermuda. It is named for English aristocrat Sir Thomas Smith/Smythe .-Description:...
.
Ostensibly fresh water, with no connection to the nearby Atlantic, the pond is in fact brackish
Brackish water
Brackish water is water that has more salinity than fresh water, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing of seawater with fresh water, as in estuaries, or it may occur in brackish fossil aquifers. The word comes from the Middle Dutch root "brak," meaning "salty"...
, as the ocean can inundate the lake during severe storms. For this reason, parts of the lake can become discoloured and malodorous due to the work of sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
-producing bacteria which thrive in brackish conditions.
The lake is a major transition area for migratory birds crossing the Atlantic, and as such is a good birdwatching area. Waterfowl of many kinds—from geese to flamingo
Flamingo
Flamingos or flamingoes are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus , the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae...
es—are common sights.
The origin of the name is uncertain, although it can probably be traced to one of several places in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
that have Spittal as part of their names.
On September 5, 2003 severe damage was done to the reserve by Hurricane Fabian
Hurricane Fabian
Hurricane Fabian was a powerful Cape Verde-type hurricane that hit Bermuda in early September during the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. Fabian, the sixth named storm, fourth hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season, developed from a tropical wave in the tropical Atlantic Ocean on August 25...
.
Many of the endemic plants and trees that once lived here, especially the Bermuda Cedar
Juniperus bermudiana
Juniperus bermudiana is a species of juniper endemic to Bermuda. This species is most commonly known as Bermuda cedar although, like most "cedars" it is not a true cedar ; a more botanically accurate name would be Bermuda juniper, but this term is extremely rare.It is an evergreen tree growing up...
have been killed off by introduced species, such as the Mexican Pepper, Casuarina, Fiddlewood, Chinese Fan Palm, and Asparagus Fern.