Bimini (Bahamas)
| Bimini | ||
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| Waters | Caribbean Sea | |
| archipelago | Bahamas | |
| Geographical location | 25 ° 44 ′ N , 79 ° 15 ′ W | |
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| Number of islands | 10 | |
| Main island | North bimini | |
| Total land area | 23 km² | |
| Residents | 2008 (2010) | |
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Bimini [ˈbɪmɪniː] is a group of islands and a district of the Bahamas . In addition to the archipelago, the district also includes the Cay Sal Bank . The main islands are North Bimini and South Bimini. North Bimini is around 11 km long and 210 m wide, the main town is Alice Town , a collection of shops, restaurants and bars on a street ("The King's Highway"). South Bimini has only one runway and two hotels, so this island offers a quiet alternative to the hustle and bustle of North Bimini.
Bimini is around 80 km east of Miami Beach . The islands are best known as an angler's paradise . As they are not far from Miami, Florida , the islands are visited by many American anglers by boat. Scuba diving and snorkeling are also popular activities as there are numerous shipwrecks in the area .
Mysticism and riddles
There are numerous places on Bimini that are said to have mystical properties or mythical-legendary origins. The most famous of these places is the so-called Bimini Road , which was also associated with Plato's Atlantis .
The Bimini Road
The Bimini Road , which is also known as the Bimini Wall , is one of Bimini's tourist attractions. This formation, about 800 m long and about six meters deep in the shallow coastal waters in front of Paradise Point, North Bimini, made of large, almost rectangular limestone blocks, is easy to reach even for inexperienced divers and hobby snorkelers. For decades it has provided material for discussion and speculation about its origin. While most scholars consider Bimini Road to be a naturally formed geological structure, a minority believe that it was built by humans thousands of years ago when the sea level was lower.
The source of youth
Facts about Juan Ponce de León and his search for the source of youth are as mystical as the source itself. Whether it was the Arawak or their relatives, the Taíno Indians, who told de León the story is not clear, but both versions of the story claim that locals told of a land called "Beemeenee" where the source can be found. While the expedition brought de León to Florida , rumors persist that the source could be found in the shallow pools of South Bimini.
The healing hole
In the salt water of the mangrove forest that covers four miles from North Bimini is the Healing Hole, a pool at the end of a network of tunnels. During the ebb tide, cold and mineral-rich fresh water is pressed into the pond from this tunnel system. Natural lithium and sulfur are two of the elements that are said to be in this water. The water is said to have healing properties, and visitors speak of a mental and physical rejuvenation after their visit.
environmental Protection
American investors are planning the Bimini Bay Resort tourist complex on Bimini . It will include over 1000 apartments, 450 villas, a luxury hotel, restaurants, a casino, a wellness center, a golf course and a marina with around 400 berths. With the support of tour operators and diving guests from all over the world, the population was able to cut these plans, which were devastating for nature. The project has not yet been completely prevented. Furthermore, some of the residents of Bimini are resisting the implementation of the project.
Facts
- During the prohibition in the US , Bimini was a preferred port for rum smuggling.
- A 500-pound marlin caught offshore inspired Ernest Hemingway 's book The Old Man and the Sea , which made the archipelago one of the settings in his 1970 novel Islands in the Stream .
- The last scene in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) takes place at South Bimini Airport.
- Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101 was en route to Bimini when it crashed on December 19, 2005; at least eleven passengers came from Bimini.
- On December 31, 2005, one of the most famous bars in Bimini, the Compleat Angler , burned to the ground. The bar was best known for its photos of Ernest Hemingway leaning against the wall of the bar. All photos were lost in the fire.
literature
- Carnac, Pierre. History begins in Bimini , Walther-Verlag, 1978, ISBN 3-530-12920-8 ; Original edition 1973 by Edition Robert Laffont, Paris L'histoire commence à Bimini .
- Cayce, Edgar Evans. Edgar Cayce on Atlantis , Warner Books, 1988. ISBN 0-446-35102-4 .
- Menzies, Gavin. 1421: The Year China Discovered America , Harper Perennial; 1st Perenn Edition, 2004. ISBN 0-06-054094-X .
- Zinc, Dr. David. The Stones of Atlantis , Prentice Hall Trade, 1978. ISBN 0-13-846923-7 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ USA Today : Bimini Tourism / Travel Tips (English) on traveltips.usatoday.com, accessed June 24, 2013.
- ↑ Shark Protection Facts
Web links
Abaco | Acklins | Andros | Berry Islands | Bimini | Cat Island | Cay Sal Bank | Crooked Island | Eleuthera | Exumas | Grand Bahama | Inaguas | Long Island | Mayaguana | New Providence | Ragged Island | Rum Cay | Samana Cay | San Salvador