The National Parks of The Bahamas

Union Creek Reserve

Established: 1965
Size: 4,940 Acres

Seven square miles of enclosed tidal creek on Great Inagua serves as a very important research site for sea turtles, especially the Green Turtle.

Detailed Description
Image Gallery

Established: 1965
Size: 4,940 Acres

Description

Location on Great Inagua Island, Union Creek Reserve was established in April 1965. This enclosed tidal creek and sea turtle research station lies in the northwest corner of the Inagua National Park. Union Creek encompasses an area of 4,940 acres and it is a natural habitat for green and Hawksbill turtles. Mangroves surround the creek and the bottom is covered in lush seagrass meadows.

History

Following the creation of the Bahamas National Trust in 1959, concern began to be expressed for the sea turtles. Dr. Archie Carr had initiated a program concerned with the research of the sea turtles, the protection of their nesting grounds and their reintroduction to former nesting grounds.

One of the regions where this research was being conducted was at Union Creek, north of the Inagua National Park. Three hundred turtles were sent to Union Creek in 1959 in an effort to restore this area. Dr. G. Charleston Ray approached the Trust’s Executive Committee with the idea of the Union Creek Reserve being a part of the BNT, the result of which was the establishment of the Union Creek Reserve in 1963.

Dr. Archie Carr was mentor to Dr. Karen Bjorndal and Dr. Alan Bolton, Special Advisors to the Trust’s Council. Dr. Bjorndal has been studying sea turtles at Union Creek since 1974 while pursuing her Ph.D. and returns every year with her partner Dr. Alan Bolton, to continue their long-term studies on growth and nutrition.

Importance to History

The house at Union Creek was Built around 1900 and serves as a research station and living quarters for researchers at Union Creek.

Importance to Research

Green turtles take up residency in shallow creeks like Union Creek at about 25 cm in length. They may remain resident in a specific creek for a decade or more. Union Creek has provided the world with some of the most important scientific data on the endangered green turtle. Research at Union Creek is a joint project of the Bahamas National Trust and Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research at the University Of Florida.

Links to the Image Gallery will be provided here

Abaco National Park

Established on May 9, 1994, the Abaco National Park comprises 20,500 Acres in Southern Abaco. Included in this area is 5,000 Acres of pine forest, the major habitat of the Bahama Parrot.

Black Sound Cay National Reserve

Located off Green Turtle Cay in Abaco, this miniature park comprises a thick stand of mangrove vegetation and is an important habitat for waterfowl and Other avifauna which winter in the region.

Blue Holes National Park

Andros has the highest concentration of Blue Holes in the world. Exposed to the elements over thousands of years, the island’s limestone bedrock eroded creating this vast expanse of underwater cave systems. These caves have been found to house many unusual and unique cave fish and invertebrates, some not found anywhere else in the world.

Bonefish Pond

Bonefish Pond is 1280 acres of coastal wetland area. This is a snorkeling tour where teachers and students alike can see and learn about the different marine life that call Bonefish pond home.

Conception Island National Park

An important sanctuary for migratory birds, sea birds and green turtles. It also has great historical importance being one of the islands in the Bahamas on which Christopher Columbus was known to have landed.

Crab Replenishment Reserve

Identified as the best land crab habitat in central Andros, this area was set aside to ensure a sustainable crab population for future generations.

Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park

Created in 1958 this 176 square mile park was the first of its kind in the world and is famous for its pristine beauty, outstanding anchorages and breathtaking marine environment. It is the first marine fishery reserve established in the Caribbean.

Fowl Cays National Park

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Inagua National Park

287 square miles of Great Inagua Island, now internationally known as the world\'s largest breeding colony(approx. 50,000) of West Indian flamingos. In 1997 the Inagua National Park was recognized as a wetland of International Importance as the Bahamas became a signatory of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Inagua's interior gives way to Lake Windsor and it is here among the cays and mangrove stands that Tri-colored Herons, Great Egrets, Roseate Spoonbi

Harrold and Wilson Ponds National Park

Located in South Central New Providence, Harrold and Wilson Ponds encompasses 250 Acres. More than 100 avian species , including the island's highest concentration of herons, egrets, ibises and cormorants have been identified there, providing confirmation that the area is indispensable habitat for bird life in New Providence. An exceptional educational and ecotourism site, a stone's throw from the nation’s capital and tourism hub, these areas are an invaluabl

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