Prickly Pear Cays
Encyclopedia
The Prickly Pear Cays, sometimes spelled Prickley Pear Cays, are a small pair of uninhabited islands about six miles from Road Bay, Anguilla
, in the Leeward Islands
of the Caribbean
. They are divided by a narrow boat channel between Prickly Pear East and Prickly Pear West. Prickly Pear Cays were classified as 'wildlands' by the "Eastern Caribbean Natural Area Management Programme" (ECNAMP). In addition, Prickly Pear Cays are one of six marine protected area
s of Anguilla.
, Scrub, Little Scub, Seal
, and Sombrero islets, the Prickly Pear Cays are located on the drowned Anguilla Bank. The cays are characterized by Early Miocene
reefal limestone positioned upon Eocene-Oligocene volcanic rocks. These form a section of the active volcanic arc of the Lesser Antilles. The two cays are located close to each other at 18°16′N 63°11′W. They are accessible from Road Bay, Anguilla (6 miles to its north) and Saint Martin
either by catamaran
or sail boat. West Cay is longer than East Cay. North Cay, a 2 metres (6.6 ft) rock outcrop, is situated north of East Cay. There is also a rock outcrop between Prickly Pear Cays and another cay known as Bush Cay, which is separated by a 0.5 miles waterway. Another rocky protrusion, known as Flirt Rocks
, is situated north of Prickly Pear Cays. Dog Island Channel separates Dog Island
from the Prickly Pear Cays.
West Cay is narrow, about 0.75 miles long and rugged. Its western bay is covered with brush which rises to a height of 25 feet (7.6 m). With rocky coral reefs, it has no easy boat landing facility.
East Cay is about 1 miles long and 0.25 miles wide. It has sparse vegetation and a sandy shoreline. The east cay also has salt ponds.
Prickly Pear Cays have been designated as a marine park with permanent moorings. There is total ban on coral extraction or shells from underwater and spear fishing is not allowed. The sea is generally calm. Prickly Pear Reef is an underwater canyon with ledges and caves whose depth varies from 40 feet (12.2 m) to 70 feet (21.3 m) and includes an underwater, chimney-like formation.
At West Cay, an old quarry near a good harbour was used for exporting sandstone slabs.
Flora
Both the cays are covered by brush vegetation. The vegetation is dictated by the thin soil mantle and the limestone cavities. Prickly pear (Opuntia
spp.), Pope’s head cactus (Melocactus intortus) and sea grape (Coccoloba uvifera
) are the dominant plant species. Other types of vegetation common to the area are A. palmate, mauby bark (Colubrina arborescens), milky thorn (Sideroxylon obovatum), lignum vitae (Guaiacum officinale
), sage cop (Lantana involucrata), loblolly (Pisonia subcordata), nicker tree (Caesalpinia bonduc
- found only in Prickly Pear East), cockspur (Castela erecta) and balsam bush (Croton flavens). Scrubs are seen in cavities of the limestone
rocks.
Fauna
Nesting birds are a common sight along the rocky coast line. There is a large pelican
population.
Numerous reptile species, such as Anolis gingivinus
and Amevia plei
(on East Cay), are seen. Sea turtle
s also frequent the shores of the cays.
The underwater aqua fauna in the reef area include schooling goatfish
, crab
s, lobster
, barracuda
, friendly angels and grouper
, squirrelfish, long nose butterfly fish, tarpon
, mangrove snapper
and grunts
. Nurse shark
s are also seen resting at the sandy bottom under the ledges of the caverns.
due to the abundant marine and bird life. There are two restaurants and a bar which are serviced by staff who come in each day from the mainland of Anguilla. Thatch roofed structures provide the ambiance for the vistas of the turquoise blue seas which attract visitors to the cays. The East Cay has a landing area which requires careful maneoeuvring. Snorkelling and diving are possible in the East Cay amidst the coral reefs, with several sunken ships in the area.
Anguilla
Anguilla is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin...
, in the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands
The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...
of the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. They are divided by a narrow boat channel between Prickly Pear East and Prickly Pear West. Prickly Pear Cays were classified as 'wildlands' by the "Eastern Caribbean Natural Area Management Programme" (ECNAMP). In addition, Prickly Pear Cays are one of six marine protected area
Marine Protected Area
Marine Protected Areas, like any protected area, are regions in which human activity has been placed under some restrictions in the interest of conserving the natural environment, it's surrounding waters and the occupant ecosystems, and any cultural or historical resources that may require...
s of Anguilla.
Geography
Along with DogDog Island, Anguilla
Dog Island is an uninhabited small island of 511 acres in size located approximately 13km to the northwest of Anguilla.-References:...
, Scrub, Little Scub, Seal
Seal Island, Anguilla
Seal Island is a small island off the northwest coast of Anguilla. It is located some two kilometres to the west of the Prickly Pear Cays at 18° 16' N, 63° 9' W , and lies at the centre of the Seal island Reef System Marine Park. The area is popular with scuba divers....
, and Sombrero islets, the Prickly Pear Cays are located on the drowned Anguilla Bank. The cays are characterized by Early Miocene
Early Miocene
The Early Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages....
reefal limestone positioned upon Eocene-Oligocene volcanic rocks. These form a section of the active volcanic arc of the Lesser Antilles. The two cays are located close to each other at 18°16′N 63°11′W. They are accessible from Road Bay, Anguilla (6 miles to its north) and Saint Martin
Saint Martin
Saint Martin is an island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately east of Puerto Rico. The 87 km2 island is divided roughly 60/40 between France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands ; however, the Dutch side has the larger population. It is one of the smallest sea islands divided between...
either by catamaran
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
or sail boat. West Cay is longer than East Cay. North Cay, a 2 metres (6.6 ft) rock outcrop, is situated north of East Cay. There is also a rock outcrop between Prickly Pear Cays and another cay known as Bush Cay, which is separated by a 0.5 miles waterway. Another rocky protrusion, known as Flirt Rocks
Flirt Rocks
Flirt Rocks are two, small, uninhabited rocky islets off of Anguilla, in the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean. They are located north of the Prickly Pear Cays. Seal Reef is situated east of the Flirt Rocks....
, is situated north of Prickly Pear Cays. Dog Island Channel separates Dog Island
Dog Island, Anguilla
Dog Island is an uninhabited small island of 511 acres in size located approximately 13km to the northwest of Anguilla.-References:...
from the Prickly Pear Cays.
West Cay is narrow, about 0.75 miles long and rugged. Its western bay is covered with brush which rises to a height of 25 feet (7.6 m). With rocky coral reefs, it has no easy boat landing facility.
East Cay is about 1 miles long and 0.25 miles wide. It has sparse vegetation and a sandy shoreline. The east cay also has salt ponds.
Prickly Pear Cays have been designated as a marine park with permanent moorings. There is total ban on coral extraction or shells from underwater and spear fishing is not allowed. The sea is generally calm. Prickly Pear Reef is an underwater canyon with ledges and caves whose depth varies from 40 feet (12.2 m) to 70 feet (21.3 m) and includes an underwater, chimney-like formation.
Geology
The geological formation in both the cays is of laminated calcareous sandstone. The layered stratigraphic formation is inferred to be due to "successive deposits by the tides or overflows from a troubled sea." Over a long period of exposure, these formations have developed a laminated condition with the lamination beds of 1 inches (2.5 cm) to 4 inches (10.2 cm) thickness. The strata are disturbed in several sections. They have been assessed as suitable for use in pavements in view of their compact formation.At West Cay, an old quarry near a good harbour was used for exporting sandstone slabs.
Flora and fauna
Along with certain sections of mainland Anguilla, Prickly Pear Cays were classified as 'wildlands' by ECNAMP in 1980. Many types of plants, birds and reptiles have been recorded in both the cays. Uncontrolled grazing by livestock is permitted in all the vegetation areas.Flora
Both the cays are covered by brush vegetation. The vegetation is dictated by the thin soil mantle and the limestone cavities. Prickly pear (Opuntia
Opuntia
Opuntia, also known as nopales or paddle cactus , is a genus in the cactus family, Cactaceae.Currently, only prickly pears are included in this genus of about 200 species distributed throughout most of the Americas. Chollas are now separated into the genus Cylindropuntia, which some still consider...
spp.), Pope’s head cactus (Melocactus intortus) and sea grape (Coccoloba uvifera
Coccoloba uvifera
Coccoloba uvifera is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae, that is native to coastal beaches throughout tropical America and the Caribbean, including southern Florida, the Bahamas, Barbados and Bermuda...
) are the dominant plant species. Other types of vegetation common to the area are A. palmate, mauby bark (Colubrina arborescens), milky thorn (Sideroxylon obovatum), lignum vitae (Guaiacum officinale
Guaiacum officinale
Guaiacum officinale, commonly known as Roughbark Lignum-vitae, is a species of tree in the caltrop family, Zygophyllaceae, that is native to the Caribbean and the northern coast of South America.-Description:...
), sage cop (Lantana involucrata), loblolly (Pisonia subcordata), nicker tree (Caesalpinia bonduc
Caesalpinia bonduc
Caesalpinia bonduc, commonly known as Gray Nicker, is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, that has a pantropical distribution. It is a vine-like shrub that reaches a length of and scrambles over other vegetation. Stems are covered in curved spines...
- found only in Prickly Pear East), cockspur (Castela erecta) and balsam bush (Croton flavens). Scrubs are seen in cavities of the limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
rocks.
Fauna
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
population.
Numerous reptile species, such as Anolis gingivinus
Anguilla Bank Anole
The Anguilla Bank anole or Anguilla anole is a species of anole lizard that is endemic to the Caribbean Lesser Antilles.-Geographic range:...
and Amevia plei
Anguilla Bank Ameiva
The Anguilla Bank Ameiva or Caribbean Ameiva is a lizard species in the genus Ameiva. It is found on the Caribbean islands of Anguilla, Saint Martin, and Saint Barthélemy in the Lesser Antilles...
(on East Cay), are seen. Sea turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
s also frequent the shores of the cays.
The underwater aqua fauna in the reef area include schooling goatfish
Goatfish
Goatfishes are tropical marine perciform fish of the family Mullidae. Seldom found in brackish waters, goatfish are most associated with the reefs of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans...
, crab
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
s, lobster
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
, barracuda
Barracuda
The barracuda is a ray-finned fish known for its large size and fearsome appearance. Its body is long, fairly compressed, and covered with small, smooth scales. Some species could reach up to 1.8m in length and 30 cm in width...
, friendly angels and grouper
Grouper
Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes.Not all serranids are called groupers; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name grouper is usually given to fish in one of two large genera: Epinephelus...
, squirrelfish, long nose butterfly fish, tarpon
Tarpon
Tarpons are large fish of the genus Megalops. There are two species of Megalops, one native to the Atlantic, and the other to the Indo-Pacific oceans.They are the only members of the family Megalopidae.- Species and habitats :...
, mangrove snapper
Mangrove snapper
The mangrove snapper, Lutjanus griseus, is a snapper in the family Lutjanidae. It is also known as the gray snapper, mango snapper, or cabellerote....
and grunts
Haemulidae
The grunts are a family, Haemulidae, of fishes in the order Perciformes. They are numerous and widespread, with about 150 species in 19 genera, found in tropical fresh, brackish and salt waters around the world...
. Nurse shark
Nurse shark
The nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum, sometimes referred to as the Nur Shark is a shark in the nurse sharks family, the only member of its genus Ginglymostoma...
s are also seen resting at the sandy bottom under the ledges of the caverns.
Tourism
The islands are popular with touristsTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
due to the abundant marine and bird life. There are two restaurants and a bar which are serviced by staff who come in each day from the mainland of Anguilla. Thatch roofed structures provide the ambiance for the vistas of the turquoise blue seas which attract visitors to the cays. The East Cay has a landing area which requires careful maneoeuvring. Snorkelling and diving are possible in the East Cay amidst the coral reefs, with several sunken ships in the area.