Cay Sal
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Cay Sal
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| other_name = Cayo de Sal
| image_skyline = Cay Sal.png
| image_alt =
| image_caption = View of the island from above
| nickname =
| settlement_type = island
{{Location map
|Bahamas
|lon_dir=W
|lat_dir=N
|lat_deg=23|lat_min=42
|lon_deg=80|lon_min=24
|width=250
|float=right
|mark=Cercle rouge 100%.svg
|marksize=20
}}
| map_alt =
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| coordinates =
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = The Bahamas
| subdivision_type1 = Region
| subdivision_name1 = Bahama Banks
| subdivision_type2 = District
| subdivision_name2 = Bimini
| established_title =
| established_date =
| founder =
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| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_rank =
| area_total_km2 = 1.22
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m =
| population_total = 0
| population_as_of =
| population_rank =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym =
| population_footnotes =
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = English
| timezone1 = EST
| utc_offset1 = −5
| postal_code_type =
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}}
Cay Sal ({{langx|es|Cayo de Sal}})[https://books.google.com/books?id=SgoZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA257 Derrotero de las islas Antillas, de las costas Tierra-Firme, y las del Seno Mejicano, Dirección de Hidrografía, España, Madrid, Imprenta Nacional, 1837. p. 266] is a small island in the Cay Sal Bank between Florida, Cuba, and the Bahamas. It is no longer inhabited.
The Bahamas have an agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard to regularly fly over Cay Sal and other islands in the bank to look for people potentially stranded there.{{Cite web |url=http://keysnews.com/node/61421 |title=Man rescued from Cay Sal Bank |access-date=2015-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221204433/http://keysnews.com/node/61421 |archive-date=2015-02-21 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |title=Coast Guard rescues man stranded on Cay Sal |url=https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3498490/coast-guard-rescues-man-stranded-on-cay-sal/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.uscg.mil%2FPress-Releases%2FArticle%2F3498490%2Fcoast-guard-rescues-man-stranded-on-cay-sal%2F |access-date=2023-08-23 |website=United States Coast Guard News |language=en-US}}
Geography
Cay Sal is the main island in the southwestern zone of the Cay Sal Bank. It is {{convert|1.6|km|1|abbr=on}} in length and {{convert|1.22|km2|2|abbr=on}} in area.
The island is covered with stunted palm trees and marked by several dilapidated buildings standing on its western side. In its interior there is a large salt pond commonly replenished by heavy wind-driven seas that broach the islet along its southwest side.
History
According to Spanish navigators the island had a few natural salt pans producing good, clean salt, and its leeward side provided an excellent anchorage as well.
From the 1960s to late 1970s the Royal Bahamas Defence Force kept a small outpost on Cay Sal island, which also had an airstrip.[http://www.lighthousedigest.com/Digest/StoryPage.cfm?StoryKey=1921 Cay Sal Bank Lighthouse: A Stately Ruin] Another island in the banks, Elbow Cays, has a lighthouse built in 1839 by the British.[http://www.lighthousedigest.com/Digest/StoryPage.cfm?StoryKey=1921 Cay Sal Bank Lighthouse: A Stately Ruin]
The United States Coast Guard constantly monitors Cay Sal and nearby islands for refugees from Cuba.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=19640419&id=xxZNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gDEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7207,5566208 Rome News-Tribune - Apr 19, 1964]{{Update inline|date=August 2023|reason=Cites a 1964 source}} Cay Sal is about thirty miles away from Cuba.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=19640419&id=xxZNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gDEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7207,5566208 Rome News-Tribune - Apr 19, 1964] Refugees rescued on the island have included pregnant women and children. Refugees are reported to have employed a variety of craft including small, ill-equipped boats, in spite of the possibility of pursuit by the Cuban military.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=19640419&id=xxZNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gDEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7207,5566208 Rome News-Tribune - Apr 19, 1964]
In 2023, the Coast Guard rescued a man who had been stranded on the island for 3 days.{{Cite web |title=Coast Guard rescues man stranded on Cay Sal |url=https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3498490/coast-guard-rescues-man-stranded-on-cay-sal/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.uscg.mil%2FPress-Releases%2FArticle%2F3498490%2Fcoast-guard-rescues-man-stranded-on-cay-sal%2F |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=United States Coast Guard News |language=en-US}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnWJYH-yjQY Abandoned Cay Sal]