Crystal clear, turquoise water. Dolphins, sharks, gorgeous reef fish. The Bahamas has a lot going for it. While the draw is obvious for SCUBA divers, snorkelers and sport fishing enthusiasts, there is another facet to this sparkling archipelago that many tourists aren’t aware of. There are several places on and around the islands that people are drawn to from all over the world. The nature of these sites has been debated for decades. There is no question that they exist, nor is there any hard evidence of what they really are.
Lost City Of Atlantis
The idea that Atlantis would be found in the Bahamas dates back to the 1930’s or 1940’s when Edgar Cayce, aka the Sleeping Prophet, who was a popular healer in the United States discovered a patient who was a reincarnated Atlantean. During the psychic reading, Cayce asked where Atlantis was, and the patient told him “in the Bahamas, near Bimini”. It wasn’t until 1968 that a private pilot flying over north Bimini noticed the unusual formation in shallow water that looked like a road. Soon after that, divers explored the formation believed to be part of the city. Since then, teams of geologists have taken samples, done numerous studies, and still no one is 100% certain.
The Formation
I’ve been to the formation, and there is no doubt in my mind that it looks man made. I have no scientific background, so reading through all the research and test results gives me a headache. What I do understand is that scientists have written papers backing up both theories. Flying over it, and seeing the quarter mile of what appear to be carefully placed rows of immense blocks it’s hard to believe it happened naturally. Diving on it only backs up that feeling. It’s just too orderly, too consistent to be random. Local Bahamians have known about the underwater road for a long time, and most avoided the area because of the strange vibe. It wasn’t until it began to gain international attention that local dive operators began to advertise it as a tourist attraction.
Natural Phenomenon
Many scientists have debunked the Atlantis theory, saying that the formation is naturally occurring beachrock. However, others say that while it may be true that the building materials are beachrock, the formation is man made. Satellite images of the area show two long straight lines, and we’ve always been told that there are no straight lines in nature.
There are other mysterious places on the island. One is the Fountain of Youth in the mangroves of Bimini. It is a tidally fed sinkhole that local guides can lead you to for about $50. A famous visitor was Leicester Hemingway, brother of the author Ernest Hemingway. Lester claimed that visits to the Fountain of Youth cured his cancer.
From the air, you can see two other curiosities. Two sand spits outline the shapes of a 500 foot long shark and a whale. Experts call them zoomorphic effigy mounds but offer no explanation of how they came to be.
Visit and draw your own conclusions!
Bethany White is a travel fanatic and wandering writer who is obsessed with the notion that Atlantis is very real. She recently took some time off to stay at several island resorts and is compiling a book that details the best vacation spots around.
Photo Credit: Clashmaker
