Of all the creatures of the oceans, seahorses may be one of the most magical and endearing. And now, a new maritime preserve in the Caribbean with the densest population of seahorses in the world has been designated to protect this weird and wonderful fish.

 

Seahorses are indeed fish! But they are unique among fish species, with that distinctive upright posture, horse-like head, prehensile tail that can grasp onto things… and bony armor instead of scales. If you were asked to invent a mythical sea creature, it might be a seahorse.

 

They use long snouts to suck up small crustaceans and plankton. And in many species, it’s the male that becomes pregnant, following courtship that involved intricate dances, with seahorse couples adorably intertwining their tails and changing color.  

 

Seahorses are found in shallow, tropical and temperate waters around the world – but many of the nearly four dozen species worldwide are critically threatened.

Now, the 33^rd national park in the Bahamas has been designated. Seahorse National Park at Hatchet Bay Cave and Sweetings Pond is on the island of Eleuthera.

Sweetings Pond is a large, land-locked saltwater pond in Hatchet Bay on the island. It has many unique natural features, but the most notable of them all is its incredible seahorse population, which is believed to be the densest population of seahorses in the world.

The Bahamas’ new 548-acre national park protects the entire one-mile-long pond and the surrounding land, which is a blend of regrowing forest, mangroves, and farmlands.

In addition, the new national park includes the extensive Hatchet Bay Caves system. This historic cave system is a popular attraction and contains a number of impressive geological features. It is one of the longest dry cave systems in The Bahamas.

The designation of Seahorse National Park after a decade of community efforts has been called a symbol of the country’s commitment to “our community, to future generations and to the world” to “safeguard our natural heritage and unique and diverse ecosystems  and create a harmonious relationship between economic progress and environmental preservation,” said authorities.

“We believe we can transform Sweetings Pond into a world-class national park, conserving all of its biodiversity while boosting the economy of Eleuthera through ecotourism.”

Authorities are developing a park management plan and working on next steps to re-open the designated park area with new infrastructure including walking trails, research initiatives, and educational exhibits while maintaining its core mission of safeguarding its treasured population of seahorses.

The Bahamas National Trust, which is responsible for building and managing the country’s 2 million acres of land and sea national parks in the country, says it is especially devoted to developing a science-based ecotourism plan to support local businesses on the island while conserving the park’s sensitive and precious natural space.