Cay Sal

Cay Sal is the main island in the southwestern zone of the Cay Sal Bank. It is 1.6 km (1.0 mi) in length and 1.22 km² (0.47 sq mi) 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.

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.[1]

From the 1960s to late 1970s the Royal Bahamas Defence Force kept a small outpost on Cay Sal island, which also had an airstrip.[4] Another island in the banks, Elbow Cays, has a lighthouse built in 1839 by the British.[5]

The United States Coast Guard constantly monitors Cay Sal and nearby islands for refugees from Cuba.[6] Cay Sal is about thirty miles away from Cuba.[7] 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.[8]

In 2023, the Coast Guard rescued a man who had been stranded on the island for 3 days.[9]

• Cay Sal Airport

• Abandoned Cay Sal