terça-feira, 20 de março de 2012

Cayman Brac

Cayman Brac is an island that is part of the Cayman Islands. It lies in the Caribbean Sea about 90 miles (145 km) northeast of Grand Cayman and 5 miles (8 km) east of Little Cayman. It is about 12 miles (19 km) long, with an average width of 1 mile (2 km). Its terrain is the most prominent of the three Cayman Islands due to "The Bluff", a large central limestone outcrop that rises steadily along the length of the island up to 140 feet (43 metres) above sea level at the eastern end. The island is named after this prominent feature, as "brac" is a Gaelic name for a bluff.
The Teignmouth Electron, the boat in which Donald Crowhurst attempted to sail round the world single-handed in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, has been left to decay on the south coast of Cayman Brac.
Christopher Columbus sighted Cayman Brac and its sister island, Little Cayman, on 10 May 1503 when his ship was blown off course during a trip between Hispaniola and Panama. He named them "Las Tortugas" because of the many turtles he spotted on the islands. The Cayman Islands were renamed by Sir Francis Drake, who came upon the islands during a voyage in 1586. He used the word "Caymanas", taken from the Carib name for crocodiles after seeing many of the large crocodilians. Many people believe he had only seen the Rock Iguanas that inhabit the island today.
During the heyday of piracy, pirates would use Cayman Brac as a haven and a place to replenish their supplies as there are a number of fresh water wells on the island and had many sources of food included in the local flora and fauna.

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