Freeport - Grand Bahama Island Hawksbill Creek Nature Trail

The Hawksbill Creek is named for its once frequent visitor now critically endangered the Hawksbill Turtle. This is also the site for which the Hawksbill Creek Agreement was named. The Agreement was signed in 1955 between the Grand Bahama Port Authority (represented by Mr. Wallace Groves) and the Bahamas Government. It allowed for the lease of a vast tract of land on Grand Bahama Island by the Port Authority, a private company, and gave them the right to govern a city, dubbed Freeport/Lucaya. It is said to be the largest privately run city in the world. This area, just off one of the citys major highways, showcases the contrast between the natural and industrial landscape of Grand Bahama Island, and also the resilience and importance of our mangrove system. Mangroves, one of the toughest living species in nature, allows for life to endure amidst heavy industrial activity. They filter out contaminants, enhance nutrient levels in the water and in turn protect more fragile natural environments such as coral reefs, one of our most valuable natural assets providing a safe habitat for small fish, as well as coastal preservation under heavy pressure.