Ladder Bay is an anchorage on the leeward side of the Caribbean island of Saba. The bay sits on the west side of the island, directly under a set of 800 steps hand carved into the rocks locally known as "The Ladder".[2][3] Until the construction of Saba's first pier in the 1970s, Ladder Bay was a primary point of entry for supplies to the island.[4][3][5] An abandoned customs house sits on the lip of a cliff overlooking the bay.[6][7]
| Ladder Bay | |
|---|---|
 Ladder Bay, with "The Ladder" and the old customs house above | |
  Ladder Bay Location on Saba | |
| Location | Saba National Marine Park, Saba |
| Coordinates | 17°38′2″N 63°15′21″W / 17.63389°N 63.25583°W |
| Type | Bay |
| Primary inflows | Caribbean Sea |
| Max. depth | 80 ft (24 m)[1] |
| Settlements | The Bottom |
History
editBefore European colonization, the area above Ladder Bay may have been occupied by Amerindians during the Ceramic Era.[8] Archeologists have not yet found evidence of an Amerindian settlement above Ladder Bay, but they have found ceramic artifacts in the area.[8]
Saba was settled by Europeans in the mid-17th century.[9] There is long-standing documentation of early European settlements near Tent Bay, Fort Bay, and above Well's Bay.[9][10] But more recently, archeologists have found 17th-century ceramics above Ladder Bay, suggesting the area may have been occupied during early years of European settlement.[8]
From the 1650s until the 1970s, the two primary ports of entry for Saba were at Ladder Bay and Fort Bay.[11] Boats could offload cargo at Ladder Bay, which would then be transported up "The Ladder", a series of steps carved into the ridge above Ladder Bay.[2][9] The cargo would then be transported to Saba's capital, The Bottom, via a footpath through an area known as The Gap.[2]
Both cargo and people were brought onto Saba via The Ladder.[2][9][10] Even large items were transported up The Ladder, one of the most famous being a piano.[2][12][13]
In the 1930s, The Ladder in its current form, as well as the Customs House, were constructed.[2][9] The steps of The Ladder were made of poured concrete, and the staircase walls from a mixture of concrete and rock.[2]
In the 1970s, the Capt. Chance Leo Pier was constructed at Fort Bay. With a harbor at Fort Bay, the use of Ladder Bay as a port fell out of use.[14] In 2017, the bottom 2 meters (6.5 ft) of The Ladder were severely damaged by Hurricane Maria.
Today, "The Ladder" is an iconic Saban monument[2][15] and popular hiking location,[16][17] and Ladder Bay is an official mooring area[18] and the site of multiple popular dive sites.[19]
Hiking
editThe Ladder (Trail): The trailhead is located between The Bottom and Well's Bay.[17] The trail goes past the old customs house, and descends all 800 steps of The Ladder, before coming back up. The strenuous hike takes about 1 hour round trip.[17][20] The dry forest[21] portion of the trail includes diverse trees, including mahogany trees (e.g. Swietenia mahagoni) and cinnamon trees (Pimenta racemosa).[22]
Middle Island Trail: The trail begins close to The Ladder trail, and has views of Well's Bay and Ladder Bay.[23] It is a heritage trail that includes ruins of an open cistern, stone walls of a farm, and a cavern. The hike takes about 40 minutes one-way.[24]
Diving
edit
Ladder Bay is the location of multiple dive sites for scuba divers.[19]
- Porites Point, named for the quantity of Porites coral at the locating, including Mustardhill Coral (Porites astreoides) and Branching Finger Coral (Porites furcata).[25]
- Babylon, a site with dramatic overhangs (possibly reminiscent of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon)[26] home to sea fans, as well as a site for seeing sharks, turtles, eels, and fish.[26]
- Ladder Labyrinth, named for the labyrinth of tall, 10-foot coral and rock ridges that are for shrimp, crabs, and lobsters.[27][28]
- 50/50, named for divers' choice of multiple areas to explore, including underwater lava formations, a shallow reef area, and a rubble field.[29]
At Babylon, Ladder Labyrinth, and 50/50, divers can place their hands on hot, sulfur-colored sand, resulting from the active status of Saba's volcano.[30][26][27][29]
Marine life
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The bay is home to a variety of fish, including Burrfish, Chromis, Filefish, Glassy Sweepers, Horse-eye Jacks, Lancer Dragonets, Lizardfish, Peacock Flounders, Pikeblennies, Schoolmasters, Spotted Drums, Tarpons, Yellowfin Groupers, and Yellowhead Jawfish, as well as Nurse Sharks and Reef sharks.[25][26][27][29]
Other marine life in Ladder Bay includes Channel Clinging Crabs, Green Turtles, Hawksbill Turtles, Spotted Moray Eels, Squat Lobster, and Tigertail Sea Cucumber.[25][26][27][29]
Ladder Bay's reefs include a variety of coral. The most common are Star coral (Astreopora), Brain coral, and Gorgonian (Alcyonacea) coral,[25] as well as Porites coral at the Porites Point dive site.[25] The bay is also home to sea fans such as Deepwater Seafans.[26]
Moorings
editSaba has two designated anchorage zones within the Saba National Marine Park: one between Ladder Bay and Wells Bay (west coast),[18] and one in front of Fort Bay (southern coast).[18] Between Ladder Bay and Wells Bay, the Saba National Marine Park manages about half a dozen moorings[31] that are in about 60 feet (18 m) of water. The use of mooring buoys can help eliminator anchor damage to coral reefs.[18][32][33]
Passengers of moored boats are advised to enter the island via through Fort Bay Harbor for safety reasons.[18][34] Additionally, passengers from arriving yachts are required to go to Fort Bay to clear Customs and Immigration, as well as to check in and out with the Saba's Harbor Master.[34]
In March 2017, a French-owned boat broke free of its mooring, and became stranded on the rocks in Ladder Bay. No one was aboard, and the boat was successfully salvaged a few days later.[35][36] That same year another vessel ran aground at Ladder Bay; all passengers were unharmed.[37] In April 2023, a mooring holding a French charter boat broke off during the night while the crew was asleep. [citation needed] The crew was alerted and safely re-anchored, but only two visitor moorings remain. [citation needed]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Saba's Best Dive Sites | Ladder Labyrinth". Sea Saba.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Maritime Stepping Stones (MaSS): The Ladder/Ladder Bay". mass.cultureelerfgoed.nl. Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ a b "The Ladder". Archive of posts from Saba-News.com. 2015-04-01. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
- ^ Cornell, Jimmy. World Cruising Destinations: An Inspirational Guide to all Sailing Destinations. Pg. 202.
- ^ "Fort Bay Harbor | Maritime History". fort-bay-saba. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
- ^ "About Saba: The Bottom". sabatourism.com. Saba Tourism. 2018-06-21. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ Bennett, Steve (2016-04-17). "Uncommon Caribbean - Anchored Off Ladder Bay, Saba: Wish You Were Here". www.uncommoncaribbean.com. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ a b c Espersen, Ryan (2019-01-01). "A Site Report of Flat Point, Saba, Dutch Caribbean: A Ceramic-Age Amerindian Site and Early Colonial Sugar and Indigo Plantation". Zemi Cultural Heritage Services Site Reports.
- ^ a b c d e Hartog, Johannes (1975). History of Saba. Saba artisan foundation.
- ^ a b Crane, Julia G. (1971). Educated to Emigrate: The Social Organization of Saba. Round the World Publishing. ISBN 978-90-232-0702-3.
- ^ "Saba Landings". The Saba Islander. 2013-05-08. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ "Under the Sea Grape Tree". The Saba Islander. 2021-07-15. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ^ Bendure, Glenda; Friary, Ned (1998). Eastern Caribbean. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-0-86442-422-8.
- ^ "Saba's Nature (PDF)" (PDF). sabapark.org. Saba Conservation Foundation.
- ^ "See the Dutch island of Saba in the Caribbean (photos)". CNN. 2019-10-22. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ^ "Hiking | Saba Tourism". 2022-03-10. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ a b c "The Ladder | Saba Tourism". 2022-03-11. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ a b c d e "Saba Marine Park: Saba Mooring System". www.sabapark.org. Saba Conservation Foundation. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ a b "Diving on Saba: Saba Dive Site Map". seasaba.org. Sea Saba Dive Center. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ "Plan your Hike". Saba Conservation Foundation. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ "Hiking on Saba". seasaba.org. Sea Saba Dive Center. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ "Plan your Hike". Saba Conservation Foundation. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ "Middle Island Trail". Saba Tourism. 2022-03-14. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ "Hiking". Saba Tourism. 2022-03-10. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ a b c d e "Saba's Best Dive Sites: Porites Point (AKA Lou's Ladde)". seasaba. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ a b c d e f "Saba's Best Dive Sites: Babylon". seasaba. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ a b c d "Saba's Best Dive Sites: Ladder Labyrinth". seasaba. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ O'Marra, Flash Parker with Chelsea. "Saba: A Caribbean island fit for a king". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ^ a b c d "Saba's Best Dive Sites: 50/50". seasaba. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ "Dive Sites & Dive Operators". Saba Conservation Foundation. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ "Yachting & Mooring". Saba Conservation Foundation. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ "Anchor Damage Fact Sheet" (PDF). www.floridadep.gov. Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
- ^ "Fort Bay Harbor | Facilities". fort-bay-saba. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ a b "Check-in procedure & Coming Ashore". Saba Conservation Foundation. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ "French yacht salvaged from the rocks in Ladder Bay - Updated - Saba News". Saba News. 18 March 2017. Archived from the original on 2019-06-01. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
- ^ Group, The Superyacht (2017-03-29). "Saba responds to yacht grounding - SuperyachtNews". Superyacht News. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "Wreckage of Yacht 'Elsa' Removed from Ladder Bay". The Daily Herald (SXM Talks). July 2017.