Bimini
Island Crest
Slogan or nickname: Fishing Capital of the Bahamas
Other islands of the Bahamas
Capital	Alice Town
Demonym	Biminite
Government	Local Government Area
-Administrator	---
Coordinates	25°44′N 79°15′W / 25.733°N 79.25°W / 25.733; -79.25Coordinates: 25°44′N 79°15′W / 25.733°N 79.25°W / 25.733; -79.25
Area
- Total	23 km2 9 sq mi
Population
- Population	1,600
- Density	69.57/km2180.2 /sq mi
Elevation
- Highest
Parliamentary representation
- House seats	1 (Shared with West End as one Parliamentary Constituency)
Local government
- Councils	1
- Townships	0
Web site	[1]

Bimini ( /ˈbɪmɨniː/) is the westernmost district of the Bahamas composed of a chain of islands located about 53 miles (81 km) due east of Miami, Florida. Bimini is the closest point in the Bahamas to the mainland United States and approximately 137 miles (209 km) west-northwest of Nassau. The combined population for the islands is estimated to be about 1600.^[1]

Geography[link]

The largest islands are North Bimini and South Bimini. The District of Bimini also includes Cay Sal Bank, more than 62 miles (100 km) further south, which is geographically not a part of the Bimini Islands but a separate unit.^[2] North Bimini is about seven miles (11 km) long and 700 feet (210 m) wide. Its main settlement is Alice Town, a collection of shops, restaurants, and bars surrounding a single road known as "The King's Highway".

South Bimini houses an airstrip, South Bimini Airport, and offers a quiet alternative to the slow bustle of North Bimini. There is a small community of homes on South Bimini known as Port Royale. For many years, South Bimini tourists were limited to boaters because there were few accommodations other than private homes.

The ocean surrounding the islands is considered to be one of the world's top big-game fishing spots.^[who?][3] Because Bimini is close to Miami, Florida, many American anglers go to the island by boat to fish or to enjoy the local nightlife. Scuba diving and snorkeling are also popular activities, as there are many shipwrecks in the area, such as the wreck of the SS Sapona, which ran aground in 1926 during a hurricane. The top of the ship is exposed to the air while the bottom half is submerged.^[4] Parts of the wreck were stripped over the years and some of the wood was used in the construction of the Compleat Angler Hotel and bar on North Bimini.^{[citation needed]}

History[link]

Bimini is home to several landmarks said to contain mystical properties of obscure origins. Much of the historical data about these places is speculative in nature, and experts in various fields have opined across the full spectrum of explanation. The most contentious of these sites is The Bimini Road.

Chalks Turbo Mallard amphibian airplane at Bimini seaplane base in November 1989

During the period of Prohibition in the United States, Bimini was a favorite haven and supply point for the rum-running trade. Some claim that the term "the real McCoy" was applied to the rum provided by William S. McCoy, who used Bimini to transport whiskey to America during the Prohibition, although the phrase pre-dates the Prohibition Era – it is first recorded in the US in 1908^[5] – and the phrase is the subject of numerous fanciful folk etymologies.

Chalk's International Airlines operated seaplane flights between Miami Harbor and the Bahamas from 1917, so the company was an island institution for generations. As goods on the island were expensive because of shipping costs, many locals used Chalk's flights to buy cheaper goods in Florida and take the goods to Bimini.^[6] A Grumman Turbo Mallard of Flight 101 was en route to Bimini when it crashed on December 19, 2005, killing all 18 passengers and 2 crew; at least eleven of the passengers were Bimini residents.^[7] Locals on Bimini mourned the dead.^[8]

On January 13, 2006, one of the most famous establishments in Bimini, the Compleat Angler Hotel, was destroyed by fire. The bar is remembered for the photographs and memorabilia of Ernest Hemingway that lined its walls and were lost in the fire, which also took the life of owner Julian Brown.^[9]

The Fountain of Youth[link]

Bimini Island from space, June 1998

Juan Ponce de León and his search for the Fountain of Youth included references to Bimini. Arawak and/or Taíno spoke of a land called "Beimini" where the fountain could be found. Although the location was erroneously associated with the Bahamas, the natives referred to a location in the Gulf of Honduras.^[10] Though de León's expedition brought him to Florida, the fountain was rumored to exist within the shallow pools of South Bimini. Today there is a small freshwater well with a plaque commemorating the Fountain of Youth, on the road leading to the South Bimini Airport.

Found within the salt water mangrove swamp that covers four miles (6 km) of North Bimini is The Healing Hole, a pool that lies at the end of a network of winding underground tunnels. During outgoing tides, these channels pump cool, mineral-laden fresh water into the pool. Natural lithium and sulfur are two of the minerals said to be contained in these waters^{[citation needed]}.

Endemic species[link]

Bimini is home to several unique, endemic and threatened species. The Bimini Boa (Epicrates striatus fosteri)^[11] protected by Bahamian law is the largest of the terrestrial reptiles on Bimini. The Bimini Ameiva (Ameiva auberi richmondi) is a very common, fast moving lizard on the island. The Smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) is one of the rarest fish in the world, sometimes listed as a critically endangered species by conservation groups.^[12]

The Bimini Biological Field Station has captured and recorded 13 species of sharks in the shallow waters around Bimini. However, the number of sharks around the island is even higher when considering the sharks of the deep waters off Bimini's western shores. Along with the species featured below, the BBFS has witnessed and recorded captures of Shortfin Mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus), Bigeye Thresher sharks (Alopias superciliosus), Spiny Dogfish (Squalus acanthias), and Sixgill Sharks (Hexanchus sp.).

Bimini Biological Field Station (Shark Lab)[link]

The Shark Lab is a world famous facility owned and operated by shark biologist Dr. Samuel Gruber.^[13] The Sharklab offers marine biology internships to people interested in shark research and the conservation of the ocean's ecosystems. It's located on South Bimini Island.

Notable residents[link]

Ernest Hemingway lived on Bimini from 1935 to 1937, staying at the Compleat Angler Hotel. He worked on To Have and Have Not and wrote a few articles, but mostly he fished aboard his boat Pilar, trolling the deep blue offshore waters for marlin, tuna and swordfish. Hemingway was attracted to Bimini by tales of the incredible fishing available in the Gulf Stream, the legendary “river” of warm water that rushes north past the Bahamas.^[9] An Atlantic blue marlin with a mass of 500 pounds (230 kg) caught off Bimini allegedly inspired Hemingway to write The Old Man and the Sea and Islands in The Stream.

The Duke of Windsor, as governor of The Bahamas during World War II, visited Bimini.

South Bimini was home to Colonel Joseph C. Mackey, the founder of Mackey Airlines, which was later bought by Eastern Airlines. He built a home on the southern tip of South Bimini. This structure would become the Sunshine Inn and is currently a bar and restaurant, though the hotel was damaged by a hurricane and was subsequently demolished.

Among Port Royale's other notable residents was Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., who was excluded from the U.S. House of Representatives because of allegations that he misappropriated committee funds for personal use. He stayed in Bimini from January 1967 to April 1969 in self-imposed exile until the Supreme Court ruled that the House had acted unconstitutionally when it excluded Powell, a duly elected member.

In May 1987, Colorado Senator Gary Hart's presidential bid was derailed after media reports exposed an affair with model Donna Rice. Photos taken of the Senator on an overnight trip to Bimini on the yacht Monkey Business fed the media frenzy. An intimate photo of Rice sitting on the lap of Hart on one of Bimini's docks was the nail in the coffin for Hart's campaign for the presidency.

Jody Weech Miss Commonwealth Bahamas 1992 was from Bimini. She made the Top 10 in the Miss World contest in Sun City South Africa. She received the title Miss World Caribbean.

Singer Jimmy Buffett also spent some time on South Bimini while writing one of his books.

While not a resident of the island, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr visited in 1964 and worked on his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech while there.

Bimini Bay controversy[link]

In May 2008 marine conservationist Jean-Michel Cousteau criticized Bimini Bay Resort, calling it a "catastrophe" and announcing, "allowing Bimini Bay to continue with phase II would certainly strip this island paradise of its precious natural riches. Over time, visitors and residents alike will suffer the decline of economic, social and environmental prosperity..."^[14] In response, some Bimini residents disagreed with Cousteau and voiced their support for Bimini Bay Resort, citing its environmental protections and economic promise.^[15]

Other meanings of Bimini[link]

Bimini is a term and name derived from the Taino words Bibi (Mother) and Mini (Waters), meaning Mother of Many Waters. Taino is a Native American language of the Caribbean islands. Bimini is also the original Pre-Columbian Taino Arawak name for the land now known as Florida.^{[citation needed]}

A Bimini top is a type of canvas shelter on a small boat.

See also[link]

• Bimini Road
• Bimini Island Air

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Curran, H. Allen; White, Brian (2005). Terrestrial and shallow marine geology of the Bahamas and Bermuda. Special Paper no. 300. Boulder: Geological Society of America. ISBN 0-8137-2300-0. 
• Jennings, D.; Gruber, S. H., Franks, B., Kessel, S. & Robertson, A. (2008). "Effects of large-scale anthropogenic development on juvenile lemon shark ( Negaprion brevirostris ) populations of Bimini, Bahamas". Environmental Biology of Fishes 83 (4): 369–377. DOI:10.1007/s10641-008-9357-3. http://www.springerlink.com/content/g25n8p144wu682r5/. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
• Kresge, Dave (2005). VantagePoint Guide to Bimini. VantagePoint Guides. ISBN 0-9729589-1-6. 
• Saunders, Ashley (2000). History of Bimini. vol I (Rev ed.). Alice Town, Bimini, Bahamas: New World Press. ISBN 080829219. 
• Shinn, E.A. (2009). "The mystique of beachrock". International Association of Sedimentologists 41: 19–28. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/vines/1320/shinn_mystique_beachrock.pdf&date=2009-10-26+01:23:34. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
• Swart, Peter Koenraad; Gregor P. Eberli; Judith A. McKenzie (2009). "Special publication of the International Association of Sedimentologists, 41". Perspectives in carbonate geology. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 19–28. ISBN 978-1-4051-9380-1. 
• Zink, David (1978). The Stones of Atlantis. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall Trade. ISBN 0-13-846923-7. 

External links[link]

• Bimini Bahamas
• Bimini Police Royal Bahamas Police
• Bimini Museum
• Bimini Biological Field Station
• Save Bimini Association

Imants Kalniņš
Background information
Born	(1941-05-26) 26 May 1941 (age 71)
Origin	Riga, Latvia
Genres	Classical music, Choral music, Rock music
Occupations	composer, songwriter
Years active	1960ties–

Imants Kalniņš (born 26 May 1941 in Riga, Latvia)^[1] is one of the most important composers in the history of Latvian music. Having studied classical, as well as choral music, he has written six symphonies, several operas (including the first rock opera in the USSR, Ei, jūs tur! (Hey, you there!)), oratorios, cantatas, choir songs, a lot of movie and theater music. However, he is generally best known for his rock songs and is to be considered the first composer of intellectual rock music.

During the 1960s, Kalniņš led the Liepāja rock band 2xBBM, which was extremely loved because of its heartfelt songs and hippy-like lifestyle. Kalniņš became the symbol of the spirituality, rebellion and worldview of the generation, and it was emphasized by the fact the band was forced to stop playing because of the pressure from official institutions. However, this doesn't stop the music of Kalniņš from being heard - it is played by the incredibly popular band Menuets (Latvian for 'minuet'), which plays songs almost exclusively by Kalniņš.

During the 1970s, Kalniņš returned to writing symphonic music. In 1984, he wrote the rock oratorio Kā jūra, kā zeme, kā debess (Like the sea, like the earth, like the sky) together with Juris Kulakovs and Juris Sējāns. The oratorio was the first thing played by the band Pērkons ('Thunder') for the general public. With it Kalniņš returned to rock and roll once more. He wrote many new songs for Pērkons, and these same songs led him to start his own band, Turaidas Roze ('The Rose Of Turaida'). However, the band never gained the recognition and adoration that Menuets and Pērkons did.

During the third awakening of the Latvian people, when Latvia regained independence, Kalniņš took part actively in Tautas Fronte (Popular Front) political organization, which played the most important part in ending Latvia's occupation by the USSR.

The festival most associated with Kalniņš is the Imantdienas ('The Days of Imants'), extremely popular during the Soviet times and therefore banned. The tradition was reintroduced in 1995, and since then has happened every year (with the exception of 1997, when the composer was away on a trip, and 2009 – in the time of economical downturn). It has remained at least as popular as before.

Lately Imants Kalniņš has been working together with the well-known Latvian musician Ainars Mielavs, and their collaboration has resulted in some of the most excellent albums containing primarily music by Kalniņš, such as Par lietām, kas tā ar' nekad nepāriet (About things that never truly go away) (1997), Es redzēju sapnī (I Saw in a dream) (1998) and I Love You (1999; despite the title, the lyrics are mostly in Latvian in this album).

In 2000, music for the 1973 movie Pūt, vējiņi (Blow, wind, blow) was re-recorded by the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra as well as many recognized singers.

Kalniņš also composed the song "Pilsētā, kurā piedzimst vējš" ("In the city where the wind is born"), the anthem of Liepāja.

Imants Kalniņš has been one of the most loved composers in Latvian music for the past half century, and his phenomenon is showing no sign of fading.

He is also a politician, member of the 8th and 9th Saeima for For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK.

References[link]

Fabien Cousteau (born 1967) is a French aquatic filmmaker and oceanographic explorer. He is son of Jean-Michel Cousteau and grandson of the noted oceanographic explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Born in Paris, he grew up in both France and the United States, and frequently accompanied his grandfather and father on their sea voyages. He graduated from Boston University.

His first known scuba dive was an hour and a half buddy-breathing with a family friend in a swimming pool on his fourth birthday.

Fabien Cousteau has made intensive study of sharks in their natural habitat, with the use of "Troy", a specially built "Trojan Shark" submarine designed and built by Eddie Paul of EPIndustries.com or Deadllinetv.net in the shape of a great white shark. He spent several hundred hours filming sharks in preparation for his documentary film on the subject, titled Mind of a Demon (CBS, June 28, 2006). He developed the idea of a shark-shaped submersible based on a childhood memory of the cover of a French-language comic book, The Adventures of Tintin: Le trésor de Rackham le rouge, which featured such a craft (which was purely imaginary at the time).

External links[link]

• "The Underseen World of Fabien Cousteau" by Tim Stoddard, from Bostonia, Summer 2003

Listening[link]

• "Fabien Cousteau, Swimming with Sharks", from National Public Radio All Things Considered radio program, December 3, 2005

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