The quiet Caribbean island has been a destination for divers looking to spot corals and sea urchins.
Published Dec 10, 2022
Named Isla de Aves in Spanish, (meaning “Island of the Birds”) Aves Island lies west of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. It provides a nesting site to green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) and, of course, birds. Because the abundant bird droppings, known as guano, could be used in fertilizer and gunpowder, guano miners worked on the island until they depleted the supply. Since its discovery by Europeans, likely in the late 16th century, Aves Island was subsequently claimed by several European nations. The island is currently claimed by Venezuela, although disputes about ownership of the island, and the surrounding exclusive economic zone in the Caribbean, continue today.
Published Jun 19, 2006
The most interesting geology lies just offshore and below the water line of this Northwest Australian island.
Published Aug 3, 2015
Taken December 16, 2009, this astronaut photograph shows the greater metropolitan area of Bridgetown, Barbados. Gray-and-white urban areas along the coast contrast with green vegetation inland.
Published Jan 18, 2010
Once named San Salvador, the island may be where Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the Americas.
Published Mar 21, 2011
An unnamed mound of white off East Antarctica seems to be an island.
Published Apr 27, 2022
Once a sanctuary for pilgrims and privateers, the Caribbean island is now a refuge for a quiet Caribbean life and raw natural beauty.
Published Mar 27, 2022
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