Cay Sal Bank is an
atoll of roughly triangular shape, with a base along the south rim of , and a width of north-south. With a surface of it is one of the largest atolls of the world. Among the atolls with some land area (i.e. disregarding totally submerged atoll structures), Cay Sal Bank is second only to
Great Chagos Bank. The
lagoonal surface has a depth of . The individual islands (i.e. islets or cays) are 96 in number. Cay Sal Bank has numerous islets along its rim, except along the south side facing Nicholas Channel, where it has only rocky coral heads. It has a total of 96 islands, islets and rocks awash, with a total land area of .
Features The islands, rocks and reefs along the rim of the atoll are listed clockwise from southwest to southeast. There are also a number of smaller, unnamed cays or rocks. Some of the historical
Spanish language names of the features of the bank were replaced by English names when the Bahamas became a British
Crown colony in the 18th century. •
Lavenderas Rocks (), . It is a submerged reef to the ESE of Cay Sal Island. •
Cay Sal (), . Cay Sal, the main island in the southwest, is , in area, and is no longer inhabited. In its interior is a large salt pond commonly replenished by heavy wind-driven seas that broach the islet along its southwest side. It is covered with stunted palm trees and marked by several dilapidated buildings standing on its west side. This cay gives the name to the whole bank in the English language. •
Rompidas Ledge, (submerged). Rompidas Ledge is a submerged coral head northwest of Cay Sal, about in extension and only deep. The cargo ship M/V Cork ran aground there in 1983, and position is marked by its wreck. • The compact group formed by Elbow Cays, Crenula Cay, Double Headed Shot Cays, Water Cays and Marion Rock is known in Spanish as
Los Roques. These northwestern cays gave their name to the whole bank in the Spanish language. •
Elbow Cays, are the westernmost group, running southwest to northeast along the Straits of Florida. The southernmost cays of the group consist of unnamed islets and rocks. Northeast of these are South Elbow Cay (the westernmost named cay of Cay Sal Bank) and North Elbow Cay, sometimes known just as
Elbow Cay (). North Elbow Cay, which is the largest and highest of the cays, is marked by a disused conical stone lighthouse, which is high. •
Crenula Cay •
Double Headed Shot Cays, . The Double Headed Shot Cays are a group of elongated cays that extend northeastward from the Elbow Cays, incorporating the Water Cays and all islets and reefs up to the Deadman Cays. They are in a position on the northwest side of Cay Sal Bank where the Florida Current, in its course east and north through the Straits of Florida, usually sets close offshore at full strength. •
Water Cays () (West Water Cay and East Water Cay), . These cays were mentioned by
Alexander Von Humboldt. •
Marion Rock, (submerged). Located of the northern coast of the 'Los Roques' reef. •
Deadman Cays, •
Muertos Cays (), , located between the 'Los Roques' and the Dog Rocks. •
Dog Rocks, (), the northeasternmost island/reef group. •
Damas Cays (), Located on the approximate centre of the eastern side of the bank. •
Dangerous Shoals or 'Dangerous Rocks' () •
North Dangerous Shoals, •
South Dangerous Shoal, •
Bellows Cay, •
Anguilla Cays, . Anguilla Cays, near the southeast extremity of Cay Sal Bank, consist of several elongated, scrub-covered, sandy islands which are swampy near their southern end, and are marked here and there by stunted palm trees. The northern end of Anguilla Cays is marked by a beacon, 5 m high. Anguilla Cay is the name of the northern and second largest of the Anguilla Cays.
Cotton Cay (sometimes just
South Anguilla Cay) ==History==