Blue Lagoon

Useful Information

Location:	Near Port Antonio. Follow A4 east, between Darpers and Fairy Hill. Signposted
Open:	No restrictions. [2010]
Fee:	free. Boat ride on banana boat: fantasy prices, worth JMD 1500 for two. [2010]
Classification:	Karst spring
Light:	n/a
Dimension:	D=60 m.
Guided tours:	boat trips on banana boats
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	accessible
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As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1951	under nature protection by decree of the Premier of Jamaica, Norman Washington Manley.

Description

The Blue Lagoon got its name from the 1980 movie Blue Lagoon with Brooke Shields, which was partly filmed here. Before it was called The Blue Hole. Its actually a good thing that it was renamed, as there are numerous blue holes on Jamaica. The place ist often used for filming, another movie who used this location was Club Paradise with Robin Williams.

This is a cove, rather similar to hundreds of coves along the coast. But after a closer look there are multiple small differences. First the lagoon is rather big and has a narrow opening to the sea, other coves are typically one width until they finally end. Then the water colour is a wonderful deep turquoise with green and blue tones, which is mostly a result of the depth of the cove. Despite local legends that the cove has no bottom, divers found the bottom at a depth of 60 m. If you swim you will feel different temperatures in the water, it alternates between the cold freshwater and the warm ocean currents. And that's obviously the core of all difference: this cove was formed by freshwater springs, more exactly by karst springs producing limestone rich sweetwater from the caves inland. There is one secluded freshwater spring at the side of the lagoon, but most springs emerge 40 m deep under water. The form of the lagoon is a result of the cave formation in combination with the erosion of the sea waves, plus the corrosion caused by the mixing of salt and sweet water.