Eleuthera, a skinny 110 mile long island located 70 miles east of Nassau, bears an uncanny resemblance to a seahorse when viewed from above, making it the perfect location for the world’s first seahorse national park at Sweetings Pond and Hatchet Bay Caves. The new 548 acre park protects Sweetings Pond, a landlocked saltwater pond that contains the largest known concentration of seahorses in the world, alongside Hatchet Bay Cave, one of the longest dry cave systems in The Bahamas. Local resort The Cove Eleuthera offers guided tours through the Bahamas National Trust, where marine ecologist Heather Mason teaches guests about seahorse conservation while swimming in a bioluminescent lagoon that transforms into an underwater disco after sunset. Mason explains that spotting the masters of camouflage requires patience, as visitors typically see just tiny pieces of the seahorse including tails wrapped around vegetation or noses peeking out, since these creatures can change color to perfectly match their backgrounds.
In June 2026, the lagoon will open to the public for the first time through a special four day excursion that allows guests to snorkel through serene protected waters and observe one of nature’s most captivating creatures up close while learning about ongoing conservation efforts. Lined seahorses found across the Western Atlantic Ocean from Nova Scotia down to Uruguay are designated as vulnerable species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, facing threats from pollution, construction, trawling, coastal development, and illegal aquarium trade due to their small size, slow movement, and endearing appearance. The national park represents the culmination of more than a decade of research and advocacy by Mason and partners at the Bahamas National Trust, marking the island nation’s 33rd national park and second on picturesque Eleuthera. Travel writer Vanita Salisbury described her after-sunset snorkel experience for AFAR, noting that everywhere her beam landed revealed seahorses sitting upright like tiny sentinels, while octopuses shuffled between hiding places, crabs scuttled abandoning meals mid-bite, and bioluminescence glowed like submerged stars that reduced grown women to awestruck children marveling at nature’s nighttime magic.
