Serranilla Bank

Serranilla Bank is a special place in the western Caribbean Sea. It is a partly underwater reef with a few very small, empty islets. It is about 350 kilometres (220 miles) northeast of the Punta Gorda River in Nicaragua, and about 280 kilometres (170 miles) southwest of Jamaica.

The closest land nearby is Bajo Nuevo Bank, which is 110 kilometres (68 miles) to the east. People have known about Serranilla Bank since 1510, when it first appeared on Spanish maps.

Today, Colombia looks after Serranilla Bank as part of its area called San Andrés and Providencia. However, there have been disagreements about who should control the bank. Colombia, Jamaica, the United States, and once Honduras have all claimed it. In 2012, the International Court of Justice said that Colombia has the right to control Serranilla Bank.

Geography

Serranilla Bank is an underwater area made from old coral. It is covered by shallow reefs. It stretches about 40 kilometres (25 miles) long and 32 kilometres (20 miles) wide, covering more than 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles). Only a few small spots of land called cays and two rocks rise above the water. These include West Breaker, Middle Cay, East Cay, Beacon Cay, and Northeast Breaker. They have very little plant life, just some bushes and a few trees.

Beacon Cay is the largest of these small islands. It has small military buildings used by Colombian naval workers and a tall lighthouse built in 1982. The lighthouse sends out two flashes of white light every 20 seconds to help ships navigate.

History

The Serranilla Bank was first called Placer de la Serranilla. It was mentioned by Louis-Michel Aury, whose ship wrecked there in 1820. In 1822, Colombia claimed control of the islands.

Over time, several countries have made claims to the Serranilla Bank. Between 1982 and 1986, Colombia and Jamaica shared fishing rights in the area. In 1993, they agreed to manage nearby waters together, though the waters very close to the islands remain under Colombia’s control. Nicaragua also claimed the islands but accepted a court decision in 2012 that Colombia owns them. The United States once claimed the area but mostly gave up these claims in 1972. Honduras also claims the area but agreed to a boundary with Colombia in 1986.

Notable fauna

In 1952, people last saw the Caribbean monk seal at Serranilla Bank. This seal is not alive today.