Bahamas
Sand Origin
Cat Cay, banks just south of Bimini
From the sand collector: “Our sand is oolitic aragonite sand that we harvest from the banks. If you look closely at the grains of sand, you will see that the grains are smooth and round.”
Random Sand Fact
Guess what hides under the surface in the Bahamas? Growing sand!
We’re not talking about a few grains in a lab here, but millions and millions of sand grains naturally growing in the warm sea close to the shores of the Bahamas.
It starts with a tiny fragment, such as a shell fragment rolling in shallow water. With super-saturated water, carbonate sticks to the fragment layer by layer, growing into egg-shaped sand grains. Smooth oval oolits. (oolith = egg in Ancient Greek)
While the magic happens under the surface, the result – tons of egg-shaped grains of sand, show up not only on Bahamas beaches but in aquariums worldwide.
Besides forming beaches and regulating pH balance in aquariums, the sand is used in various industries. From agriculture to plastics, food, and pharmaceuticals.
Sand not only grows on you but grows!
