River · Bahamas
Goose River
Goose River is counted as the longest river of the Bahamas. It crosses the flat island of Andros, moves slowly through swamp and mangrove and reaches the sea on the island's coast.
Where is the Goose River?
The river starts here: Swampy inland of Andros Island.
It ends in the the coast of Andros Island.
Countries on the river: the Bahamas.
The story behind it
Most of the Bahamas have no rivers at all, because rain sinks straight into the soft limestone. Andros is the exception: here water collects in swamps and creeks, and the Goose River is the best known of them. It is short, shallow and edged by mangrove roots, pine forest and sawgrass. Bonefish, crabs and young sharks use the warm water as a nursery, and flamingos and herons wade in the shallows. Nearby lie famous blue holes, deep flooded caves that divers explore. When a storm pushes seawater inland the river turns salty for a while. Experts are not sure what to call this watercourse: some maps mark it as a river, others as a tidal creek, and its length has hardly been measured properly, so the figures should be treated with care.
Questions children ask
How long is the Goose River?
About 24 kilometres are usually given. The number is uncertain, because the watercourse changes with the tide and has never been surveyed in detail.
Which country does the Goose River belong to?
It lies entirely in the Bahamas, on the island of Andros. That island is the largest of the country and the only one with real watercourses.
Where does the Goose River end?
It flows into the sea on the coast of Andros. Salt water and fresh water mix in the mangroves there, which makes the mouth a good hiding place for young fish.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
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