| Ladder Bay | |
|---|---|
 Ladder Bay, with "The Ladder" and the old customs house above | |
  Ladder Bay Location on Saba | |
| Location | Saba National Marine Park,Saba |
| Coordinates | 17°38′2″N63°15′21″W / 17.63389°N 63.25583°W /17.63389; -63.25583 |
| Type | Bay |
| Primary inflows | Caribbean Sea |
| Max. depth | 80 ft (24 m)[1] |
| Settlements | The Bottom |
Ladder Bay is ananchorage on theleeward side of the Caribbean island ofSaba. Thebay sits on the west side of the island, directly under a set of 800 steps hand carved into the rocks locally known as "The Ladder".[2][3] Until the construction of Saba's first pier in the 1970s, Ladder Bay was a primary point of entry for supplies to the island.[4][3][5] An abandonedcustoms house sits on the lip of a cliff overlooking thebay.[6][7]
Before European colonization, the area above Ladder Bay may have been occupied byAmerindians during the Ceramic Era.[8] Archeologists have not yet found evidence of an Amerindian settlement above Ladder Bay, but they have foundceramic artifacts in the area.[8]
Saba was settled by Europeans in the mid-17th century.[9] There is long-standing documentation of early European settlements near Tent Bay,Fort Bay, and aboveWell's Bay.[9][10] But more recently, archeologists have found 17th-century ceramics above Ladder Bay, suggesting the area may have been occupied during early years of European settlement.[8]
From the 1650s until the 1970s, the two primaryports of entry for Saba were at Ladder Bay and Fort Bay.[11] Boats could offload cargo at Ladder Bay, which would then be transported up "The Ladder", aseries of steps carved into the ridge above Ladder Bay.[2][9] The cargo would then be transported to Saba's capital,The Bottom, via a footpath through an area known as The Gap.[2]
Both cargo and people were brought onto Saba via The Ladder.[2][9][10] Even large items were transported up The Ladder, one of the most famous being apiano.[2][12][13]
In the 1930s, The Ladder in its current form, as well as the Customs House, were constructed.[2][9] The steps of The Ladder were made of pouredconcrete, and the staircase walls from a mixture of concrete and rock.[2]
In the 1970s, the Capt. Chance Leo Pier was constructed at Fort Bay. With a harbor at Fort Bay, the use of Ladder Bay as a port fell out of use.[14] In 2017, the bottom 2 meters (6.5 ft) of The Ladder were severely damaged byHurricane Maria.
Today, "The Ladder" is an iconic Saban monument[2][15] and popular hiking location,[16][17] and Ladder Bay is an officialmooring area[18] and the site of multiple populardive sites.[19]
The Ladder (Trail): Thetrailhead is located between The Bottom and Well's Bay.[17] The trail goes past the old customs house, and descends all 800 steps of The Ladder, before coming back up. The strenuous hike takes about 1 hour round trip.[17][20] Thedry forest[21] portion of the trail includes diverse trees, includingmahogany trees (e.g.Swietenia mahagoni) and cinnamon trees (Pimenta racemosa).[22]
Middle Island Trail: The trail begins close to The Ladder trail, and has views of Well's Bay and Ladder Bay.[23] It is a heritage trail that includes ruins of an open cistern, stone walls of a farm, and a cavern. The hike takes about 40 minutes one-way.[24]
Ladder Bay is the location of multipledive sites forscuba divers.[19]
At Babylon, Ladder Labyrinth, and 50/50, divers can place their hands on hot,sulfur-colored sand, resulting from theactive status of Saba's volcano.[30][26][27][29]
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The bay is home to a variety of fish, includingBurrfish,Chromis,Filefish,Glassy Sweepers,Horse-eye Jacks,Lancer Dragonets,Lizardfish,Peacock Flounders,Pikeblennies,Schoolmasters,Spotted Drums,Tarpons,Yellowfin Groupers, andYellowhead Jawfish, as well asNurse Sharks andReef sharks.[25][26][27][29]
Other marine life in Ladder Bay includesChannel Clinging Crabs,Green Turtles,Hawksbill Turtles,Spotted Moray Eels,Squat Lobster, andTigertail Sea Cucumber.[25][26][27][29]
Ladder Bay's reefs include a variety of coral. The most common are Star coral (Astreopora),Brain coral, and Gorgonian (Alcyonacea) coral,[25] as well asPorites coral at the Porites Point dive site.[25] The bay is also home tosea fans such as Deepwater Seafans.[26]
Saba has two designated anchorage zones within the Saba National Marine Park: one between Ladder Bay and Wells Bay (west coast),[18] and one in front of Fort Bay (southern coast).[18] Between Ladder Bay and Wells Bay, theSaba National Marine Park manages about half a dozen moorings[31] that are in about 60 feet (18 m) of water. The use of mooring buoys can help eliminator anchor damage to coral reefs.[18][32][33]
Passengers of moored boats are advised to enter the island via through Fort Bay Harbor for safety reasons.[18][34] Additionally, passengers from arriving yachts are required to go to Fort Bay to clearCustoms and Immigration, as well as to check in and out with the Saba'sHarbor Master.[34]
In March 2017, aFrench-owned boat broke free of its mooring, and became stranded on the rocks in Ladder Bay. No one was aboard, and the boat was successfully salvaged a few days later.[35][36] That same year another vessel ran aground at Ladder Bay; all passengers were unharmed.[37] In April 2023, a mooring holding a Frenchcharter boat broke off during the night while the crew was asleep.[citation needed] The crew was alerted and safely re-anchored, but only two visitor moorings remain.[citation needed]
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