Looking for a marine term.

[Baitball Blogger]

Many decades ago, our family took a trip to the Abacos and we were shown around by a local. We were island hopping and he said he was going to take us to a place where we would have to trespass, but it was worth what he had to show us. It was a little weird, but he seemed eager to show something that was available to the locals when he was a kid, but now the property had been purchased by a private land owner.

So we snuck on the property and we didn't get far before the dog heard us and started barking. Instead of retreating, our guide told us to hurry and he took us down to a cave where the ocean reached inland. An ocean oasis. It was a pool with craggy rocky sides that you could see clear to the bottom. And the incredible sealife that just casually swam by in the seconds that we had to witness this marvel was just breathtaking. There was a sea turtle and various colored fish. And then we had to turn and make a run for the boat.

Anyway, this has to have a special term. Grotto isn't exactly right. Anyone want to give it a shot?

[DUgosh]

1. Gilligan called it

The Lagoon

[Wicked Blue]

2. Cenote?

[Baitball Blogger]

3. Closest thing I've found.

Thank you for suggesting it.

[ultralite001]

5. Your description brings this site to mind:

https://legacy.caves.org/virtual/virtcave/seacaves/seacaves.html

[Baitball Blogger]

6. That is a very interesting page. Thank you!

[ultralite001]

8. You are quite welcome!!!

[JoseBalow]

4. Tide Pool

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tide_pool

[Baitball Blogger]

7. I know that it is more complicated than a tide pool.

The impression I got was that there was an underground channel that ran from one side of the island to the other. (The islands in the Abacos are long and narrow, and this was a smaller island.) So what I was looking at was a peaceful place for the reef loving animals to take shelter from the rocking motion of the open sea.

[JoseBalow]

9. It sounds like a tide pool to me

If it's not, I'm not sure what it could be.

[Baitball Blogger]

10. But aren't tide pools dependant on the tides?

This was a deep channel that would never grow dry.

[JoseBalow]

11. They often don't go dry

The tide replenishes the water and wildlife when the tide reaches a certain height, but they're not always cut off completely as separate bodies of water, some are continuously "connected" to the sea as the tide ebbs and flows.

[Baitball Blogger]

12. For lack of a better term, this might be it.

Continuously connected is an apt description.

[Donkees]

13. Blue Holes: The blue holes and underwater caves in Abaco are as beautiful and diverse as anywhere in the world.

There are generally three types of caves on or around Abaco. These include sinkholes (known as blue holes in the Bahamas), lens or solution caves, and fracture caves. Any one of these types of caves can also be broken down into two other categories: inland or marine (ocean) caves.

There are numerous sinkhole-type blue holes that dot the island. These sites are generally bell-shaped underwater pits that reach depths of 80 feet to more than 330 feet, and may contain cave passages that extend off of the walls or floors. These sinks are where the term “blue hole” actually comes from, as the water appears to be incredibly blue when observed from the air. This may or may not be the case underwater! The walls of the blue holes are usually heavily decorated with massive columns or stalactites, giving divers a glimpse into the island’s geologic architecture. These sites are typically considered cavern dives as sunlight can be seen from anywhere during the dive.

Nancy’s Blue Hole, located in the shallow, clear waters of a mangrove swamp near Cooper’s Town, has the largest speleothem columns found in the Bahamas. The water in Far Side Blue Hole (aka Magical Blue Hole) is so clear that divers feel as though they are floating in air.
https://advanceddivermagazine.com/articles/abaco/abaco.html

Blue holes may sound scary, but according to NOAA, each one can be an "oasis in an otherwise barren seafloor. "

"Blue holes are diverse biological communities full of marine life, including corals, sponges, mollusks, sea turtles, sharks and more," NOAA says, adding that little is known about the areas because they are largely inaccessible and their distribution is widely unknown.

"The opening of a blue hole can be several hundred feet underwater, and for many holes, the opening is too small for an automated submersible," NOAA says. "In fact, the first reports of blue holes did not come from scientists or researchers, but actually came from fishermen and recreational divers."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deepest-blue-hole-ocean-sinkhole-mexico-chetumal-bay/

[Baitball Blogger]

14. This sounds about right.

I do remember it was a small cave and there was plenty of light coming in from the opening. This one was special.

Those were seconds of my life that were magical and I'll never forget them. And as much as I would love to see it again, since it is accessible by land, I can imagine it being tarnished with all the graffiti and trash that generally shows up, wherever people turn up.