Cay

A cay or key is a small, low island consisting mostly of sand or coral. The word is used almost exclusively in the West Indies, though it is sometimes used in the context of other tropical environments, such as the Great Barrier Reef and especially in the Florida Keys. "Cay" and "key" are pronounced alike as "kee".

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Sand cays are formed when tidal action, wind and sea birds deposits, over a long period of time, coral debris and sand on to reef flats, usually on the leeward side of the reef, but occasionally on the windward side. The weather also affects the formation of cays greatly; large tides would bring much more debris onto the cay and thus make it larger, whilst a hurricane could completely obliterate a cay.

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The Cay is the title of a book by Theodore Taylor.

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Island: An island or isle is any piece of land smaller than a continent and larger than a rock that is completely surrounded by water. Very small islands are called islets. Although seldom adhered to, it is also proper to call an emergent land feature on an atoll an islet, since an atoll is a type of islan...

Coral: see Anthozoa...

West Indies: REDIRECT Caribbean...

Cay related Images and Photos (experimental)

Rum Cay

Boats at Sunrise Nanny Cay Marina Tortola Island

Mother and Baby Donkeys on Salt Cay Island Turks and Caicos Caribbean

Hope Town 200 Year Old Settlement on Elbow Cay Abaco Islands Bahamas Caribbean West Indies