Discover the Geographic Treasure of Discovery Bay!

When was the last time you stopped to look and appreciate the natural wonders of our island Jamaica? On February 23, a group from the JN Foundation, the Geological Society of Jamaica, and the Geology and Geography Department of UWI, Mona took a field trip to Discovery Bay in St. Ann for a preliminary site visit to an area known as Raised Reefs.

The first site of an upcoming geoheritage project, the Raised Reefs are geographic treasures caused by changes in the sea level over thousands of years, which created a series of step terraces of preserved corals deposited between 120,000 and 130,000 years ago.



Being in the company of Professor Thomas Stedmann and Shanti Persaud-Levy we made our trip an educational, fun and adventurous one. Did you know that there is a correlation between the geology and heritage of an area? If you didn’t, our upcoming Geoheritage project is aimed at informing you about just that!

En route to Discovery Bay, we grabbed every opportunity to capture photos and videos of the natural elements and formations that help to make Jamaica a truly remarkable island: the Bog Walk Gorge, Mount Rosser, the mud lake, Fern Gully, and Rio Bueno. (See Photo Album Here).

When we arrived in Discovery Bay the group headed straight to the “Scenic View” which was just off the north coast highway where there stood a monument erected in honour of Queen Elizabeth II on November 25, 1953.



Right behind the monument was a partially hidden staircase that led us down to a tiny beach.



*Exhales* We could not get enough of the smell of wet sand and sea and the sound of the waves lapping against the shore. Paradise! Across the bay, and directly in front of us, we saw what we had travelled to see: the raised reefs. Professor Stedmann began to explain to us the processes involved in the elevating of the land, decreasing sea levels as well as how corals are formed. (Click this link to watch our video blog)

Who knew that coral formation could be so interesting? We had a blast getting our feet wet as we walked on the shore examining the fossils, which were once living organisms. Super cool.



Though we didn’t bring our swim wear, the picturesque view of the beach was enough to keep us content. We headed back to the car and hit the highway, heading further west to get another vantage point of the raised reefs. Did you recognize it as the same place? Well, it is! Down on the beach, we were at sea level looking up at the raised reefs. From this vantage point from the highway, hundreds of feet above sea level, we were looking down on the raised reefs.



Before lunch we headed to another potential geoheritage site, including old sea cliffs, located near the Discovery Bay high-way.



All in all the trip was great! Learning about the heritage of our communities and country is never a dull occasion. Let’s join hands and take ACT!ON to preserve our environment, the natural beauty of our island!


Remember to check out our video blog! Click here.