Ocho Rios Marine Park Protected Area
Protected Area
Jamaica: JM-04
Site Description
"In 1966, a small area of the coast of Ocho Rios was declared a protected area. years of lobbying by Friends of the Sea (JA) the boundaries of this protected area was expanded in November 1999 to cover a much larger area. The extended boundaries of the Ocho Rios Marine Protected Area extend from the shoreline boundary of Mammee Bay and Drax Hall in the west, to Frankfort Point in the east and north to a depth of one thousand (1000) Metres. "- http://www.jpat-jm.com/virtour/ochorios/ochorios.html
Ocho Ríos
(Spanish for "Eight Rivers") is a town in the
parish
of
Saint Ann
on the north coast of
Jamaica
. Although he landed in many spots along the Jamaican coast, many believe
[
who?
]
that
Christopher Columbus
first set foot on land in Ocho Rios. Just outside the city, travelers and residents can visit Columbus Park, where Columbus supposedly first came on land, and see maritime artifacts and Spanish colonial buildings.
It was once a fishing village but now caters to tourists.
[
1
]
It is a port of call for cruise ships
[
2
]
as well as for cargo ships loading sugar, limestone, and in the past, bauxite.
[
citation needed
]
Scuba diving
and other
water sports
are offered in the town's vicinity.
The name "Ocho Rios" is a
misnomer
because there are not eight rivers in the area. It is most likely a British corruption of the original Spanish name "Las Chorreras" ("the waterfalls"),
[
3
]
a name given to the village because of the nearby
Dunn's River Falls
.
[
4
]
[
5
]
The north coast highway from the international airport at
Montego Bay
to Ocho Ríos has been improved since 2000 and the journey is now an hour and forty five minutes drive. On 26 August, 2011, the Jamaican government announced a $21 million revitalization plan for the resort area.
[
6
]
The town has restaurants, night clubs in Margaritaville and Dolphin Cove, where tourists swim and interact with
dolphins
.
