Animal Flower Cave, Natural sea cave in Saint Lucy Parish, Barbados

Animal Flower Cave is a sea cave beneath the cliffs at North Point, Saint Lucy, reached through an opening in the roof called the blowhole. Its coral floor is estimated at 400,000 to 500,000 years old, with a younger coral layer above it dated to about 126,000 years by the German Geological Institute. The cave lies six feet above the high water mark, and openings in its walls look out on the Atlantic.

Two English explorers reached the cave through its seaward entrance in 1780. Coral steps were built in 1912 through an opening in the roof called the blowhole, giving access from above. The cave stands about six feet above the high water mark, though it formed at sea level, because Barbados rises roughly one inch every thousand years.

The name comes from yellow sea anemones living in the cave pools, which local people have long called Animal Flowers. These creatures remain a defining feature of the ecosystem that visitors encounter in the natural basins.

Access is via the stone steps from the parking area, which lead down to the lower cave level and are straightforward to navigate. Weather at the coast can change quickly, so wearing shoes with good grip is wise and prepare for wet, slippery surfaces.

The cave stands about six feet above the high-water mark, though it formed at sea level, because Barbados is rising roughly one inch every thousand years. In rough weather the caverns fill with water and the entrance works like a giant blowhole.