Animal Flower Cave

Animal Flower Cave

Animal Flower Cave is located in Saint Lucy Parish and is an accessible sea cave on Barbados, formed by the constant battering of the sea against the hillside, which carved out a tunnel through the rock. Discovered by two British explorers in 1780, although it was formed at sea level, it actually sits six feet above the highest tide line because Barbados rises one inch every thousand years.

Inside the Animal Flower Cave are sea anemones, locally referred to as “animal flowers,” after which the cave is named. Though they resemble flowers, these are actually predatory creatures that extend their colorful parts during the day to allow symbiotic algae to photosynthesize fully, while their tentacles emerge at night to catch prey. Their stinging tentacles can paralyze small fish that swim too close. The cave also features a coral floor estimated to be around 400,000 to 500,000 years old, and a large shallow pool that guides call the “swimming pool.” If you're feeling adventurous, you can take a dip in it.

Animal Flower Cave

Why Go: The most fascinating sea cave in Barbados

Continent where the attraction is located: North America

Country/Region where the attraction is located: Barbados

Province/State where the attraction is located: Saint Lucy Parish