BONAIRE ~ The Pekelmeer - Salt Mountains ~

Caribbean beauty nr2🌞🏝️... lovely view of the pure white salt pyramids and pink lake... due to the abundance of tiny rosy brine shrimp living in the water... the stunning salt beds of Pekelmeer are also home to one of the hemisphere's great populations of flamingos... the Caribbean flamingo is the most colorful of all species of flamingos because of the mainly red carotenes in their diet... Thanks a lot Andrene!! (✿◠‿◠) And probably a bit late but my warmest and heartiest congratulations with your 🎉🎉Anniversary. 🎉🎉

Bonaire is an island in the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. Together with Aruba and Curaçao, it forms the group known as the ABC islands, located off the north coast of South America near to Venezuela. Bonaire was part of the Netherlands Antilles until the country's dissolution in 2010, when the island became a special municipality within the country of the Netherlands.

The Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary is one of only four areas in the world where Flamingos breed. Pekelmeer means "salt lake" in Dutch.The Sanctuary is located on the vast salt pans at the southern end of the island and home to over ten thousand flamingos The refuge also attracts dozens of other species, including osprey, cormorants, heron, frigate birds, and other marine birds.

Utilizing the naturally low-lying geography and traditional Dutch dyke design, much of Bonaire's southern half has been made into a giant system of ponds and pools which evaporate seawater to produce salt. Presently operated by Cargill, Bonaire's solar salt works produces 400,000 tons of industrial grade salt per year. After collection, the salt is then washed and stored in large piles. The salt facility operates its own pier where ships are loaded with salt destined for North American, European and Western Pacific markets. Bonaire's salt is used mostly in industrial roles.

Stamp:

Definitive stamp with logo of local post operator FXDC.
 (Issued 10-10-2014)