Cuban Ledge facts for kids

Cuban Ledge is a small, natural area made mostly of sand and rocks. You can find it in Eastchester Bay, which is part of Long Island Sound in the Bronx, New York City. It's like a tiny island or a shallow reef that you can only see when the water is low, during low tide.

Because it's hidden most of the time, Cuban Ledge can be dangerous for boats. To keep everyone safe, there's a special signal tower that marks its spot. This helps boaters know where the ledge is and avoid hitting it.

How Cuban Ledge Got Its Name

There are a few interesting stories about how Cuban Ledge was formed and how it got its unique name.

Stories About Its Formation

One popular story says that Cuban Ledge was created in 1898. This was during the Spanish–American War. Sailors on a ship supposedly dumped a lot of rocks overboard. They did this because their crew was leaving the ship to go fight in Cuba. These dumped rocks then formed the ledge.

Another story tells of a large boat called a barge. This barge was full of sand and gravel. It got stuck on a shallow area, called a shoal. To rescue the barge, workers had to remove a lot of its heavy cargo. They dumped the sand and gravel into the water. This pile of dumped material then became the Cuban Ledge.

Theories About Its Name

As for its name, one idea is that a ship called the Cuban Lady ran aground on the reef back in the 1880s. People might have started calling the spot "Cuban Ledge" after that ship.

Another theory is simpler. Some people think that the shape of the ledge itself looks a bit like the island of Cuba.