Upon hearing “white horses”, one may immediately think of the majestic beasts that tend to gallop along a beach, however, this White Horses is a small town located on the south coast of the island of Jamaica.
Jamaica is a nation of immense beauty with sparkling blue waters and white sandy beaches; you may have visited her parish of St. Thomas to experience the wonders of Bath Fountain or Reggae Falls, and those are wonders, no doubt, but White Horses serves as a simple little town with a special character.
“White Horses? What kind of name is that for a town?” one may ask, of course, Jamaica is no stranger to odd town names as they are often related to the physical features of the location or its history – For example: Ocho Rios does have 8 rivers. Why is this town White Horses: it is surely not filled with the beautiful beasts strolling around the area?
This small coastal town has access to a wide beach with an amazing view of the Caribbean Sea, with the most beautiful site being the movements of the waves. As they rise like creatures with a mind of their own, the waves approach the beach, breaking into multitudes of white sea foam, formed on the surface of the water, and is surely alluring to look at. The foam travels with the waves as it washes up the beach and returns to the sea, swirling as it goes. The continuous repetition of the large back-to-back waves and the white foam creates a picturesque site of the white wave heading to shore. Moving at great speed, folding and curling the foam like a white mane on a horse, swiftly galloping towards the seashore.
That is how the town got its name: the waves do indeed appear like these beasts, and the foam gives it the finishing touch of white, hence, “White Horses”. I implore you to take a drive along the coast one day and keep a look out. One may never know what is charging by the sea, possibly a white horse, and it is certainly not a disappointment, especially at sunset as you experience another amazing wonder of Jamaica.
Check out Roving With Lalah: A gallop through White Horses:
Written by Rhea Braithwaite, student of Campion College. Edited by Kaeonna Walters. This post appears courtesy of the Do Good Jamaica Professional Pathways high school internship program.