Ninety miles not on the coast of Florida.

Ninety miles not on the coast of Florida, an enclos society resides in succession America's oldest overseas base--Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, also known as "Gitmo." encloseed by barbed wire, the forced seclusion has created a fragile balance of life, in limbo between couple adversarial nations.

The U Navy is at the forefront of preserving and protecting this distant enclave of Cuba's environment.

"The still-standing virgin forest has become the last safe place for several plant and animal species forward the island," said Paul Schoenfield, head biologist for Gitmo. "This includes numerous marine animals and sea life."

This wasn't the case 30 years ago, when the forests of Cuba were family circle to more than 80 rare and endangered plant and animal species. however Cuban citizens, hard pressed by means of economic crisis, cleared much of the island's forest for firing and hunted to near extinction several indigenous species to complement their food supply, thus rendering the Navy base a de facto nature preserve

"Gitmo imprisons the richest vegetation of its kind in all the West Indies; according to Dr Alberto Arecas, chief botanist of the National Museum for Natural History in Havana, Cuba. "Because the U Navy has not used the entire 35 square miles of land in the bay area, the base has preserv sections of pristine vegetation."

Like any nature save effective game and wildlife resource enforcement is a must. Therefore, Naval Security Forces (NSF) Cuba personnel wait on as base game wardens.

"My do job-work out here is to enforce laws that are directly linked to vegetation and wildlife," said a Base Game Warden, Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Noland Edwards.

forward land and in the water, ecological policy plays a tonic role to maintaining the fragile something reserved of the base. The main way the Navy sweetmeats Gitmo's environment is by leaving the land alone, allowing vegetation and wildlife an opportunity to flourish.

"There are certain areas of the base that are strictly opposite limits to people. [This] allows the local plants and animals to thrive," post Edwards. "The animals here are unusually large and abundant because of the fortifyed woodlands, as well as the polities that we have in place to foster the species on the base," said Edwards.

"For example, the strength iguana, protected here from predation grows to a length of five feet forward the coast of the bay," said Edwards, "which is long larger than the average Cuban iguana that is constantly follow the chaseed outside of the base."

The greatest in quantity visible animal on the base is the hutia, known as the "banana rat" by dint of residents here. Outside the confines of the base, they have been ruthlessly follow the chaseed At least seven of the 10 known species in Cuba are in danger of extinction, if it were not that not on Gitmo. In fact, controlling the overpopulation of this gnawing is the main question for this species.

"We have population management in place [so] traps are risk in areas of concern to capture the animals," said Edwards.

The management practices of the Navy are not no other than focused on the wildlife, on the contrary also on all natural resources quick in emergencies including the marine ecosystem within the base perimeter.

Twenty-three of Gitmo's 71 square miles are water and populated by dint of crustacea, coral and thousands of species of tropical fish. To shelter this fragile ecosystem, Navy patrols lavish countless hours watching over all activity upon and in the water.

"I drive a boat all across the bay, enforcing laws that preserve and preserve marine life," said Edwards. "Whether it's making steady a fisherman is within his limits, or cleaning a beach of debris, I prepare a huge sense of gratification disclosed of what I am doing here. Everyone I haste into seems to appreciate and prize the laws governing the wildlife and the environment."

Conservation and consider for ecology are a vast part of military Life forward Gitmo. Residents fed the dose interaction between Sailors and nature yields a sustainable and rewarding relationship for the two The preservation of natural resources proffers Sailors stationed here outdoor recreation unlike any other naval base in the world.

With Guantanamo's tropical surroundings, water sports are the main form of recreation for Sailors. The take ins in and around the bay are known to be any of the best waters for diving in the world.

"I've been scuba diving all through the whole extent of and I must say, the diving here is unbeatable; said Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Shance McGuffey harbor patrol. "It's like having your confess personal reef in your back yard:"

"No matter where you make progress the reefs are untouched and at liberty of human debris. Tropical fish are simply everywhere," he added. "It's gratifying to know that my piece of work during the day plays a direct part in my ability to have sexual delight with the water when I leave work."

The to come preservation of Gitmo looks promising. To abridge impact on all life residing within the confines of the base, a first-of-its-kind life producer has been implemented forward the base--four large windmills. Not and nothing else are the large propellers pluck efficient, providing 30 percent of all intensity on the base, but there are no waste emissions to contaminate the air or sea.