Private Bahamian island with colorful past asks $20M

A private island in the Bahamas with a colorful past has been listed for sale with an asking price of $20 million.

The 711-acre island in the Berry Islands, Bahamas, called Whale Cay has seven miles of white-sand beaches on its 12-mile shoreline.

Whale Cay, accessible by water or air, has a 4,000-foot paved runway for aircraft.

The private island also comes with multiple structures built between the 1930s and 1970s and in need of repair. These include a main house, guest cottage, museum and laundry room, plus a dormitory for staff, several maintenance buildings, a seaplane hangar and a lighthouse.

A 2.5-mile natural waterway along the northern side of Whale Cay could be dredged for a marina development.

A brokerage firm called 7th Heaven Properties has the listing for Whale Cay.

In 1934, the island was purchased by Marion Barbara “Joe” Castairs, whose mother was an heiress to the Standard Oil fortune.

Castairs cross-dressed as a man and had affairs with famous actresses including Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo, according to Robert Cooper, director of 7th Heaven Properties. [Business Observer] – Mike Seemuth