English: Like most other islands in the Bahamas, Cat Island is located on a large depositional platform that is composed mainly of carbonate sediments and surrounding reefs. The approximately 77 kilometre-long island is the part of the platform continuously exposed above water, which allows for soil development (brown to tan areas) and the growth of vegetation. Shallow water to the west-south-west (below the island in this view) appears bright blue, in contrast to the deeper ocean waters to the north, east, and south. In this astronaut photograph, the ocean surface near the south-eastern half of the island has a slight grey tinge due to sun-glint, or light reflecting off the water surface back towards the International Space Station. Small white cumulus clouds obscure some parts of the island.