Mainstay Lake

Mainstay Lake is a lake in the Pomeroon-Supenaam Region of Guyana, near the Atlantic coast, northwest of the mouth of the Essequibo River, 12 mi (19 km) north of Adventure. There is a 0.5 mi (0.80 km) stretch of white sand at the edge of the lake.

Mainstay Lake
Mainstay Lake Show map of Guyana Mainstay Lake Show map of South America
Location	South America
Coordinates	07°13′59″N 58°32′19″W
Basin countries	Guyana
Max. length	193 mi (311 km)
Max. width	53 mi (85 km)
Surface area	7,540 sq mi (19,500 km2)
Average depth	283 ft (86 m)

Economic activity

A resort has been built next to the lake, a seven miles from the region’s administrative hub at Anna Regina, or through the resort on a twenty-minute flight from Georgetown to the resort’s airstrip. Mainstay Lake Resort hosts an annual regatta as well as a regular Easter Car and Bike Show.^[1] The resort was closed for seven months in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[2][3]

A pineapple processing facility was established in Mainstay/Whyaka in 2002, an initiative of the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) and Amazon Caribbean Ltd (AMCAR).^[4] Due to declining pineapple farming in the area, AMCAR closed the facility in 2014;^[5] there were talks of reopening in 2019.^[6]

Settlement

Whyaka or Whyak is a thirteen square-mile Amerindian community^[7] of mostly Arawak people. Arawaks were the first to inhabit the Mainstay area who called it ‘Quacabuka’ meaning ‘in-between'.^[4] The village has a population of 576^[8] and features a primary school (once known as St. Vincent Anglican School) and a nursery school, a health centre, a community centre, a ballfield, a chicken farm, a pine factory, a heritage park.^[4] Secondary schooling is done in Anna Regina or Cotton Field.^[4] The toshao is Milton Fredericks.^[9] The location of the Mainstay Village is 07°14′09″N 58°32′25″W.^[10]