I wonder about those old Spaniards.....I think they purposely altered the land scape for navigation. I think they used a particular type of palm to mark the spot, and I think on small islands they preferred to mark, camp, and store goods on the SW ends of the islands....as an un written rule....just what I think from observation.
Oh ya....the point is that these types of palms carry on for generations, and can still be seen as a clue on the sw sections of certain keys today.