Thunderball Grotto

We went to Thunderball Grotto again......can you tell? I love this place.

Sampson Cay

Jan. 14/10

Great weather and beautiful scenary makes for a mighty fine day!

Today we toured around in our dinghy and checked out this whole area. We ended up at Sampson's Cay Club for lunch where we enjoyed a Grouper sandwich that was to die for. Did I ever mention how lucky we are?

Pictures

1. Sampson's Cay Club
2. Sampson's Cay Club
3. Nurse Shark

Piggy Beach

With everything I put in my mouth these days I feel every calorie settling on my midriff but, no, that is not me on the beach.

They call this beach Piggy Beach as there is a family of wild pigs who live here and, like the Iguanas at Allan’s Cay, they wait for people to come to shore so they can beg for hand-outs. These somewhat aggressive creatures have even been known to swim out to the boats looking for offerings. Now I’ve seen everything.

Staniel Cay

Jan. 13/10

One of the things that make paradise so tolerable is having playmates. The people we have met along the way have everything to do with why we enjoy this life. We all come from different walks of life but we love what each has to bring to the table and of course we all have sailing in common.....We all live on cramped vessels needing constant maintenance and have nothing but the weather controlling our every decision....LOL.

Today we are playing with our friends Pat and Lynn and since they have been here before, they know of the best places to play. We just came back from the coolest, most spectacular snorkelling we have ever experienced. Here at Staniel Cay there is a reef/cave called “Thunderball Grotto” and it is the location used in two James Bond movies.

The many types of coral formations were like nothing we have ever seen before with their vivid colours and fascinating shapes. We swam through crevices and into a large cave teeming with fish of every description. Unfortunately I am finding that there is a trick to underwater photography. I haven’t quite got a handle on it and most of my pictures didn’t turn out like I would have liked. I’ll keep trying though. For now you will have to take my word for it….It was spectacular.

Pictures:

1. Today's sunset.
2. & 3. Pictures taken while snorkeling at Thunderball Grotto.

View The Trail of Blue Blazes in a larger map

Now This is the Bahamas We Were Looking For

Five days ago we left Nassau and had a great sail across the Yellow Bank to Allens Cay. This type of sailing is all new to us and we have discovered that one has to be on their toes to sail in these waters. Like the Great Bahama Bank, the Yellow Bank is very shallow and we could see bottom the entire way. The difference though is that now we had to have a sharp eye out for coral heads. Given that this is our first time down here we weren’t even sure what a coral head should look like so it was a bit nerve racking at first. We soon found out that coral heads are well charted and once we saw one it was really quite obvious where they were and they were easily avoided.

Allens Cay is a beautiful place but what draws cruisers here is the rare species of giant iguanas that have taken up residence on the island. Who could pass up an opportunity to visit ugly, intimidating, and somewhat aggressive creatures like that? Well I can think of someone. As soon as anyone comes to shore in their dinghy they start to come out of the shadows looking for handouts. We stayed on the beach just long enough to throw them our peace offering and snap a few pictures. That was enough for me.

We stayed in Allens Cay for two very windy and very rocky days. From there we sailed to Normans Cay….again, another impressive spot. The sand, the water, the coral, the colours, and the scenery were absolutely stunning. Now that’s what it’s all about but nothing can match the beauty of Wardwick Wells Cay where we are now.

Wardwick Wells Cay is where the headquarters of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is located. Not only is the scenery exquisite, the Exuma Park is a "no take zone" by land and sea, which means the reefs are abundant and the beaches are pristine. Today I feel like we experienced the best that the Bahamas has to offer. This is the Bahamas I was looking for.

Pictures:
1. A picture taken while snorkling today.
2. The view of the anchorage at Wardwick Wells Cay.

Happy New Year

Picutred above:
1. View of Atlantis from the anchorage
2. Marg and Steve
3. Harley and I

Happy New Year!!!!!

Nassau is a big commercial port and probably not like the rest of the Bahamas but it's definitely worth seeing.

To explore the area we started with a walking tour of the city. After we took a trip to the beach. To get there we walked through the grounds of the fabulous Atlantis resort and it was like walking through Disney World....very commercial and fake but absolutely stunning to say the least. The beach was beautiful and very clean but not what we had envisioned for the Bahamas, but then again this isn't the real Bahamas.

Last night was amazing being New Years Eve and let me just say, this town knows how to party. The party started at midnight with an astounding fireworks display and then Junkanoo started. Junkanoo is a festival similar to mardi gras and it goes all night and all day. We stayed until we could barely stand up any more and at 6:30am we left. It's been a very long time since I last pulled an all nighter, and I'm paying for it today, but I'm glad I went. I wouldn't have missed it for anything.