Traveling the Exumas

We've traveled half way down the Exumas and this is my first blog on them, which is odd since they seem to be the main playground for cruisers to the bahamas. I have never seen so many boats. Our first few days felt like we were on a super ocean highway with sailboats and mega yachts passing in both directions on a regular schedule. I have never seen so many huge 100+ ft yachts. they are all towing one or two smaller boats, and when they anchor, the back end opens up and the crew loads out all the jet skis and other water toys for the inhabitants. More than once we have pulled into an isolated bay to find a monster boat at anchor. 

I have to admit that I've gotten in the habit of looking out over our anchorage, with the beautiful turquoise water, and low island in the background, and decided not to take a picture because it looks so much like our other spots. There is a sameness to the Bahamas,  weather it be the landscape or the little settlements along the way. There also is very little wildlife around. A few small birds, some lizards, maybe everything is more hidden to protect from the heat and sun. I'll try not to get too jaded and keep taking pictures. Some of the highlights below.

Wardwick Wells

a 22 mile long 4 mile wide national land and sea park that is protected from fishing, conching ect.  It is beautiful, with the added benefit of some trails and interpretive signs here and there. On the beach by the headquarters is a huge whale skeleton assembled, with a sign posted that it was killed by ingesting plastic.

 The air and water are getting warm enough that we snorkeled a little thru coral gardens, with lots of fish, huge lobsters and colorful plants. Not a reef, but beautiful. We could have spent longer there exploring if I wasn't tied to a flight schedule.

Staniel Cay

Where Michael sat for 5 days while I was gone,  has an extremely active yacht club with those mega boats coming and going all day long.  It has a couple of natural tourist attractions as well. A large cave inside a small island that you have to swim up into was where James Bond movie Thunderball was filmed, and another island that has swimming pigs that swim out to your boat for food. We skipped that spot, but the cave dive/snorkle was pretty cool. Lots of colorful fish swimming in and out the openings, and a large hole at the top where the brave-hearted climbed up to and jumped down from.

Rock Point

A large Bahamian Settlement with very friendly people on a very different time schedule. Women were sitting under a tree weaving traditional baskets (the first I had seen anywhere) but when I asked if I could take their picture they replied, "no, not today." I also wanted to mail a package to Morgan for her birthday, and when I went into the post office, a very nice woman behind the desk informed me that she was sitting in for her daughter who was out of town, and she didn't know anything about mailing a package. I'd have to come back the next day. Two days later, the daughter was back at her job, and she accepted the package, sold me the correct postage, and explains that she doesn't often handle a package being mailed, maybe only once or twice a year, and that it will take a month to arrive in the states.

As we were leaving the weekly supply ship had come in and there was more bustle going on at the dock than we had seen in the entire 4 days we spent in the town. Everyone showed up in golf carts, pickup trucks and on foot to receive their goods. Large tanks of water were also on the boat, I imagine to replenish their drinking water.

One of our days at Black Point we walked thru town and up along the island. There are holes in the ground like large potholes that either have sea water down in the bottom of them, or are filled with trash. Everyone in the Bahamas seems to be looking for ways to deal with trash, i(e plastic for the most part). We regularly see the smoke from trash fires being burned in dumps. Empty buildings and abandoned cars are filled with trash. It is spilling out everywhere. Not just on this Island either.

Exploring 

We spend the last week slowly making our way down the islands, finding a pretty spot, dropping our anchor and exploring. My favorite thing to do. I found sand/ rock dunes filled with plants that rivaled any rock gardens I've ever seen. They were breathtaking. and we are all alone, having it all to ourselves. We've had full day idyllic sails on the ocean down the island chains, and a couple of days sitting off Perry Marine Research center surrounded by untouched and protected islands and coral beds. The snorkeling was the the best we have seen. At one point traveling in the dingey I kept seeing red blotches on the bottom. I put my head down with a mask on and it was giant red starfish almost a foot across (sorry no underwater camera here).

We hiked up to the highest point in the Exumas (a whopping 129 ft elevation) and saw for miles in all directions. We explored some old abandoned salt flats on another uninhabited island, yet another attempt to have a viable industry on the islands. 

The marine biologist at the outpost explained to me that the Bahamas is basically a natural salt water desert. The water is clear because there are no nutrients in the water, plants grow in sand or limestone with very limited rainfall.

Georgetown

We just arrived in Georgetown yesterday afternoon, and will be here or about for several weeks so you will hear more on later posts. But there is a very active cruisers community here of over 100 boats (I've heard it referred to as a floating village) and I signed up for yoga on the beach tommorrow! Almost civilization, which has its pros and cons.

 I also ran into a problem keeping the camera charged so pictures are slim this post, but I'll get it charged for next post. We expect this will be as far south as we get, and will begin heading back from here.