January 18, 2008.

We spent a couple of days at Normans Cay. It was exactly what we needed to decompress a bit after the trip across and being in Nassau immediately thereafter.

Great white sand beaches, and the ruins of a drug baron’s empire.
We could have stayed there longer but we had a strong front projected to hit the area late Sunday. We were protected from the east but were exposed to the north and west. Big winds are scheduled to start from the west and swing to the north. If we stayed there it was a recipe for an ass kicking.

That left us with the choice of heading south on either Friday or Saturday. Friday was forecast for slightly less wind so Friday it was.

We were up and underway by 0830. It was an easy 22 mile day to our destination of Warderick Wells in the center of the Exuma Land and Sea Park. With the big blow coming we will be pinned down for a couple of days so this is a great place to be stuck.

We could have anchored in the park but the anchoring areas are further from shore and not quite protected enough. Instead we opted for a mooring ball as they’re placed right up in the lee of the island. Our assigned ball is right up next to the tallest part of the island so when the wind shifts we should be completely protected.

Since it’s a national park there is no fishing, shelling or spear fishing. As a result this place is a snorkeler’s paradise, the sea life is everywhere. The water here is thirty shades of blue, and then throw in a half dozen hues of green and its just amazing.

We were moored by 1230 and after checking in we spent the afternoon snorkeling. While checking in at the Rangers station we noticed a small box of sugar hanging on the wall. It was for bird feeding. Christy took a palm full of sugar and soon had a half dozen Bananaquits eating from her hand. They were so tiny and delicate and fluttered from her fingertips to the railing and back again. Each bird only weighs as much as a quarter.


We took the dogs to shore so I sat with them while Christy snorkeled for awhile. When Christy was on her way back into the beach Molly couldn’t stand it anymore and charged straight into the water and swam out to meet her. The funny part was that Christy was looking down at the bottom and never saw her coming. Molly swam right up to her and Christy’s reaction was kind of like a shark or pelligator attack. Fins in the air, a huge splash and a muffled shriek through the snorkel. All was well as soon as she realized it was Molly and they both swam in together.

While Molly loves the water, Tucker hates it. Christy was standing in thigh deep water begging and coaxing Tucker to join her in the water. I was sitting near the waters edge and he got up, walked over and sat directly behind me so she couldn’t see him anymore. When it was my turn to swim I heard Christy yelling from the beach. I was a 100 feet from shore and there was Molly 20 feet behind me. I turned around and sent her back and continued my exploration. Upon my return to shore Christy started goading Tucker into entering the water. He got up, trotted over to the dinghy where it was pulled up on the beach and jumped in the dinghy and sat there. I guess it was pretty obvious he had had enough of the beach and was ready to head back to the boat.

This place is as close to paradise as anything we’ve seen. Spending several days here is going to be wonderful. Tomorrow we’ll do some hiking to an abandoned settlement from the 1800’s. The sunset was gorgeous and the air was filled with the sound of a half dozen conch shells.