April 14, 2015 Normans Cay & Shroud Cay, Bah

Today was a fun day on the water.  We packed up fishing gear and snorkel gear and went off in the dinghy in search of an adventure.  We rounded the southern tip of Normans Cay and found the PERFECT Island to call home for the day.  It had one palm tree and beautiful shallow water surrounding it.  We all went to shore and explored the island.  Then the guys took off in the dinghy to fish while we hung out at the beach.  Joe said that he figured if Erin could dream of the perfect spot in the Bahamas, I’m sure this would be it. 

 
 

 Erin found a tiny live conch at the water’s edge.  We originally thought it was a hermit crab inside the shell, but then realized it was a live conch.  She moved it onto the shore to get a better picture of it.  Then it stuck it’s leg out to roll itself over to get back into the sea.  Pretty cool to watch.  We sat in the water as clear as a swimming pool until we thought we had burnt enough.  Then we headed for the shade.  We watched the guys fishing out in the channel between islands.  Pretty soon they came back to the island starving.  While packing all the gear, we forgot to pack lunch.  So we headed back to the boat.

 
 



After lunch, Joe made a spaghetti sauce and we put it in our “wonder bag” to let the flavors mix in for several hours.  Then we hopped back in the dinghy and went to Shroud Cay.  This is about 4 nm south.  It is the beginning of the Land and Sea park in the Exumas.  At the northern end of the island, we followed a channel through mangroves for about 1 nm and ended up on the Exuma Sound.  There were great sandy beaches and a sandbar that formed a semi circle past the inlet.  So we walked to the beach on the opposite side of the inlet from where we anchored the dinghy, all on the sandbar.  Erin found a tide pool with several different kinds of fish.  Joe and Erin hiked to a high point for a great view of the Exuma Sound and the Exuma Banks (east and west bodies of water) and over the mangroves.  I had never been in mangroves with such clear water. 

walking on the sandbar across the inlet

view of the mangrove inlet from the ocean side

mangroves in clear water

view of mangroves from top of hill

We made it back to the boat before sunset and decided it’s best to go through these shallow waters when the sun is higher to be able to see the rocks and the shallow areas. 

Joe made us a fantastic pasta dinner.  We even pulled the bag of previously boxed wine out of the bilge for the occasion.  Dave was the first to head to bed.  Joe and I decided to have another glass of wine, just long enough for Erin to do the dishes. 

Another great day!!  I started to look at what our options were for tomorrow and was pleasantly surprised that today was Tuesday and not Wednesday.