Blowholes, Turtles and Sharks - Never a Dull Moment in the Bahamas!

Heading south in 2022 and early 2023, we missed a lot. Yes, we stopped here and there to smell the roses but the journey to Grenada was long and it was just impossible to see everything we wanted to see. Plus, we had distractions. Not only were we new to being liveaboards, to managing new countries and to sailing in big oceans, well, stuff on the boat kept on breaking. ☹

But we learned from all of that. Besides getting our liveaboard sea legs, we learned that we prefer to linger. Hanging out in a great location for weeks at a time, absorbing all the little nuances offered to us from nature, the culture and, of course, the people is our happy place. Oh, and our boat has behaved of late and not given us any extra worry or jobs. Knock on wood that this blissful streak continues until we haul her out in Green Cove Springs, Florida.
​
With our pace wonderfully slowed down, we are getting to just a few cays in the Exumas but we are enjoying them at depth. We are breathing in our freedom to go snorkeling one day, hiking the next and maybe just chilling on the boat after that. And when the weather looks good for moving on, well, we do just that.

That clear blue Bahamian water

The sailing is easy in the Bahamas

Walking on the sandbars is a favourite activity

The local kids love Ocean!

And so do the cruiser kids!

Not everything is paradise. Getting rid of our garbage is a necessity.

At Black Point Settlement, we strolled around the town every day and checked out the nearby blowhole. That is a definite “must do” if you happen to be there during high tide and the wind is raging from the east!

The Black Point Blowhole

​On one of our town walkabouts, we stopped and chatted with the gentleman looking after the Reverse Osmosis (R.O.) system for the island. Just like anywhere else, access to clean water is critical. Here they desalinate the ocean water using a reverse osmosis system just like we do on the boat (ours is a Rainman), only their version is huge!

Where drinking water is made in Black Point, Bahamas

The inside of the trailer contains a full Reverse Osmosis system for the whole town of 414 people

The water holding tanks

Click the button to check out Ocean enjoying some free R.O. water from the town tap.

Ocean's Watering Hole

​Most of our past week has been at Staniel Cay. This has been a great snorkeling stop for us. First, we went to Thunderball Grotto which was the location of the James Bond movie “Thunderball”. We enjoyed this last year and to do it again this year was just as fun. Still wanting more snorkeling, we decided to do something a little different and checked out a few dive spots south of Staniel. The current was strong and the waves sporty but the snorkeling was great. 

Snorkeling Thunderball grotto

Snorkeling from the dinghy

Mike returns to the dinghy after snorkeling

Taking a break on a nearby deserted island

Ocean resting on the island after many long swims in the ocean

Ocean greets Mike after he snorkeled near the island

Victoria doing some post-snorkeling exploration of the island

Thankfully no sharks were spotted during our snorkeling adventures but we did see plenty at the dock!

Lots of calm nurse sharks

The same nurse sharks being fed some leftover fish. Not so calm now!

​One of the best things about the Bahamas is its diversity of experiences. At Black Point, there is a town with groceries and restaurants. Same thing at Staniel Cay but here it is also littered with super yachts and resort dwelling tourists. Today we moved just three hours north in the Exumas to O’Brien’s Cay and we are back in total remoteness. There are no stores or locals, just clear blue water, pure white sand, snorkeling and, oh yes, more superyachts. It is an odd feeling to be sharing space with these big boats! An 80 foot yacht decked out with every toy known to man sitting adjacent to little old Wild Horses. My, my, my.

A view of a nearby superyacht from the cockpit of Wild Horses

An eco-friendly 80 foot yacht. All the black areas on the boat are solar panels.

However, not so eco-friendly yachts are the norm.

​A ”must do” at O’Brien’s Cay is snorkeling the “Aquarium”. This is an incredible dive spot that gives you the sensation as though you are inside a tropical fish tank. Fish are everywhere, especially if you bring along some bread or oatmeal to entice them a bit closer. Even a turtle got in on the action. The whole scene was mesmerizing!

So Many Fish!

Hanging with a Sea Turtle

The Aquarium at O'Brien's Cay (view from above the water of course!)

Mike is one happy snorkeler!

​How do you top that? Well, you add a beautiful sunset enjoyed from the cockpit of your boat as you quietly say goodbye to another incredible day. We are grateful for every minute of it.

Some of us needed an extra nap today

Saying goodbye to another day in the Bahamas

Enjoying the blog and want to see exactly where we are right now? Click the button below!

Where we are today