Anna Beach, Gemstone Cave, & Rudder Cut Cay

Yesterday's decision to anchor where we wanted to start today meant that we all got to sleep in. Most of us took Dramamine since it was very rolly last night, so it was very fortunate (for everyone except Ben) that we had extra time!

Ben dropped the 8 of us off at the beach. Bear and Moose went snorkeling around the caves with the Grasshoppers. Roo and I found a place, only exposed due to the lower tide, to build a sandcastle in the shade of the cave. (These caves were very photogenic... enjoy below.) She said it was her best one yet! There was a wasp nest in the cave in the next alcove, so we just avoided that spot. We weren't there very long. The snorkelers didn't see a ton and turned back after they realized how far the next beach area was.

Once we were all back on the Cartermaran, we had to decide if we were going to take that hike to Gemstone Cave since it was only a mile or so further. We heard some thunder, so Ben looked it up and it was moving away from us (again, thankfully!). Most of us were okay either way- going for the hike or skipping it- but Sasha really wanted to go, so we put on shoes (some of us with socks), grabbed a few flashlights and headlamps (thanks Google reviewers who stated that a cellphone flash isn't sufficient), and went.

The trailhead is close to shore, but it was a very rocky, coral-filled area and we couldn't beach the Chicken there, and we could beach it just a little further south. We knew the tide was going out, so we didn't have to pull it very far on shore to anchor it. Those without socks hopped off first and those with socks jumped off the bow, competing in a long jump contest, so our feet didn't get soggy before our hike.

Along our beach walk, we came across a squishy blob. We didn't figure out what it was, but some thought it was a conch out of its shell. The kids wanted to put it back in the water so it could live, but it just oozed around when it was touched or lifted, so we left it.

The trail wasn't very clearly marked, but the reviews on Google told us to look for certain things hanging along the way so we would wind up in the cave and not the beach on the north side of the island. We also knew we had to take a right fork at one point, so followed one and realized it didnt go anywhere. When we went to turn around, my feet were entangled in a thorny vine and each time I lifted my foot to walk, I tripped and pulled nature's barbed wire into the back of my ankle. This happened several times before I managed to break free. My ankle was pretty beat up by the thorns- Jesus-style.

Ben remembered that he had a map he could use (Google) and took the lead navigating us using the blue dot, the real-life trail, and the location of the cave. It wasn't too much further.

Upon descending into the cave, the temperature dropped dramatically and a stench started to reach our noses. With our lights lighting the way, we could see where to walk. We found the water and Ben walked right in and said it was about 50°, so the rest of us took off shoes and cover ups to dip in. I only put one leg in because I wasn't sure what was in the water and didn't want to get a wicked infection in my new cuts. Lori, Sasha, and Moose swam into the deeper area around the corner, with their way illuminated by Ben and Roo from a higher point in the cave. Bear and Luke found a bat with their lights and it kept flying around to avoid the light, while I kept ducking down to avoid the bat.

Our hike back was uneventful. Bear spotted a snake, and fortunately Moose didnt hear her. Lori and the Grasshoppers stopped with her to look at it. I took some fun photos of the Cartermaran with the plants and rocks in the foreground. We didn't see the blob creature on our way back so it either moved or we missed it. My guess is we missed it, due to the change in the tide.

Evidently the tide was going much lower when we were hiking because our tender was completely out of the water. It took everyone except the 2 youngest kids two big lift-and-walks to get it in the water. Some of us had to sacrifice dry socks and sneakers for this. I also was quickly reminded of the cuts on the back of my ankle, once they were submerged in the water. Ouch!

With no more stops in mind, we went on our way in the Cartermaran past Cave Cay where we stayed in  saw so many turtles in 2022, and wound up anchoring for the night in a bay off Rudder Cut Cay. This is a private island (part of a group of islands/islets here owned by David Copperfield) and has No Trespassing signs posted, so we couldn't go on the beach, but Lori and the 4 older kids snorkeled from the boat and around the rocks. They saw a giant stingray, lots of fish, beautiful corals, and got to swim with and watch a sea turtle eat just a few feet away! That was Bear's highlight. The current was pretty strong around the corner so they didn't go much further before turning back.

As we were eating dinner, we were watching a woman swim off the back of the sailboat in our cove. We were shocked because their boat was anchored near the strong current and the kids just were telling us how strong it was while they were snorkeling. At some point, a man on the boat threw a life vest to the woman in the water and he went in after it. That didn't work so the teenage daughter got their SUP and headed out. We were getting worried about this rescue situation going wrong, so Ben hailed them on the VHF a few times but they didn't respond, probably because the only kids left on the boat were 2 kids and the other 3 were trying to rescue each other... Ben and Moose dropped the tender real quick and went out to help them. The man told Ben that when he saw our tender launch, that's when he knew they were going to be okay. 😳

Cleaned up dinner and watched the last of the Canada trip videos. At the end, Lori was saying goodbye to us in Mackinaw City and she said something along the lines of, "We will watch this video in the Exumas," and we all laughed because that's exactly where we were watching from!

Today's lesson was when you're unsure, just go! Like we found out yesterday, you make better memories in new places than you ever will trying to recreate the old ones.

Staniel Cay

Anchor alarm at 3 am woke me and Ben up. Thankfully no one else could hear it because the alarm is on the tablet in our room. Thought we were drifting, but we weren't. The GPS signal was lost, so it freaked out. After that was taken care of, I went back to sleep. Ben wasn't able to. Off the mooring ball at 8 am and en route to Staniel Cay on a Sunday.

Got anchored and had to wait about 90 minutes before we could head to Thunderball Grotto at slack low tide. Ben and Moose took the tender to get some gasoline. Everyone else hung out and got ready to snorkel, while also debating if a storm was coming or going. (It was going.)

Since we anchored right by Thunderball Grotto, we kept seeing boatloads (literally) of people jump into the water and snorkel. It made us a little more hesitant since the last time we went, we had the whole grotto to ourselves right after sunrise!

When we went over, there were probably 5 other boats. Everyone jumped into the water and we swam in. One of the tour boats had people hike up to the top and jump in through the skylight type openings. Last time we were there, there was a sign saying that wasn't allowed. It was terrible being in the entryway of the cave waiting for all of these people to jump in. With each splash landing, the hundreds of fish would get scared away. We also couldn't snorkel through the cave because we didn’t want to get landed on from above. After the 4th person, Ben finally asked how many more people because they're ruining our snorkeling experience. When the last one was done, they swam out (Did they even get to enjoy the marine life?!) and we got to enjoy the fish. 

Roo was so excited to see so many of them and barely remembers the last time we were there (she was 5). We swam back to the entrance of the cave and swam out through one of the narrow rock crevices. There were lots of minnows which was entertaining to watch. Moose spotted a GIANT crab. It looked more like a spider than a crab. Its body was the size of a volleyball! (All of my pictures from this experience are on my gopro, and I haven't pulled the photos from it yet.)

We swam around the outside of the grotto and back to the tender and there was still plenty to see. As we made it back to the Chicken, we saw ANOTHER tour boat packed full of people pull up. I told our crew that if anyone wanted to go again, they had to go right then before it got crowded. No one wanted to- they were all content with snorkeling outside of the cave. Roo wanted to go back in and I had Ben take her, but he came back saying the current picked up so much already that he couldn't get in without flippers.

We climbed back into the boat on the Ben-made ladder once again and took the Chicken to the island to see if Bottom Line was still open. When we were here in 2022, they had just opened and we all have memories of the best food, particularly their chicken wings! 

We passed the government dock and saw a sea turtle right in front of us. When it started getting shallow, we got out to walk. Thankfully, we all had swim shoes on because there were conchs everywhere- and they were sharp! 

Ben went up to find out if they were closed for good or closed for Sunday. No one answered, so we went back to the boat. There were talks of waking up and going to the grocery store and checking out Bottom Line again tomorrow. That eventually turned into all of us just sitting there, looking at places to wind up at tomorrow. Then, someone suggested going to the next place today since it was still before 5 and we'd be there before sunset.

We picked up the anchor, which was a first time viewing experience for some who sleep past that moment in the morning. Said our goodbyes to Staniel Cay, and moved on. 

Lori and I made several pizzas for dinner. If you've never been on the Cartermaran, our galley is in one of our hulls and is about the size of a small hallway. This was one of my cons to buying this boat, but I've come to love being down there- with 4 other people (even THAT is tight), by myself (preferred), or any amount of people (not dogs!) in between. Yes, this photo is upside down and I don't know why it won't flip... so I'm leaving it like this. Turn your screen. 😛 

Google Maps doesn't have much pinned in the Exumas, but we saw Anna Beach mentioned caves on the beach, and naturally, the geology-lovers wanted to stop and explore. There was also a hike to a place called Gemstone Cave that we could check out. We were anchored around 7:30 and decided to start at the beach cave tomorrow and think about the hike after that.

Funny how sometimes the best places and memories you make simply can't be recreated. All the more reason to soak it all in while it is here. ✨️

O'Briens Cay

It was just a short trip to the next mooring ball at O'Briens Cay. The adults were all up and out before the kids were awake today. To my surprise, Moose was one of the last kids sleeping, even after being the first one to fall asleep last night.

Pulled up to see all of the mooring balls in our first choice location were taken. Ben didn't want to anchor there because the current was looking strong. He knew there were a few other mooring balls just a little further north that we passed on the way in, so we returned to them and tied up to one. Got ready to snorkel and head to Rocky Dundas Caves. 

Rocky Dundas was something I had written down to go see, but I didn't have much info on where exactly it was or how to access it. We used Google maps to get us close to the pinned location, but again, no one really knew where to go once we got there. We spotted another group on a tender (Caesar's Ghost- whose sacrifice we saw on Boo Boo Hill yesterday!) who was headed toward a tender mooring ball, then spotted the cave right off of it because of the light shining through the top into the water below. So cool!

Once we were tied up, we all hopped out. The coral was beautiful all on its own. We loved seeing the prettiest yellow and purple fans. It was truly a rainbow under there. Corals in every shape, size, and color. Some fish, but we mostly saw and enjoyed looking at all of the coral. 

The caves were cool, too. The first one we went in, I was afraid to stand in, as there were urchins in the rock under us. We swam around in there for a bit and then Ben found a second cave right around the corner from the first one. It was much better. We climbed out of the water, onto the rock, and walked around on the dry surface which helped us ensure no urchins were underfoot.

We loaded back into the tender, using Ben's leg hoisted on the tender's motor as a step that we all stood on to get back inside. All of us asked if he was sure he could hold us standing on his leg like that and he assured us he was fine, but that he would make us a ladder for our next snorkel adventure. 

Everyone mentioned that the second cave was better than the first and that this site was more than any of us expected it would be.

Found a plane wreck site that those who were interested just stuck our snorkeled heads into the water, from the Chicken, to view. No one got out of the boat to snorkel, it was just basically a driveby on our way back to the boat for a quick lunch and sunscreen reapplication. Ben made us a tender ladder out of a spare boat line and PVC in the amount of time it took us to eat and apply sunscreen. 😂 

Off to The Aquarium after lunch. This is not a brick and mortar building like your typical aquarium. This was just an area off a rocky island with a sign indicating it was the Exuma Land and Sea Park- The Aquarium, a place we read was great for snorkeling. 

Each time one of us jumped off the boat, we heard gasps of awe and wonder. Once it was my turn, I could understand why! SO MANY fish were in one space. Roo loved the Sergeant Majors and I showed her how to put her arms out to see if they'd come up to her. She said one swam by her foot and it made her giggle. I saw the most beautiful teal green fish (possibly a stoplight parrot fish?) with orange spots on its tail.

Hopped into the Chicken (the new ladder 🪜 was definitely a win!) and went to a sandbar beach just across the way. Sasha, Luke, and Bear decided to float the little stream and see if it worked to get back to us on the other side of the island. It did. So then everyone else went with them as they went a second time. The current was really strong and created a fun lazy river experience for floating in the mostly shallow water. 

Moose and Roo built lizard houses on the sand while everyone else floated at the beach and looked for conchs and sand dollars. It was here that I realized that tomorrow is Sunday. Our plan was to go to Staniel Cay to stock up on food and eat at The Bottom Line Restaurant that we loved in 2022, but in the Bahamas, almost everything is closed on Sundays. We will see what happens with our itinerary as we only have a few more days with the Grasshoppers and have to get them to George Town the evening of the 16th.

Back at the boat, Lori hopped in to snorkel with the resident baracuda. Moose told her if she got in first and didn't get bit he would join her. Roo got in too and Moose was convinced the baracuda would've gone after her if he and Lori weren't there.

Lori did a little research after dinner to prove to Moose that baracudas don't go after or attack people in the water. They are curious critters who lurk and follow divers and swimmers, and look scary doing so. They go after shiny things that humans wear because they look like glinting fish scales!

Watched the sunset (somehow the ONLY photo I took on my phone today) and went to bed early!

Warderick Wells, Exuma Land and Sea Park HQ

Off the hook at 8 am and headed to Warderick Wells. While we were underway, we put the finishing touches on the Cartermaran sacrifice to King Neptune to leave on the Boo Boo Hill Trail later today. Roo wanted to draw a picture of the Cartermaran on it- from memory- and did an incredible job! While we were in Great Sale Cay, we found a washed up and mostly intact sea fan that we knew we wanted to add to it. 

This time, with better maps and depth routes, we were able to cruise closer to the islands on our journey south. There were beautiful sandbars and spots with waves crashing over the reefs, both indicating much shallower waters. 🌊 

Successfully grabbed a mooring ball at Exumas Land and Sea Park close to the HQ beach. Even though I grabbed the eyelit when we initially passed over it, I dropped it as it went under our tunnel. Ben backed up slowly and I snagged it again, while Lori and Sasha got our lines threaded through. I was able to put the boat hook away and take over Sasha's line to cleat it off while Ben supervised Lori cleating her line.

Everyone sunscreened up (and wore their dreaded UPF shirts to avoid reburning the sunburn from yesterday) and we all jumped off the boat and swam 20-30 feet to the sandbar. We found some conchs- both abandoned and with critters. There seemed to be a lot of corals buried in the sand that we kept stepping on. I found an orange squishy thing and Lori pulled it up to find out that it was a piece of live coral! 🪸 She put it back and we decided we shouldn't be touching them.

There were SO MANY baby critters at one spot that Roo and I walked to with Lori. We called it the nursery. There were baby sea stars and baby BABY sand dollars. I'm talking just a tad bit larger than a sesame seed!

Exumas Land and Sea Park is a no-take park, so after we looked at our finds and talked to them, we tucked them back into the sand and continued on our way. We had to take mental pictures because we were far from the boat, didn’t bring our cameras, and didn't want to go all the way back to get them.

Swam back to the Cartermaran for lunch and shade. The current had us zooming back to the boat and we had to swim hard to make it! The kids jumped off the front of the boat, used the current to float under the tunnel, and then grabbed a line or the swim ladder on their way through.

Lori was hanging in the water and I saw a shark swim towards us. She grabbed her snorkel and was able to watch it and saw it had 2 remoras with it. 🦈 

Moose wanted to see it, and it was swimming toward the sandbar, so he jumped in the water to look. Meanwhile, a bull shark came swimming under the boat and when he realized it, he started kicking and splashing as hard as he could to get back to the swim steps and out of the water. He said his life flashed before his eyes. All I could think of was that his splashing was going to attract it rather than deter it and my heart was racing long after he got out of the water.

After a while, Keith dipped back in and the same thing happened to him that happened to Moose- a shark came from under the boat unexpectedly and he jumped right out of the water.

Once everyone was out, we were hanging in the hammocks, playing games, and chatting, and I spotted a shark swimming toward the back of the boat. The kids decided to go say hi to it on the back steps. This guy and his remora hung out with us for a while. Everyone got to pet him and say hi, except for me and Keith. Keith attempted to but the shark stopped swimming as close to the boat so he couldn't reach. I was just too chicken.

Right before high tide, we got into the tender and rode over to Boo Boo Trail. This was not the same place we hiked from last time, but it was a super steep shortcut. On the way up there, another family was coming down and excited to see our contribution.

Roo wanted to be the one to place the sacrifice to King Neptune. She had to climb up part of the pile to put it exactly where she wanted. It was so hot outside that we managed to stay up there for a few pictures and then head back down.

We tendered over to the sperm whale skeleton on the beach and the HQ building. Ben wanted to see if the station would be open tomorrow so he could get another Bahamas National Trust shirt like the one he has and loves, but it sounds like there is no one working there today or tomorrow, despite open hours being posted for both days. (9-12 & 1-3)

Another nurse shark came over to the boat after dinner. This one had 3 remoras and I decided I was going to pet it. He was curious about the boat but sadly never got close enough to let any of us pet him.