IT'S A DOGS LIFE
SAILING AROUND THE WORLD WITH SPIRIT OF ARGO
IT'S A DOGS LIFE
SAILING AROUND THE WORLD WITH SPIRIT OF ARGO
Bahamas

Bahamas, Exumas, Warderick Wells – Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park Headquarters

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Note the double reef.
Note the double reef.

With company coming soon the humans keep moving us south.  We spent another day tacking (moving the sails side to side of the boat) to make progress to the next Cay.  I say ‘we’ but I leave the ‘hard work’ to the humans.

I try not to let all their 'winching stuff' get in the way of a well earned sieta
I try not to let all their ‘winching stuff’ get in the way of a well earned siesta

With the ‘fresh’ winds we were anchored up on the East side of the Cay, near Emerald Rock, in no time.

This is not the most popular mooring area for this Cay.  The North mooring field, right by the ranger station, is ‘the place to be’.

But with my love of ‘running free’ on the beach (Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park require dogs to be on a lead at all times) and the humans tendency to be too cheap to pay for a mooring ball ($30/night) we chose the Eastern anchorage instead.

No rangers to give me trouble on this beach
No rangers to give me trouble on this beach

Dogs are also not allowed on the trails that crisscross the cay, so I got left behind while they kayaked over to the Ranger Station and had a hike about.

North mooring field beach and ranger station
North mooring field beach and ranger station

 

The Ranger Station had an information centre and a few t-shirts for sale.
The Ranger Station had an information centre and a few t-shirts for sale.
The Ranger Station also has a lovely view over the Northern Mooring field. It was late morning when we visited so all the boats had left and the next nights crews would not be arriving until later in the day. The mooring field is so popular here that the Park requests you radio them in the morning to make a reservation
The Ranger Station also has a lovely view over the Northern Mooring field. It was late morning when we visited so all the boats had left and the next nights crews would not be arriving until later in the day. The mooring field is so popular here that the Park requests you radio them in the morning to make a reservation

The humans decided to hike up to Boo Boo Hill where cruisers are allowed to leave driftwood mementos of their visit here.

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The Cay is fun to go exploring.  The trails are very well-marked, maps are available for free from the Ranger Station, and you will experience a diversity of Bahamian landscapes and wildlife.

Our favorite is the Bahamian curly tailed lizards.
Our favorite is the Bahamian curly tailed lizards.

 

On the limestone ridges you find palm trees and short shrubs
On the limestone ridges you find palm trees and short shrubs
You know the humans had to make a quick detour to check out the blow holes
You know the humans had to make a quick detour to check out the blow holes

 

The sea here on the windward side beats against the limestone clifts wearing holes into its face.
The sea here on the windward side beats against the limestone cliffs wearing holes into its face.
Rainwater wears holes in the top of the cliffs joining up with the sea cliff cracks making blow holes
Rainwater wears holes in the top of the cliffs joining up with the sea cliff cracks making blow holes

 

When the waves hit the cliff face water rushes into the holes displacing air, that shoots up the top surface and out the blow holes. The silly humans doing a 'Marilyn Monroe'.
When the waves hit the cliff face water rushes into the holes displacing air, that shoots up the top surface and out the blow holes. The silly humans doing a ‘Marilyn Monroe’.
View down onto the north mooring field
View down onto the north mooring field.  The first boats are just starting to arrive to tie up to a mooring ball.

 

After their little diversion the humans headed back up the trail to Boo Boo Hill.

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A pretty pathetic effort by the humans compared to everyone else
A pretty pathetic effort by the humans compared to everyone else
A last goodbye to this magical place before heading off to explore the trails some more.
A last goodbye to this magical place of memories before heading off to explore the trails some more.

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The whole Cay is crisscrossed with trails for you to explore.

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These trails go everywhere from the forested interior, windward cliffs and beaches on the Atlantic side to the calm waters of the Banks.

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The humans chose to loop back around to the Ranger Station for a lunch and a swim off the nice beach there.

Beach at the north mooring field
Beach at the north mooring field
Whale skeleton set up as a info-display on the beach here
Whale skeleton set up as a info-display on the beach here

The humans scooted back to the boat to pick up their snorkeling gear as the Ranger told them that the current in the cut in front of the station attracted lots of fish.

They were well rewarded with Lemon Sharks
They were well rewarded with Lemon Sharks
And Eagle Rays
And Eagle Rays

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How lucky were they.

And for those who have streaming internet I let the humans use up all their internet credit to provide you with this little video.  Enjoy one more of my Quinny Quinnster Productions!

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