Big Majors Spot by Staniel Cay

Ambler Isle
V and S
Tue 18 Jan 2011 13:27
The winds came, 20k out of first the NNE, then moving to NE.  Behind our little island we were snug, feeling only the wind and not big waves or surge. 
Before that the water had that ultra calm effect where we could peer down from the bow deck and see the bottom.  The boat reacted to the wind by bobbing merrily back and forth in an arc, as is her style.  Although not a rough night, neither of us slept well as we listened to the sounds of the storm.  The morning found us sitting in our sky lounge sipping strong coffee.  Of course, we'd turned on the VHS.  I call it "snoop radio".  Like the old telephone "party lines" all conversations are open.  A sailor came on to announce he'd sighted a pink flamingo swimming off the beach near us.  With binoculars, we were able to see this incredible bird.  It was alone.  After a long rest, it rose out of the water and began flapping its wings through the anchorage.  When directly over Amber Isle we could see its pink and black markings.  It flew around a few minutes then went out of sight.  Although the flamingo is the national bird of the Bahamas, we'd never seen any except on our trip far to the south to Crooked Island.  There we were treated to the sight of a flock of hundreds wading in the shallows off shore.