Guana Cay
Ambler Isle
V and S
Mon 9 May 2011 13:57
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Past Musha Cay, past Cave Cay, past Little Farmer's Cay,
past Oven Rock, Ppst the spot we dragged to when the mooring ball came
loose. So many memories, all special. We anchored near shore off
mid-Guana Cay in clear water. I was able to see the anchor set from
the bow of the boat. What will we do when we return to the US and the
water is not clear enough to see the anchor? Guess we'll just have to take
it on faith. We spent the afternoon cleaning the water line some more, and
Valt checked the intakes and shafts and props. Then we swam over to a
rocky area. Though it was mostly grass, we saw a sea anemone, several
nassau groupers, lots of little fish, and 3 Pacific lion fish. The lion
fish are beautiful, looking more like a bird with its feathery "wings".
But its invasive nature, its lack of predators, its quick reproduction rates,
and its voracious appetite for other fish's eggs make it more than a
nuisance. We feel it may cause a decline in the native fish population,
but there seems to be no solution. Even if we kill every one we see, a
hundred seem to pop up in their place. We tried another dark spot in our
sandy bay. It was a coral head full of 1000s of fish. Actually, the
water was so still and ripple-free, we were able to peer into it from the dinghy
and see bottom nearly as well as with our snorkel gear.
Next morning was Mother's Day. We were
able to pick up the Cruiser's Net from Staniel. Joan from Blue
Yonder gave the weather report and predicted warm days, light
winds, and calm seas for the next week. After our coffee ritual, we
again donned our snorkel gear and went to explore the beautiful sea life.
We went to several coral heads and returned to Amber Isle quite
chilled, even with our diving skins, shorty jackets, and gloves. We'd been
in the water several hours. We rested a while, ate lunch, then went back
to continue more hull cleaning. Valt used the Super Snorkel Air Compressor
and was able to stay below much longer. I used mask and snorkel to scrub
the grass off the water line. Then I moved over to brush the dinghy
bottom. It was not too grown over, but the slight slick of algae caused an
fishy odor when we lifted the dinghy into its cradle on the dinghy deck.
Any excuse to stay in the warm, inviting water. We seem to stay warmer
when we work than when we are just sightseeing in the sea. The winds was
about 4 knots out of the East and the water very still.
A pleasant tiredness washed over us after so many hours
in the water.
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