Staniel Cay 5
Ambler Isle
V and S
Mon 24 Jan 2011 14:06
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Jan 18, 2011
The winds were 7-8k out of the South. The wind
waves were small. But a swell wrapped around the south of the island creating a
gentle, but persistent, rocking motion to the boat. Of course we could not
work in such conditions. So we loaded up the dinghy and went to the Exuma
sound side of Staniel Cay. There the cliffs overlook the sea, and in this
settled weather we could see the coral reefs just off shore. What a
great snorkeling spot in settled weather. With the new
chartplotter we are able tiptoe through areas previously too tricky to navigate
even with the dinghy. We anchored the dinghy off the tiny beach to take a
walk. We passed a number of limestone caves as we walked the
somewhat overgrown trails. When we came upon a building site we were
stopped in our tracks. Then another and another. 3 or 4 small
cottage sites. Probably rentals. By next year this area would be off
limits. Ah progress. We stopped at the site of an old tiki
hut. Two years ago it was still recognizable as the tiki bar
depicted in a wall mural at Club Thunderball. Today, either man or nature
has worked it over, leaving only a pile of rubble. Exiting the cut to the
Sound, we rode over the coral heads. The clear water shocked us, as
always. Continuing north, we rounded the bottom of Staniel Cay where much
new vacation home development is going on. There were a number of new
construction sites in the settlement as well. What bad economy?
Staniel Cay continues to be a popular vacation destination, with many
amenities: an airstrip, lodging, restaurants, regular mail and supply boat
stops, and more. Not to mention the gorgeous beaches, water, small
islands, diving and more. Detouring past the Yacht Club we saw the
boat that had gone aground, a new 65' trawler, Katie
Jane. It was still there, probably awaiting repairs to its stabilizer
fin.
Back aboard the Amber Isle we found the seas
had calmed again and the boat barely moved. We had lunch and
when I tossed some scraps overboard there was a fury of activity. Two big
fish seemed to be fighting over the bits of food. A closer look showed
they were remoras, also known as shark suckers. They normally attach their
suction cups onto a shark and eat any leftovers from the shark's dinner.
In an anchorage, I imagine they get confused. A big creature like
Amber Isle comes in, it hums and gurgles, discharges water, and
occasionally food. Do they think its alive?
Food in the water? Here in the Bahamas garbage is
a huge problem, both for us and for our hosts. They have no trash removal
services. Most islands have a dump, but no one attends it. When it
gets really rank, someone lights a fire and burns it. So they strongly
suggest we feed the sea creatures our food scraps and don't put any food in the
trash. This helps with odors, pest and vermin problems.
Tired from the fun, sun and wind of the day, we went out
on the cockpit for one last look at the full moon. Fog! A thin
blanket of fog covered the entire anchorage. Fog is rare, no, nonexistent
in the Bahamas. The air temperature was 85 today, the water about
75. Surely not enough for fog. But there it was. The moon was
visible, but wore a halo. The water was totally still.
In the morning we awoke to a totally wet boat. Had
it rained? Or was this the fog settling on the boat? A fishing trip
was planned today. (Wow, a plan?!?)
As we loaded the dinghy a nurse shark swam over to
watch. Soon a second came along. What were they doing here?
Then I saw a huge school of minnows, almost endless it seemed. Were they
there for the little fish? The sharks here are semi-tame because they feed
them fish scraps everyday at the dock. An hour later we noticed they
had partially covered themselves in sand and settled in for a nice nap in
the shade of Amber Isle. They give sharks a bad name.
Many boats have gone south with the nice weather.
We are in no hurry to get to Georgetown, although some cruisers head directly
there and don't stop along the way.
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