Whales in Exuma

There is no better place to explore the beauty of the Bahamas than Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, which stretches for 22 miles from Wax Cay Cut in the north to Conch Cut in the south and out four nautical miles on either side of the cays. We cruise the Bahamas for several months each summer–and each year of the past 10 the improvements to Exuma Park above and below the tide line have exceeded our expectations.
Like many cruisers enroute to the Exuma Cays, we docked at Highbourne Cay on the journey south from Nassau where we obtained copies of Exuma Park’s dinghy and snorkel guides for Shroud and Hawksbill Cays. These waterproof guides also indicate the location of the new mooring fields off these two uninhabited cays.
Shroud Cay’s winding tidal creeks called out to our adventurous crew. We tied up to a mooring and launched our dinghy to follow the north creek as it meanders through a mangrove estuary, eventually emptying out into deep Exuma Sound. The sandbar at the creek’s end slices through gin clear, turquoise water and we think the beach is one of the prettiest in the Exumas.
Picking up a mooring at Hawksbill Cay offers visitors a wide array of scenic sand bars and enchanting beaches which can be reached by a new, well-maintained trail that cuts across this uninhabited cay to Exuma Sound. There are also the ruins of the Loyalist-period Russell Plantation to explore.
Warderick Wells, home of the park headquarters and visitor center, is our favorite destination. The park was established in 1958 to preserve the flora and fauna on these fragile islands. For the past 50 years, the park has served as a sanctuary for marine, bird and animal life throughout the central Bahamas.

from: Southern Boating    Text & Photos By Molly Potter Thayer