RockChalk44: Staniel Cay

My good friend, Jay Carey, tells the story about a long crossing from the Virgin Islands to Florida in a friends sailboat. After 5-6 days from St. Thomas, the natural stop is Staniel Cay in the Exumas. Its the kind of Caribbean bar that is always full, with a level of excitement from sailors making long passages, cruisers on their boats, locals, and the crusty ole bearded sailors telling tall tales. Staniel Cay is unusual because it is out in the middle of nowhere. In Jay's case, he overhears a conversation at the far corner of the bar from guys flying helicopters. As those of you who know Jay, he was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, so naturally his ears perked up. Turns out there are parts of our government flying helicopters around this part of the Caribbean watching boat traffic. Umm...wonder what they are looking for? It's that kind of place. Very cool.

Staniel Cay is the hub of the Exumas, right in the middle of the 100 mile chain of beautiful islands. After 4 days in the Exuma Land and Sea Park with no cell and no internet, Shelley and I were in major withdrawal to re-connect with the world. For me, I rely on the internet to get my weather forecasts, which we have really needed down here. Shelley, well she needs it for her mental sanity. We got both at Staniel Cay. Again, the water is still beautiful, the beaches are a soft white sand, and of course Thunderball cave. Yes, just 300 yards off the marina is the cave that James Bond saved the world in from another villain. From a distance the rock looks like a thousand others around these islands. But you can tie the ding to a small mooring and snorkel under a ledge full of fish. The cave is 50 ft. wide and maybe 80 long, and your can snorkel out the other side. The top is open to sunlight which gives it a magical appearance as shafts of light come down into the water inside the cave. Century's of waves have knocked the sides in and blown out the top, as the water rushes into the cave. Coral is everywhere.

Shelley and I snorkeled it at low slack tide so it was easier to get into the cave, and the current did not rush you out the other side. Unfortuantely it was a cloudy day and we did not take any photos. We went back for one of the few hours that the sun has been shining over the last 3 weeks, but it was high tide and it was a rushing river. No way we were getting in that water. Here are some shots:

See the snorkeler