Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park

We left our anchorage at Norman's Cut on Thursday with Tide Hiker, Gypsies in the Palace, and Life's2Short for The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park about 2 hours South. Each time we move South it just gets more and more beautiful. The Land and Sea Park is 176 square miles and is the first land and sea park in the world. The park is filled with coral reefs, hiking trails, and pristine beaches. We are anchored in the South anchorage with Tide Hiker and Gypsies in the Palace and have the whole South anchorage to ourselves. Our days have been filled with swimming and playing at the beaches, hiking the trails, exploring in Half Note, and gathering each evening with our fellow cruisers at sunset for dinner on one of the boats. Last night was pizza night on September Song. Today we are going to try to go to the park office and read our mail, post to the blog, check out some of the reefs and then gather on the beach for dinner and sunset.The area is said to be haunted and on moonlit nights you can hear a congregation singing hymns. After the singing stops you can hear them calling to one another. The anchorage we are in was a favorite spot to hide for Pirates who would prey on ships using Wide Open cut to cross to the Bahama Banks. Some of the more famous were Edward Teach, AKA Blackbeard, Mary Read, and Anne Bonny, the "Lady Pirates" of the early 1700's. We plan on spending a few days here in the park as there are tons of things to do and lots to explore.
Because of limits on the amount of data that can be uploaded from here, some of our pictures will have to wait until we get to another area.
September Song (can you hear the singing?) out
Bob

Update April 20th,
I hope you enjoy the pictures. Tomorrow we are leaving for Cambridge Cay where we will anchor for two days for some diving and exploring.I'm sorry I don't have an underwater camera that I can download from so you will have to wait for the underwater pictures until I canget them put onto a disc.It's time to hike up to Boo Boo Hill to put our sign up with the rest of the cruisers. You will see what I mean on the next blog.
September Song (headed for Boo Boo) out
Bob

YA!!! Pictures

Me at the top of the hill next to the navigational Cairn

My love at the top

Waves washing against the rocks

The same time on the calm side. what a difference

The group on one of the trails

Stephanie on our hike to one of the Cairns

Waves against the ocean side of Hog Cay

sharing the pie

In the belly of the whale

View of September Song from the hill in the South anchorage in the Exuma Land and Sea Park

52 foot whale skeleton

The Vanna of the spread

We do eat well!

Stephanie made a pie and as the custom we just pass it around and use our own forks

The view from our anchorage

Sleeping, or should I say passed out on the front deck after a long day at the beach

Beach pot luck

Conch salad. YUM! Todd caught them

Burning up the keys

Front porch at McDuff's

Early dinner at McDuff's

Stephanie reading e-mail at McDuff's

Our greeter

The bathroom at McDuff's. Flip the sign in the tree when in use

Open air bathroom