Another day in Paradise

Off from Hawksbill to our favorite Exumas National Land and Sea Park, Warderick Wells.  But first, a good mopping of the decks to wash away the previous day’s salt. It is humid here – I mean humid.  Between my clammy hands and the moisture in my bamboo knitting needles, knitting is almost impossible.  The boat has such a layer of dew in the early morning that it’s easy to wash her down.  Luke had to squeeze out the mop after every few feet.  Lotsa water!

 

My captain and crew needed lunch en route to Warderwick Wells …

 

Ahhh….we love this place.  It doesn’t get much more beautiful than this.  That is Latitudes, sitting at her mooring in the channel of deep blue water (about 10 feet deep).  The rest of the mooring field is very shallow – great for snorkeling, especially at low tide!

 

Not only is it humid, it is hot.  Hotter than I remembered.  We have shades up to block the direct sun, as well as a “breeze booster” to help funnel wind into the bowels of the boat.  It helps but not enough on a day like today when there is almost no wind.  The sun is intense. Our solar panels love it!

Friends Mimi and Otto were here for 2 days, along with a daughter and granddaughter.  We had Happy Hour one night and played cards the next.  I won! We really enjoy catching up with friends as we cruise.

 Off for a walk on the shallows at low tide.  Luke and Lats!

And what is this, hiding in this tiny shell?

 

It’s a little hermit crab checking to see if my fingers are edible – and if you think those teeny little pinchers don’t hurt, you are wrong!  Look carefully – you can see his tiny blue eyes.

 

A little conch, awaiting the returning tide.  He, too, is peeping at us – note the one eye near the bottom right of the picture (it looks like a whirly-gig).

 

And rays!  Beautiful, huge Eagle Rays.  This is a large one – the one we don’t have a picture of has about  an 8 foot “wing span” and a 10 foot tail.  Gorgeous!

 

This sweet little bird is locally called a Sugar Bird - for good reason.  The first year we came to Warderick Wells, we were greeted as we entered the anchorage by several of them, landing on the boat and fluttering about.  What we didn't know is that they were looking for sugar handouts.  The park used to keep a big hanging bowl of sugar for them at all times and there were dozens of them about.  The park no longer "feeds the wildlife" and there are very few of the Sugar Birds.  Probably all died of sugar overdose anyway!

 

A walk before lunch and the heat of the day took us to Boo Boo hill.  A shipload of missionaries wrecked near here and all perished.  It is said that at night you can hear their cries.  We don’t go up at night… anyway, the cruisers all leave a piece of driftwood with the boat name, some elaborate, some not, to ask for good weather and fair winds.  Yes, we left one several years ago.  The stack is growing…

Inside Latitudes, I heard the sound of a very close airplane!  Couldn’t be! Oh, yes, it was.  A seaplane was landing in the shallows and motoring just past Latitudes.  For a mere $700/hr, you too can have a tour of the park or whatever your heart desires.

 

Late in the afternoon we took the dinghy for a nice ride to some of the other areas of the park.  Nice beach, but the bugs were coming out and this did not last too long!

 

On Saturday we again set out early for our walk.  Here is the dry creek leading out to the anchorage – Latitudes in the distance.  The water here is about 1-2 feet deep at high tide.  All of the mangrove plants are eagerly awaiting the returning tide, I’m sure.

 

Our favorite – and only – bridge in Warderick Wells, crossing a shallow pond at low tide.

 

It’s changing – the march of the mangroves has taken over about half of what used to be pond from only 2 years ago.   You can’t see them, but the pond is filled with a school of small fish, hundreds and hundreds of them, waiting for the incoming tide.

 

Every year we see a Southern Stingray here, burrowed in the sand.  Sure enough, there was one in the pond today.  Don’t know how long they live – and I don’t have much access to Google right now – but it would be interesting to know if it could possibly be the same one from 7 years ago.

 

 

No wooden bridges here – this is typical of the “walkway” around the park.

 

Lucky Beach.   On our first trip to the Exumas, we scattered a few of my brother’s ashes here – he would have loved it and we wanted to share it with him. It is a special place now.

 

A cairn, making the end of a trail at another beach.  Look carefully….

Did you see this rascal perched on top of his throne?  He’s one of MANY Curly-tail lizards living on the islands.

 

One more shot of our beautiful, tropical anchorage.  Tomorrow we plan to leave Warderick Wells and go to another area of the Exumas Land and Sea Park.  We won’t have internet, but will take pictures for later.