O’Brien’s Cay (Jan 26 – 29) & the Sea Aquarium

just another Bahamian sunset

After taking advantage of WiFi service ($$$) at Exuma Park, we departed for a short 3 hr. sail to O’Briens Cay, reaching it mid afternoon. We weren’t there more than 15 min. when we recognized a couple of dinghies and their occupants… Rob & Serena from Vita, Guillaume & Gwen from Slow Waltz, and Dave & Jane from Romana, were on their way to snorkel at a couple of nearby sites. So, we jumped in our own dinghy to go and say hi. Big mistake. Let me qualify that statement… it was not a big mistake going to say hi to our friends; but it was a big mistake jumping in the dinghy. Gil’s back had been ‘tender,’ and that dinghy ride just did his back in L.

Gil did not get off the boat for the entire time we were anchored at O’Briens Cay. He was confined to Sick Bay, nursing his back. Pain killers, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, bed rest and a few stretches consumed his days there. He was listing to starboard (bent over to his right side) for the first couple of days; couldn’t sit; ‘it was painful to watch.

I, on the other hand, was able to go snorkeling J   There are three snorkeling sites near here. From our boat, I was able to swim to the “Chunky Monkey” site (I have no idea where that name came from); and our friends were good enough to come by and pick me up to go to the (natural) Sea Aquarium and Airplane Reef sites. There was an amazing variety of fish and corals amongst these sites: a sea turtle (with a sucker fish hitching a ride on its’ shell), rays, barracuda, sergeant majors, angel fish, trigger fish, lion fish, wrasses, a grouper, a needle nose fish, and many others that I haven’t yet learned to identify. Still no sharks seen J, but no lobsters yet either L.

that's me - Rob captured this shot with his GoPro

 sergeant majors are everywhere

triggerfish - the camera doesn't capture his colours

Gil received an email from a friend back home who has been following our blog, and has been envious of our snorkelling adventures, and so decided to try it in Canadian water....

snorkelling is definitely better in the Bahamas