“The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
Jacques Cousteau, the French ocean explorer
For those of you around our age, you may remember watching “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.” This series, which aired from 1968 to 1976, introduced viewers to the breathtaking undersea world. As children, we eagerly anticipated each episode. Cousteau pioneered ocean protection, recognizing that “For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive; in this century, he is beginning to realize that, to survive, he must protect it.”
Our journey to Highbourne Cay marked over 1,100 nautical miles of sailing since we left Hampton, VA, in the chilly November weather. After nearly two months aboard Kailoa, we feel entirely at home. With bright sunlight and gentle winds, the aquamarine water captivated us from Nassau to the Exumas. Upon our arrival at Highbourne Cay, we were immediately struck by the pristine beaches and the school of nurse sharks that gathered at the end of the fisherman’s dock, waiting for scraps from the daily catch.
Highbourne Cay is a mega yacht destination, and we were astonished by the wealth and privilege of the guests there. Traveling by boat is the only way to experience many Exuma Cays. We spotted as many as six one-hundred-foot yachts, each staffed with captains and full crews reminiscent of the TV series “Below Deck.” These yachts spare no expense in travel, fuel consumption, and the associated waste generated while catering to guests. In contrast, we consume less than a gallon of fuel per hour under sail, while these yachts consume over 200 times that amount. There are no pump- out facilities here, so human waste goes directly overboard. We even learned from one careless captain who, after colliding with a coral reef in shallow waters, lost a propeller. When cruising at 11 knots, there’s no reason to cut through the banks, yet many do to save time. The extreme luxury of the billionaires’ lifestyle is astonishing, underscoring the ecological toll this industry inflicts on nature for the pleasure of a select few.
Despite this, the cay was exceptionally well managed, and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay, using bikes and golf carts to explore its pristine beauty. The marina office provided hand-drawn maps to help guide visitors, which were helpful since there was no cell service. The full Wolf Moon illuminated the clear sky as we walked up the hill to the restaurant on our first night. We captured photos of the moon rising above the sea through a coral-lined path, thinking of our families far across the ocean and wishing they could share the view with us. Afterward, we indulged in a delicious dinner at the
Xuma restaurant.
We snorkeled at three different locations the next day. The first was by DA Spring, where we saw plenty of little fish, a conch, and a sea turtle. The second was at Stromatolite Reef on the east side. We hiked to a third spot called Elkhorn Reef to the northeast. The windless, sunny day created ideal conditions as we meandered through the coral heads. Being the only ones on the beach added to the magic of the purple and yellow coral gardens and the variety of barracuda, snappers, parrots, angels, and butterflies.
Hawksbill Cay, our second stop in the Exumas, is an entirely uninhabited Island that marks the northern boundary of the Exuma Land and Sea Park. This is not a superyacht destination, and we appreciated the Bahamas National Trust’s efforts to preserve the ecology and wilderness experience (see about the Land and Sea Park).
After arriving at our mooring by noon, we explored the uninhabited island by dinghy. Our first stop was to deposit $22.50 in the honor system pay station, which looked like a mailbox with a metal slot to deposit cash. Next, we checked out Rocker Point, which was to the south, where we were in awe of the white sand and beautiful water. After a brief tour, we headed north past the ruins rock and found Smuggler Cave, identified on the hand-drawn map. We also made a short stop at Ruins Beach and hiked up to the bluff that marked the location of a former 1785 settlement. Chicken soup and biscuits brought the comforts of home that night as we watched the sunset, barely believing we were in this beautiful, inhabited place with only a few widely spaced sailboats.
Our third stop is Warderick Wells, the headquarters of Exuma Land and Sea Park. The inner mooring field is surrounded by a circle of cays, providing 360° protection. At low tide, the inner circle reveals an exposed sandbar. The shallow inner circle of clear water has a light blue hue, while the deeper waters surrounding it darken, creating a vista of blue and aquamarine shades. The main office had maps detailing the various features of the island. On the first day, we hiked along the Causeway Trail, crossed the Causeway Bridge to the Hutia Highway, and visited Boo Boo Beach. The islands are composed of limestone, coral reefs, and sand that was once submerged under the ocean during the Pleistocene epoch (2.6 million to 11,000 years ago). The karst surface of the land made for challenging hiking in some areas due to its uneven texture and hollows. The ecological diversity of the island’s flora, which transitions through a variety of pristine habitats—including mangroves, upland jungles, and high dunes—over a relatively small area is remarkable. The trails were well-marked and included kiosks explaining the habitat and vegetation. Near the end of our hike, we discovered an enormous pile of driftwood at the top of Boo Boo Hill. That night, a squall passed through with strong winds and swaying that made it hard to sleep, and we were relieved to be on a mooring.
Curiosity drove us to research online to understand the meaning behind the name Boo Boo and the wood pile. Legend has it that Boo Boo Hill got its name because it is haunted by the souls of a ship that went missing in the reefs nearby. During one stormy night, their boat disappeared, with all souls lost. Some say the ship sank with every passenger on board, while others claim the bodies lie buried under the hill. People have reported hearing the spirits singing in the howling wind on moonlit nights. It has now become a tradition for visitors to leave a piece of driftwood inscribed with the name of their ship. This act is seen as an offering to Neptune and the other sea gods for good sailing and safe passage. You can bet we will add our own piece of driftwood with the name Kailoa before we leave.
On the second day, we took our snorkeling gear to several locations in the mooring field. We scheduled our snorkeling expedition for the morning slack high tide but encountered quite a challenging current. We plan to make a second attempt on the afternoon of the third day during slack low tide.
Some may wonder how we manage food in these remote areas. Before we left port, we stocked the boat with 50 days’ worth of dry and canned goods. When we reach a cay with a store, we replenish perishables like eggs, bread, vegetables,and fruit. We received fresh mahi from one of the local fishermen and purchased lobster tails. One night, we mixed the lobster into a fresh salad, which was delicious. We found a recipe for bread in one of Scott’s father’s books titled “So You Want to Sail Around the World” by Alan Eddy. Eddy was the first person to circumnavigate the globe in a fiberglass sailboat named Apogee. The boat was a Seawind ketch, the same make as the boat Scott sailed with his father. The recipe called for 1 1/2 cups of seawater, 1 tablespoon of sugar, a similar amount of dried yeast, and four cups of flour. It can be cooked on a stove in a saucepan or a pressure cooker. Of course, Scott made the bread, and we grilled the mahi. Scott has perfected the art of grilling fish. All this is to say that we recognize we wouldn’t be here without our parents instilling a love for the sea and adventure in us.
After spending a long time living on Kailoa, we struggle to find words to describe the beauty of nature and the peace that comes from feeling the air and hearing the sea. This experience has given us a profound inner calm that we have never known before.
Our current plan is to leave Warderick Wells tomorrow and spend two nights at anchor in Black Point Harbor. The weather forecast for Friday is extreme, with gusts in the 30 knot range. We have secured a slip in Emerald Bay to ride out the storm.
Kailoa Signing off!
Leave a Reply