Allan’s Cay

From Nassua we embarked on an overnight trip to Allan’s Cay in the Exuma Cays.  The Exuma Cays are an almost unbroken chain of approximately 365 cays that span about 100 nautical miles. They are sparsely populated and a significant portion of the cays are included in the Exuma Cays Land and Seas Park, a area set aside 60 years ago for replenishment and nursery.  

Arrived in the later afternoon in Allan’s Cay, dropped our anchor, and immediately pumped up the Spikkle and headed in to shore.  As soon as we arrived on the beach creatures slowly started appearing out of the undergrowth and heading towards us. They were large and lizard-like and moved their chainmail legs with amazing grace giving their bodies a low swaying motion. The Allan’s Cay group has one of the  remaining habitats of rock iguanas in the Bahamas. Although there are several signs that instruct visitors not to feed the iguanas most people seem to ignore the signs and therefore the iguanas are not afraid of people and come very close.  On our best visit we were surrounded by 15 of them.  Each one of them with a unique and interesting face reflecting a great deal (we thought) of their personality. 

A dinghy safari (rowing) the next day took us to Flat Rock Reef where Seb and I had a great snorkel.  Neither Emma of Macsen were interested in swimming or snorkelling at the reef but the water was clear enough to allow them to see some of the coral and fish from the dinghy.  We rowed (2 nautical miles) around the cay and settled for a nice lunch on our own private beach. Macsen, Emma and I wandered back across the cay amongst the iguanas while Seb rowed around alone.  I decided to swim back to the boat in the company of a huge ray with Seb and the monkeys paddling along beside in the dinghy.  Emma and Macsen finally decided to enter the water as we approached the boat and the three of us swam the final lap to the Pjotter together.  It was great to be back in warm weather and exploring nature again. So far the Exumas is a great success!