Bahamas Bliss
October-November 2003
This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD
by Nick Jones
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4 km-long beach of powder white sand on South Exuma Island. |
When Betty Wise from Starfish Tours in the Bahamas asked me if I wanted to rent wetsuits for my group given that the water was ‘only’ 70°F (26°C) in March, I knew it was going to be a great trip.
The Exuma Cays are one of the major island groups of the Bahamas. The numerous cays stretch out in a 100 kilometre chain, running northwest to southeast, just north and east of Cuba, an easy one hour flight from Miami.
The smaller islands and hundreds of sand bars stretch towards the northeast and are ideal for sea kayaking. Exuma’s main islands are located at the southeastern end of the chain and are home to the 3000+ inhabitants of the islands and the main city of Georgetown. The feeling you get visiting Exuma is similar to that of a small resort town somewhere in cottage country—everyone knows and/or is related to each other.
We flew from Toronto to Miami, then took a smaller plane to Exuma, total travel time about seven hours. We arrived mid-afternoon on Saturday with plenty of time to explore Georgetown and enjoy some tasty local cuisine and cold drinks. We spent the night at a hilltop B&B run by Peter and Betty Oxley.
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Tara enjoying the sun and clear water. |
The kayak trip, organized through Starfish Adventure Centre in Georgetown (run by Betty Wise and team), started early on Sunday morning. We were picked up at the B&B and driven to a beach at the north end of the Big Exuma Island where we met our guide, Douglas, talked about our route and packed our boats.
It’s hard to describe the pristine beaches on Exuma. Even at our launch point, the sand stretched out of sight on both sides— the finest white sand any of us had ever seen.
As we set out, we received our first taste of what was to come—crystal clear water, sunshine and beautiful blue skies. Our first stop was a cay about an hour’s paddle away. We set up camp and went for a swim, then helped our guide prepare dinner. The day ended with an exquisite sunset, mugs of rum and juice and a fine meal heavily peppered with local Bahamian hot sauce.
It was at this point that the weather rolled in off the water and we experienced what the locals later told us were the heaviest rains they had seen at this time of year in many years. By midnight, the rain was being driven horizontally across the small island. Our tents began leaking badly and there was a real risk our tent poles would snap under the pressure of the gale force winds.
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Map courtesy of Damianos Real Estate: www.damianos.com |
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Luckily, the sky cleared by morning and we spent the day drying out and day-tripping to a nearby island for some snorkelling. Given the weather of the night before, the sun, sand and crystal clear water seemed even sweeter. In some spots, it felt like we were swimming in a warm bath!
Douglas guided us along the rocky shore of the island and pointed out puffer fish, trumpet fish and numerous different types of coral and sponges, as well as the everpresent conch on the sea floor.
Although we weathered one more night of spectacular thunderstorms, Tuesday brought clear skies and warm winds again as we headed off to our second campsite. On route we detoured to Barraterra, a small town at the end of the road on the northwest end of Big Exuma Island. As we paddled towards the town, the black shapes of rays floated over the vast sand banks beneath our kayaks.
There isn’t much at Barraterra beyond a radio antenna, a giant Norfolk Pine and the Fisherman’s Inn perched on a small rise. We stopped for lunch (fried chicken, conch and grouper) and a few frosty cold Kaliks beer and rum punches, enjoying the view of the turquoise ocean from the shaded deck. The beauty of the scene was enhanced by thefact there was not a boat in sight—a rare scene in the world today.
After lunch we paddled with the wind at our backs to a small island with a remarkable, triangular wedge of pristine sand stretching out into the water. Full of sunshine, cold Kalik and fine local food, we swam, basked in the sun and soaked up the beauty of this unspoiled corner of the Caribbean. Most of the group went snorkelling and Douglas set off to catch some conch. That night we enjoyed a fresh salad of conch, onions, tomatoes, lime juice and local spices. Combined with the sunset and the rum in our drinks, dinner was as fine as it gets.
A highlight of the Caribbean is the lack of light pollution, similar to the west coast of Vancouver Island or Lake Superior. Late evening strolls were rewarded with spectacular vistas of stars, the Milky Way an almost solid arc over our heads.
Day four arrived with cloudless skies and calm waters—a rare occurrence given the steady Easterly winds which blow in from the Atlantic—enabling us to paddle along the windward side of the islands. Unlike the previous days, this was much deeper, darker water, skirting a fantastically jagged limestone shoreline with large overhangs eroded by the salt water.
By noon we had paddled back into the protection of the islands and the beautiful shallow waters to which we had become accustomed. We also faced the challenge of a fast tide sweeping out to sea. But soon we were on a beach enjoying a well deserved lunch and swim in the Caribbean sun.
That afternoon brought us to another highlight of the trip: the Perry Marine Sciences Facility on Lee Stocking Island, used by scientists from around the world as a base to conduct marine research. The manager gave us a tour and showed us Sargasso fish that had been recently captured for study. These are tiny marine animals, which mimic the appearance of seaweed, normally only live in the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic, so were a special treat to see.
Our final evening was spent on another incredible white sand beach, enjoying fine food, drinks and the nightly wonder of a Caribbean sunset.
Thursday, our last day, was a leisurely end to our kayak trip. We lingered around the campsite after breakfast, swam, read and napped in the shade before slowly paddling back to our pickup spot.
Thursday night and Friday, before flying home, we spent enjoying Georgetown’s local restaurants, window shopping at the ‘straw market’ in the main square, and daytripping (via automobile) down to the southeastern end of the big islands.
If you are looking for great paddling in stunning surroundings, the Exumas are definitely a top choice. The friendly nature of the local population also makes it a very enjoyable place to spend a couple of days being a tourist, before or after kayaking.
© Nick Jones is an interactive business consultant based in Toronto, Ontario (www.jones.ca). He and partner Tara actively kayak in Georgian Bay and have paddled Lake Superior, Baja and the Bahamas.
Exumas:
• www.bahamas.com/islands/exuma/ index.html
Exumas Marine Park:
Conch:
• www.bahamaswildlife.fsnet.co.uk/conch.htm
Starfish Adventure Center:
• www.exuma-bahamas.com/starfish/ mainpage.html
Coral Gardens B&B:
• www.bahamasbliss.com/index.htm.
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