Abaco Island - Boating

On Abaco Island, we spent a couple days "on the water".  First we went fishing with Captain Lowe.  We started in the Sea of Abaco, where Scott and Julie both caught fish, then moved out into the ocean.  This particular day was after an evening of rain and wind, so the Sea of Abaco was a little choppy, making the ocean quite a bit more.

                                                         Tom enjoying the morning

                                                     Scott working on the rod....

                                                                  Caught this snapper

                                                              Here is the fish Julie caught

For lunch we went into Little Harbour, and had, as per every day, a wonderful meal.  

                                                          t shirts hanging from the ceiling

                                                                       

                                                       

                                                                  Group Picture

Then all but me ventured out again for an afternoon of fishing.  The rough water in the morning was enough for my inner ear.  Everyone caught something in the afternoon and we enjoyed a feast of fish grilled to perfection by Scott that evening.

A few days later, we chartered a different boat and went Cay Hopping.  The water was really calm and we started out the morning checking out the Abaco coastline.

Here is where Day of the Dolphin with George C Scott was filmed

                                               Here is Sea Glass (right) from the other side of the Turtle Rocks

 This island was created when the channel was dredged so cruise ships could go through

                                                              We got out and walked around a bit

Then made our way to Great Guana Cay into Bakers Bay.

                                                    quiet view of the Marina.

                                                  Then got back on board

                                                 and went around to a different part of the cay..

                                                                          

                                                    got off the boat and walked to get lunch

                                           Tree on Right, Poisonwood Tree, Tree on Left the Antidote Tree

                                                           Nippers Bar & Grill
                                  

                                                           Then after lunch, another group picture


Walked back to the boat, (left my sunglasses in the gift shop :-(   oh well)  and then made our way to Man-O-War Cay, where we stopped at the Canvas store right on the marina. In this small store they make all the canvas totes on the premises.  Of course I bought one!

Then onto Hope Town, in Elbow Cay where we all got an ice cream cone and then walked up the famous Red and White lighthouse.   (sorry pictures coming later)

Here's the group, close up and personal during the vacation

It was a wonderful day on the water and a wonderful week in Abaco!

Abaco Blue Holes'

In August, 2010, National Geographic had a cover story with great pictures of "Bahamas Blue Holes, Dive into Beauty, Danger and Discover."  Well we know what a Blue Hole is, though you probably don't..so we can have a little class time, to learn something new....but first let's describe how we get to one.
First we went into Spanky's liquor store in Treasure Cay, then drive south on the main road, turn left onto a  very straight gravel road and go a long long way, then where the demolition derby cars are parked, turn left again, now on a dirt road and go until it ends.  Why would you need street names, geez, when those instructions are so specific.

Here is the dirt road, how unusual for an attraction to be off the beaten road, with no markers, and no indication of what it is.

See down the side..jagged rocks

Joe, just sitting on the side.

Class time:
Blue Holes are typically sinkholes, that are 80 to 330 feet deep.  The walls of these holes usually are filled with stalactites and columns. and there are usually caves or caverns as well.  They have magnificent colors, like blue, aqua, red and orange.  At a depth of 30 to 36 feet, first there is a bacteria layer, and then a colorless layer of poisonous hydrogen sulfide gas is present.  There is a thin lens of fresh water - supplied by rainfall- on top of a denser layer of salt water.  As a living labratory, inland Blue Holes are compared on the scientific level to Tut't tomb and from a diver's view they are like climbing Mount Everest.  Special divers have gone down and found skeleton bones intact, of mammals no longer living in the Bahamas.  Divers move through the hydrogen sulfide gas level with speed, extremely careful not to run out of air, nor do they want to disturb even one of the stalagmite forest columns which have been there for tens of thousands of years.

So within 3 minutes of getting out of the car, Tracey jumps right in.  Scott follows along with Kelly.   I work my way in.

                                                             slowly, well it is just a bit nippy!

                                                      Finally... I just swim in.

                                                             and poise for a picture with Tracey.

We were not afraid of the poisonous layer, since we were not diving, nor expecting to go down 30 feet.

I found in a booklet that there are other Blue Holes on Abaco Island,  in Saw Mill Sink, Dan's Blue Hole, Owl's Blue Hole, Ralph's Sink, Nancy's Blue Hole, Far Side Blue Hole, Last Reel Blue Hole, besides the Treasure Cay Blue Hole that we enjoyed swimming in.  I don't know where these places are but if you were interested in finding them, I am sure any of the dive shops on the island would be able to give you specific information.

Super Dooper!

Abaco Island: entertainment

First you can enjoy the pool...

or as the guys did here, you can sit and enjoy the ocean view...

or you can have someone remove something from your foot while enjoying the hot tub

or snorkel out to one of the Turtle Islands.

 The water is so shallow you can actually walk out, the water is calm and so clear.  Then go to the other side and observe a huge amount of different kinds of fish.  Pictures of those colorful fish were taken on a underwater camera, and will be posted at a later date, I hope.
You can enjoy a local brew, Kalik...or of course most restaurants have a signature drink that is oh, so tasty!

Enjoy the sunset at the Marsh Harbor Marina.

We found a shallow inlet, and then walked out to a sand bar in Treasure Cay.

More to come......

Great Abaco Island

Kelly and Tracey pick us up from the airport and whisk us away to our first of many fantastic meals.  On the way we noticed two things,

                                       They drive on the wrong side of the road here, and

                                         some areas of the island were experiencing wild fires.

                                                                    
       Not to worry the local fire department makes sure no structures burn.  Wildfires happen
         every year in somewhere on the island, it destroys mass areas of dry vegetation, and the next year plants grow back.  The ash is also beneficial to the soil.
So, smoke aside, its time for dinner.  We went to Wally's and I had a Wally drink and grilled breaded Lobster.  Absolutely Wonderful!

After a few laughs, a few drinks and splitting a few desserts, we went onto Sea Glass, Kelly and Tracey's home, and next door is their villas of Palmetta Beach, where we would be staying in this week.

 We put on our swimsuits and tried out the hot tub, a great way to end the day.

After falling asleep to the sound of the ocean, we all woke up refreshed and ready for anything.

Here is the balcony that leads out of the door in our room:

and the rest of our  villa

and the view of the ocean from our balcony

and the beach

Sea Glass

and more beach

and the surrounding area

                                                         and more beach, ( I think you get the picture...)

                                                       lots of mollusks in the tidal pool

                                                                   and birds on the iron rock.

                                                            and us, enjoying the morning walk.



                                                     

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