Staniel Cay – Exuma

To my handfull of dear reader(s) out there (aka Krystal), please forgive my delay!  All these delayed postings are for the birds I tell ya!

This post will wrap up the long and drawn out honeymoon saga because Staniel Cay was the last place we visited in the Bahamas — aside from Nassau, which I honestly don’t feel is worth my time to post.  Perhaps we just didn’t go to the right places in Nassau?  I don’t know, but I’m going with a thumbs down on Nassau.

However, Staniel Cay was a treat!

You’ll remember from my previous posting many moons ago that Staniel Cay was the place we weren’t able to land earlier in the week due to the strong crosswind.  Luck on our side, we landed smoothly.  Yay for Captain Dirk!

We soon discovered why Staniel Cay is a favorite among private pilots, yacht owners and normal folk like ourselves.  First, a famous part the 1965 James Bond, Thunderball was filmed here.  You know, the grotto scene?  Don’t worry.  I didn’t know it either.  And I think I’m off the hook since the movie was made long before my birth.

The grotto looks like a big rock from afar, but once you swim underneath it you find yourself inside an enchanting cave.  Spectacular snorkeling here!  It was like being in an aquarium!  Too bad the pictures don’t do it justice.

In addition to the grotto, Staniel has an island of iguanas.  You arrive by boat at a beach on a desserted looking island and just before you turn around to leave because you think there’s nothing to see, suddenly these enormous iguanas appear out of nowhere.  And I’m not just talking about one or two lone iguanas, I’m talking about an army of iguanas!

Staniel Cay is also home to swimming pigs!  We had heard that if we went to see the swimming pigs that we should get a bag of scraps from the kitchen because the pigs are hungry.  Sure enough we stopped the boat in the water about 30 feet from the beach and out came the pigs!  They swam right up to the boat oinking, grunting and snorting the whole way.  This was actually a little freaky to me.  I mean, the pigs are cute and all, but it is just so bizarre!  Right?

Dull moments are rare in a place with so many unique spectacles.  Now we understand why so many people suggested Staniel Cay as a must see on our tour through the Bahamas.