I couldn’t wait to get to Staniel Cay to see the swimming pigs. We had a nice crossing and arrived at Big Majors Anchorage. We set the anchor and we are in a very popular spot with lots of boats. Comfort in numbers. Everyone comes here for protection of the weather and winds. First up was getting the dingy down and going into town and lunch at the famous Staniel Cay Yacht club. The marina is nothing special. I expected much more. I wanted to go to the marina verses anchoring out (as you can tell by now, I am not a fan) but when I saw it I realized it wasn’t worth the exorbitant costs. We watched the nurse sharks get petted by the tourists and had a nice lunch. We heard this was a spot to get groceries. We started walking only to find a shack with some basic stuff, mayonnaise and can goods, but no fresh foods, except a lime and a few potatoes. Thankfully, I really didn’t need much but I was looking forward to a real store. No such luck. I had also read that this little settlement was home to local artists and crafters. I saw nothing! No stores, no artists. I saw an expensive shirt at the yacht club, and that was it! I am a bit disappointed. Maybe we hit it on an off day. There were plenty of boaters and customers. Who knows. I was looking forward to some cool art or something to remember this trip by. I do have lots of pictures and that will have to do.
The pigs are fun but they are a real tourist attraction. Boats full of tourist crowd the beach and feed them and the pigs put on a show chasing after them. If your not careful you will get bit. We noticed a real hierarchy amoungst them as well. Several larger ones took command and the smaller ones waited until it was ok to approach. Pig politics. There is a new litter and we saw little babies suckling and a very tired mama. I can cross this off my bucket list for sure.
Next we went to Thunderbowl Grotto. The famous scene of the James Bond Movie. We went at low tide so it was easy to get into without diving under the rocks. LOTS of tourists. Lots of foreign language. It was cool. I am glad I went in. As you enter the grotto you are greeted by a huge school of sergeant majors. The cave had a lot of fish life considering all the people kicking around. They didn’t seem to mind and actually swam up very close appearing to be checking you out. Maybe they are used to people but they were very friendly. The cave was cool and once inside the center, you look up and can see the narrow opening that some people jump thru. There are stalagtites and the rock formation was formed by years of water. Again, cross it off the list.
Later in the afternoon we found a couple Looper boats in this anchorage. We found them gathered on the beach at cocktail hour. We went over and introduced ourselves. Everyone has stories. We are all going in different directions. Some staying longer then others. Some going North, some South. We all share the common thread of exploration. I have to admit that meeting them and talking about their experience, adds a little to my anxiety. It makes me question our decisions about where to go, where to anchor, what the weather is doing, etc….. It’s nice to have these discussions but, again, this is OUR trip and we are ultimately responsible for our choices. It’s tough some days. Do we move further North or have we gone far enough and is it time to turn around???? I’ll let you know in the next post. Right now we are at anchor. The boat is swinging but NOT rolling. It is windy but our anchor is holding. The wind is howling through my porthole. The anchor alarm is set. I am tucking into my cabin. I hope the creeks and cracks of the boat rocking side to side and the lines rubbing as it moves does not keep us awake. Just another day in paradice. Where to next??
Adventures Of Aquaman 