Warderick Wells-the trek to Boo Boo Hill.

The Exuma Cay Land and Sea Park is a national park system in the Exuma Islands.  It encompasses many cays (pronounced keys) in the Exumas, and there is no fishing, shelling or taking of any kind permitted.  The park office is located on Warderick Wells Cay, and there are several mooring balls available for overnight stays.  One has to contact the park on channel  9 to be placed on a waiting list, and at 9:00 AM each day, the warden announces if one has a ball, and if so, where.  We were lucky and received a ball in the north mooring field, which is protected from all directions.  We spent two nights there, and explored the walking paths, and snorkeled the reefs.  The locals are really trying to maintain the park, and prevent private development, but some of the cays have been sold by the government to private individuals, much to the dismay of the locals, and boaters alike.  The park is a special place, and we enjoyed our stay there.  We have met different boaters, and run across them at different times.  Most all boaters are helpful, and lend a hand when needed.  Below are pics of our stay at Warderick Wells, but we had to leave to get to Staniel Cay for Alexis’ flight out on Thursday.  There is another front approaching, and the winds are predicted to be from the west.  West winds cause havoc here as most anchorages are exposed to the west.  We were scheduled to stay at the marina on Staniel Cay, but it closes with a west wind.  We were fortunate to score a slip in Compass Cay Marina; which is protected from all winds.  From there, a local will take Alexis to Staniel via a back route in an outboard, to catch her flight.  One of the benefits of no land to the west is the breathtaking sunsets.  On clear days, when the sun sets on the Bahama Banks, there is a green flash right as the sun goes down, similar to the aurora borealis.  The water colors here are simply indescribable!  These are pics from the park.  

The park office.

Boo Boo hill is the highest point in the park, and haunted.  The story is that there was a terrible shipwreck and all souls perished off the hill.  On moonlit nights, one can hear the wailing of the dead!

,

Boo Boo hill.

Our anchorage from atop the hill.

Exuma Bank on the left, Atlantic to right.

It is custom for boaters to leave a marker atop Boo Boo hill, as it is a journey few make.

Diving from the dinghy. The park has dinghy moorings on reefs to snorkel and dive.  No taking, even for Cajuns! 

The sunsets are fantastic.