Log 13: Dodging Sharks, Finding Dinner, & Island Hoping South

After a wonderful time hanging out near Oven Rock and Little Farmer’s Cay, Exumas, we pick up anchor and head out to what will turn out to be a whirlwind of island hopping.

First stop, Rudder Cut Cay, one of the small private islands owned by famed magician David Copperfield, where an underwater statue, a life-sized mermaid leaned on a bench next to a grand piano, sits sparkling from its metal material shining through resting algae. Named The Musician, Mr. Copperfield commissioned the artwork from Jason DeCaires Taylor. (Watch your fingers, venomous lionfish have no problem lingering here either). We goof-off taking photos with it, and I continue to enjoy finding more unique caves to play in.

We then sail to Prime Cay (also sometimes called Young Island). At this point, we have officially run out of meat on the boat. We made it stretch with meatless meals, but we started to crave protein. So, we gear up again and see if we can find any food for the evening.

S/V Allure tells us there’s a deep trench that they saw large fish in, but also say it felt “sharky.” Hmm… worth a peek? We motor Scout that way after an unfruitful first stop. We arrive, and I peer down into the darkly shadowed deep trench. “Nope. I’m not going down there…” I tell Brendan, “…but if you insist on going… I’ll watch your back.” “Ok,” he says, “I just want to check it out quick and see if there’s anything down there. I’m getting hungry.” We anchor Scout and both slip into the chilly water. Bren kicks toward the trench as I slowly linger behind him scanning the darkened perimeter. I think to myself, the visibility is unusually terrible here. Then almost immediately after, I spot a big reef shark headed straight toward me.

I lock my eyes on it. It’s coming my way, and uncomfortably fast. It’s now just 30 feet away, so I hold my little lionfish spear out, ready to poke and fend off, just in case. It turns away… so I quickly take my eyes off it, “Brendan!” I holler at him above the water… but he doesn’t hear me. Shit, “Breendaaan!” He looks back at me… “Shark!” I watch him change course back to me and I drop my head under the water to lock down on the shark again… there it is… it’s coming back.

I slowly sidestroke back to the dingy, keeping my eyes locked on it. Brendan’s cruising back close behind. You NEVER freak out around a shark! It can trigger them. Honestly, they are usually just curious. Most sharks will cruise on by, some become interested in just checking you out, and rarely are they ever aggressive. We’ve dived around plenty of reef sharks to know that they are rarely a threat but demand a healthy level of respect. Like all sharks! Occasionally though… there are the other cringe-worthy, yet far fewer stories, and I am not in the mood! Plus, the sun was fixing to set (aka sharkie-yum-yum time), and I get a little wearier taking risks in foreign countries where medical help is far and minimally accessible at best. I climb up into the dinghy and get out of the way for Brendan to hop on too.

He springs up into the dinghy with big eyes and a wide smile, lifting his dive mask up. “There were at least three huge ones,” he laughs, wiping the excess water off his face. “Ya, after I saw that, I was out of there. That’s too many sharks to keep an eye on for me!” We nervously laugh and drive to another spot, where we luckily find two large conchs. Evening falls on us as I clean our catch recalling our previous lesson from S/V Dacia. I prepared a scampi pasta with our catch as we gave gratitude for this special meal.

Which, full disclaimer: if you missed the last log, I touched on this topic citing an article about the conservation concerns surrounding conch (see it here); I have mixed feelings regarding their harvest. So, to emphasize, it’s critically important to abide by your fishing permits and follow all fishing rules and local fishery laws (bag limits, species, seasons, boundaries, etc.). At time of writing, “a vessel is allowed to gather conchs. The maximum number that you may have aboard… at any time is six (6). Remember that there is a legal-size limit for conch in The Bahamas. The shell must have a well-developed flaring lip. This is a sign of maturity.”

After several days of snorkeling, exploring, and hiking, we had to get rolling again. We bid farewell to our large shiny barracuda friend (we affectionately named him Barry) who had been hanging out under our boat since we arrived. After what was the roughest cut exit I ever care to experience, ever again – seriously, the word “ever” warrants a third mention here – we sail to Lee Stocking Island for an overnight pit stop. We arrive with some daylight to spare and hike up to the top of one of the highest points in the Bahamas. We enjoy the views (and breeze), meeting a couple friendly island pups along the way.

The next day and the final stretch to the Exuma’s capital city of Georgetown was upon us! With light winds it was a slow sail, but several hours later, we could see the Stocking Island Beacon Moument. We then see a handful of white Bahamian sloop sheets tacking back and forth. We made it! Uhh… wait, are we going to be in the way of the race??

We get closer and the coast is clear. We scoot into “Da Middle” anchorage and set the hook. We sit back, relax, and save the errands for tomorrow. After being nonstop for days, it feels good on our bodies and our minds to decompress. However, we’re excited to explore the “big city” and check out the races to come. It’s going to be a fun stop!

Note: Do not follow this as your fishing guidelines. Rules change and it’s your responsibility to know them if fishing. Look up current regulations before going out and know your fish species before shooting. We encourage everyone to be respectful and only take what you need.

~ Day 60