Jim and Mark fetched the dinghy from the park dock early this morning and we were ready to pull up the anchor and head out at 8 am. After two hours and about 20 miles over the water, we dropped the anchor west of Big Majors Spot with several other boats. Staniel Cay was an easy dinghy ride away where the snorkeling and diving are spectacular, especially with Thunderball Cave just around the corner; the beach is clean, white and wide; and, of course, there are the pigs! Staniel Cay is a good sized community with a couple of small markets, a bread maker, artisans selling their wares, a marina, a restaurant, a church and even an airport.
The guys were able to repair the dinghy’s loose connection so we lowered both dinghys into the water and set out for shore. Our first stop was to see the pigs and they turned out to be much larger than we had anticipated. When they saw us approaching, two spotted pigs and two white pigs ventured out of the brush, walked across the beach and swam out to us looking for handouts. We had brought some bread and were able to get a few good photos. Jim pointed out Thunderball Cave on our way to shore which is where portions of the James Bond movie, Thunderball, were filmed in 1964. Thunderball Cave has two entrances – one on the western side and one on the east. Once inside, there is an overhead dome that we hope to explore tomorrow at slack tide.
When we tied up to the dinghy dock, we could see several nurse sharks and a few stingrays cruising the fish cleaning area. We were very glad we didn’t bring the dogs with us – if the pigs weren’t enough to make them crazy, the rays and sharks would have!! We walked up to the dive shop to drop off Mark’s two scuba tanks and ask to have them filled. The shop was closed at the moment since the crew was out
on a dive, but we called them on the VHF radio and were told that they would be in soon. We checked out the restaurant/bar and its gift shop and then took a walk into town to find the markets and see what we could see. We found the “pink store” and the “blue store” where some basic grocery items were on offer. The “yellow store” was a bread store and we ordered a few loaves that would be ready for us in the morning. We took a walk through a small cemetery, found the Baptist Church and walked through the residential area.
Late in the afternoon, we headed back to the boat and picked up the dogs for a run on the beach. Mark grilled up some of the mahi mahi for dinner using his special sauce which added a real taste treat.
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