Windward side of Warderick Wells island

Leeward side calm anchorage in deep water of tidal flow

Boo Boo Beach on windeard side of  Warderick Wells island

Native hutias-a small  nocturnal mammal

Friendly pigs swim out to greet you (and take food handouts) at Big Major island 

Black Point settlement in Great Guana Cay

 We had New years eve on Warderick Wells Cay.  The anchorage is lovely and there are lovely hiking trails ashore.  On New Years eve the cruisers got together ashore for "Happy Hour" and then later in the evening we watched fireworks that were being let off from nearby Highbourne Cay marina.  We discovered little critters scurrying around in the dark called hutias.  The next day was still blowing hard, so we hiked ashore to watch the easterly winds making huge waves crash ashore on Exuma Sound side.  We departed from there and went to Bell island.  Unfortunately, there was a big complex there with jet skis roaring about.  As we looked at each other deciding whether to move or not, an older chap on a seadoo came by and offered us a bottle of wine to move along.  We happily picked up anchor and moved over to Cambridge island, still part of the Exuma Land & Sea Park.  It was a lovely quiet anchorage and we had our best snorkel yet at the site called, "Sea Aquarium".  The little fish came all around us and below us swam huge schools of jack fish.  It was truly magical.  From there we sailed to Big Major Cay where we dinghied over to the beach to visit the friendly pigs that swim out to your dinghy to accept handouts.  Right around the corner is Staniel Cay island and we explored it the next day.  We snorkeled at the famous "Thunderball grotto" shown in the 007 movie, Thunderball.  You have to swim underwater to get into the grotto, but once inside  a shaft of sunlight illuminates the inside of the grotto.  There were tons of small and large fish just milling around.  Yesterday, we sailed over to Black Point settlement on Great Guana Cay.  It's a lovely clean and tidy community.  It's a day to do laundry, buy some fresh coconut bread and tomatoes.