Exploring Between The Golden Hours

Shroud Cay  

The ocean swell and wind were at odds overnight, creating a rolly motion that was not conducive to deep sleep. I watched from the pilothouse as first light turned into a golden dawn before the sun rose over Shroud Cay. Soon the orange transitioned to blue. Once again we found ourselves awaiting high tide to leave Crossroads. We ate an early lunch and then hopped in the dinghy for another trip through the mangroves. Today we went south around the point and past Little Pigeon Cay to our starboard. The water was a beautiful sparkling blue. We entered into an inland creek marked by the Exuma Park sign that dictated a maximum speed of three knots. 

We had plenty of water under us, yet we could make out every sand ripple on the bottom. It was that clear. Mangroves lined the edges and turtles passed effortlessly below us. Large billowing white clouds occasionally blocked the sun, but for the most part the water glistened. We watched as the landscape transitioned mid-island to rock ledges and typical hardwood trees. 

As we neared our destination at the eastern side of the island, the area opened up into a large tidal flat. From previous visits, we knew that this area was dry at low tide (which is why we came at high tide). Hearty mangrove saplings rose above the water which had shallowed to six inches deep. I pulled the dinghy the final three hundred yards to where the creek and the ocean almost met. A small stretch of sand separated the direct flow. We set our anchor under the tree and walked a short distance to the ocean.

There was not another person in sight and we had not encountered any other dinghy traffic. The only prints we found in the sand were avian. We walked up and down the clean sand at the surf zone. Up higher in the sand, there was quite a bit of plastic trash that had washed up -- along with a small skiff. I preferred to look out over the water and enjoy another stroll in paradise.

We spent an hour walking and then returned to the dinghy. The shallow water and sand flats seemed to shine even more when traveling west. The south mooring field/anchorage had emptied out while we were out exploring. Crossroads sat all by herself as we turned the corner for home.

I spent the late afternoon reading until dinner. By 7:00, the sky once again assumed its golden glow. We took the dinghy out for a little sunset cruise at low tide. There is a three-foot change in water depth between high and low tides which can bee seen as a color change at the base of the rocky ledges. The large clouds to the east soaked up the soft lighting.

We positioned Crossroads in between us and the sun to get a few silhouette shots. Several large motor yachts were positioned on the horizon. A low level cloud bank eliminated any chance of a green flash, but had its upper edge illuminated by the final rays of the day. We raised the dinghy back on the upper deck in preparation for tomorrow's departure. We will exit the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park with tons of great memories and photos. We plan to spend tomorrow afternoon exploring some new areas around Norman's Cay.