A Trip Down The Lazy River

Shroud Cay    

Shroud Cay is definitely one of the loveliest places on earth. The uninhabited island at the northern end of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is known for a lazy river running through the mangroves. We left Crossroads at 10:30 and timed our dinghy trip to reach the entrance at a mid and falling tide. The sign at the entrance posts a speed limit of three knots. Several other dinghies had already left before us which was completely fine. We had the whole river to ourselves as we mostly drifted along with the current and admired the crystal clear water and green vegetation growing on the rocky waterside cliffs.

After the first bend we entered the flat interior portion of the island. Large expanses of mangroves grew on each side of us. Since the tide was still on the high side, the mangroves were flooded. We kept our eyes open for turtles and were pleased to see quite a few. The current intensified as we neared the other side of the island.  

We anchored in the sand along with a dozen other small boats. For us, the top attraction is always beautiful Driftwood Beach with soft, powdery, white sand. The crystal-clear water reaches land in soft, lapping ripples. The gentle slope of the seafloor ensures that we're no more than chest-deep in water even a great distance from shore. The boat pictured may have three feet of water under it at most. We walked the length of the beach, leaving the first set of footprints in the sand, then turned around and retraced our steps. 

After that it was time to hit the water. All that was needed to keep me happy was an hour in this amazing spot. 

We sat on the rocks and dried off, joking that we were acting like lizards. A real one then crossed our paths.

We made our way back to the dinghy to find that we were the last boat. We sat and watched as the lazy river emptied into the Sound. Souls braver than our own ride the fast-moving and swirling current offshore over small rapids formed by the sandbar. This natural thrill ride is known as the "Washing Machine." We hopped back into the dinghy and began looking for -- and finding -- more turtles.

Every turn of the river and our heads led to another stunning view. 

Small mangroves resiliently sprouted in the shallows. More turtles darted beneath us. We also saw a large ray, but I was not quick enough to get a photo. The tide was dropping quickly and sandbars were beginning to emerge from the water in spots that we easily crossed over just a few hours prior. The color change in the water defined the trip's finish line. It was another memorable trek on one of our favorite routes. 

The remainder of the afternoon was clear and sunny. I knocked out a few more chapters in my current book. By the time the sun was setting, the wind had begun to pick up. As I write this we are in our own "Washing Machine." Waves from the west are fighting with wind from the north and creating a bumpy ride -- think heavy duty wash. It should (fingers crossed) calm down in a few hours. It is, however, an inconvenience that we'll ride out, thankful that we were able to enjoy a wonderful trip through the mangroves.