One Day, Two Great Walks

Emerald Rock to Bell Island  |  1.9 Hours  |  12 Miles   

We had one more stop we wanted to make before departing Emerald Rock. At 9:30, shortly after low tide, we hopped into the dinghy and made our way to Whale Beach where we anchored adjacent to the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park Office. We walked up the beach a short distance. Small signs and shells lined the edge of the sand. We spotted the sign for Boo Boo Hill Trail and made our way inland through scrub vegetation. Banshee Creek is a tidal waterway that flows through the center of the island. Since we were just off of low tide, the water was shallow and narrow. On prior visits, we've gotten much wetter during the crossing. It seemed a few new signs had popped up in the two years since our last visit. Fair warning of any poison wood tree is most appreciated.

We climbed a short hill through palm fronds and stopped at a plateau to take in the amazing view. The Warderick Wells mooring field runs single file along a narrow ribbon of deeper (and darker) water. 

Another short vertical climb took us to the top of Boo Boo Hill. The collection of boater offerings to the pile also seems to have sprawled in our absence. We took a few moments and looked for people and boat names that we recognized. We spotted the board of a fellow Selene and thought that would be the perfect place to add ours. I had personalized our offering this morning with available Sharpies onboard. Barry scurried up the pile and tucked us in behind a tree branch. Somewhere at the base of the pile we have boards from three previous trips.

Another group arrived and we all swapped taking photos of each other before descending down the same trail. With a glance to the north we watched as incoming waves flooded the limestone rock. Water drained through several openings and appeared to drain back to the ocean like a fountain. 

Banshee Creek was a little wider when it came time to make the crossing. Before leaving we stopped by the office to say hello to Cherie in the Park headquarters. The office hours are now painted on a nice piece of fish-shaped driftwood. Back on Crossroads, we raised the dinghy, had a quick bite of lunch, then raised the anchor. It was a nice ride down the Exuma Banks. I never get tired of looking at the many shades of blue water.

We made a turn for Bell Island and began to see large houses nestled in the treetops. We passed through the narrows with less trepidation than in the past. The passage still appears really tight - between a sand bar and a rocky place, but experience tells us we'll make it without issue. We continued to round Bell Isalnd and anchored along with a small group of boats. About an hour later our friends Kelly and Richard on Untethered arrived and dropped their hook beside us.

Kelly and I jumped at the opportunity to take a beach walk together and enjoy a little Girl Time. As the sun set, the warm glow created a magical setting for catching up with each other. We all closed the day with a fun and spirited visit aboard Untethered.