THE EXUMA LAND AND SEA PARK

We left Black Point the next day with wonderful sailing conditions. Hoisting the jib with 15 knots of wind quartering on our starboard side, we were able to make the trip all the way to Warderick Wells completely under sail. The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, which is headquartered here, covers 176 square miles of turquoise waters and tropical islands. It begins at Shroud Cay in the north and extends over 22 miles to just beyond Cambridge Cay and Rocky Dundas in the couth. Since the park is a designated “no-take” zone, marine life can be found in abundance here and land creatures do not retreat when approached, knowing that in this place at least, no harm will come to them.

The main building at Warderick Wells is a very interesting place. Here the usual books and items of clothing are offered for sale but there is also an extensive book exchange, CD rental library and a wonderful collection of shells and historical artifacts which have been found on the islands—some dating back to pirate and Loyalist days. The entire operation is run by “Tom and Judy.” These two cruisers happened upon this place more than 6 years ago and, since no Bahamians could be found to take over the operational duties of the park after the last warden left, they volunteered and have stayed on ever since. With scant funding from the government, the bare-bones operation at this isolated location was not considered a desirable posting by the locals. And since one of the duties of “warden” was to look for poachers and confiscate catch, traps and gear, it was not something Bahamians wished to do to each other. They view this as a form of “betrayal” and do not understand the concept of conservation or volunteerism.

And so, when Tom and Judy offered to take over the operational duties of the park, they looked to fellow cruisers and outside interested parties for help in getting it up and running effectively. Now, six years later, it has been transformed onto an efficient and impressive place. The few essential buildings that are here blend attractively into their environment. A prolific garden producing tropical fruits and vegetables has been established, trails blazed and marked, snorkeling sites designated, and a wealth of biological and marine information created and made available to visitors. And with the continued help of volunteers from the cruising community, each year new improvements continue to be made. Before, cruisers could drop anchor anywhere—sometimes damaging sensitive marine environments. Now, boats may tie up only at designated mooring fields within the park, with a small fee being collected to help boost the parks monetary resources. Before, visitors could roam will-nilly across the island—trampling vegetation underfoot. Now, with established trails connecting points of interest, plant and wildlife are left undisturbed to grow as nature intended.

The island of Warderick Wells is also home to thousands of small curious lizards with long curly tails and short stubby bodies. These inquisitive creatures tended to follow along beside us as we approached their habitat and one even climbed up onto my shoe when I stopped to take a rest. Another common species here is the hermit crab. Early in the morning, in damp shaded areas of the park, they can be seen scuttling along carrying West Indian Top Shells of various sizes over their bodies for protection—some as large as 4” in diameter. These crabs were so prolific in some areas that we had to watch carefully when walking along pathways to avoid crushing them underfoot. And we found even bigger crabs in the shallow water along the shoreline where they had taken over the shells of conch.

But perhaps the BEST thing about Warderick Wells—at least for Vince—was the discovery of a small collection of “workshops” hidden away under the foliage behind the welcome centre. Here volunteers could offer their services constructing needed items in the well-equipped carpentry shop or repairing various broken pieces of equipment necessary for the operation of the park.

After settling in to our anchorage at Emerald Rock and making a cursory tour of the island, we decided to visit these workshops once again early the next morning. The weeks of beach combing, reading, and loafing around have been great, but we feel a need to be doing something TANGIBLE for a change and for us, this seems to be the perfect place to do it.