The Natural Wonders of 2019

I have been in awe of the natural world since this new year began. With the waning moon, the stars wheeling in the black sky seem closer and brighter. We have traveled from an island inhabited solely by thousands of iguanas (Allen's Cay) to one inhabited by swimming pigs–– Big Major Cay, where we are now anchored.

In between, we soaked up the magnificent wild beauty of the Exumas Land and Sea Park, where boats tie up to designated moorings to minimize impact, and nothing may be taken or left behind. So the only thing I am taking are memories of images of incandescent tropical fish of the coral reefs. Yesterday I saw my first Lion Fish, a truly imposing black and white striped fish with dozens of venomous spiky fin rays that warn other species to keep their distance. We saw this fish in a snorkeling area known as The Aquarium, which is across from Johnny Depp's private island, Little Halls Pond Cay. No sightings of him, however.

We have been traveling with our friends Julie and Bill and their boat Jubilee. We took a dinghy over to Staniel Cay and experienced the shock of entering a human settlement, where our cell phones picked up a signal and American football played on the yacht club bar TV. Go Eagles! However, we are eager for our next immersion in natural beauty. We will snorkel the famed Thunderball Cave, an underwater grotto made famous by the James Bond movie.