Saving the best till last

We got a late start leaving Marsh Harbor on Tuesday and anchored south of Tavern Cay off of Tilloo Cay. Snorkeled inside of Tilloo Cut on the ocean side of the rocks there. It was the first time since we've been in the Abacos that it was calm enough to do this. Snorkeling was the best we've had so far, although even relatively small ocean swells made us feel like we were in a washing machine at times.

Wednesday evening we headed for an anchorage near the south end of Lynyard Cay because we knew that Charlie on UnSeaSing would be there. We invited him over for dinner and had a nice visit. He is headed back to Punta Gorda via Hole-In-the-Wall, the Berry Islands, and South Riding Rock, a route similar to the one we will be taking next week. Charlie doesn't have a travel buddy and part of us feels like we should be traveling with him, but we're not quite ready to go back.

Remarkably, conditions were calm enough Thursday that we were able to dinghy two and a half miles from our anchorage near the south end of Lynyard Cay to Little Harbor, although it was a bit bumpy. We didn't have an agenda, except to explore the settlement, which we found quite appealing. Walked up to the lighthouse ruins, walked the beach, checked out Pete's Pub, which wasn't open yet, and explored the gallery, which was.

After our visit to Little Harbor, we headed over to Sandy Cay reef in Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park, a national park, which was supposed to have some of the best snorkeling in the Abacos. It surpassed our expectations. Finally the seas and wind had calmed down enough that we were able to enjoy the snorkeling experience we had been seeking since our arrival in the Abacos on April 15.

How I love to revel in God's creation! Few things bring me greater joy.

We saw sea turtles, sharks, spotted eagle rays, spectacular underwater seascapes of coral, fish, and plants. It was magnificent and well worth the wait! God saved the best until last. If we had snorkeled Sandy Cay reef first, our other snorkeling experiences would have paled in comparison. This way, we were better able to appreciate their more modest beauty first. We probably won't have another opportunity to snorkel on this trip unless we have to wait for a weather window, because we will be leaving for home on Tuesday or Wednesday and will be busy with other things until then.