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BAHAMA ADVENTURE
escape, explore, & take the trip by: Melissa Mireles
V
acations are built around what matters most to you. For myself it is being close to water, connecting with locals, and exploring what nature has to offer. My curiosity took me to the beautiful Cays of the Bahamas with a group of 10 friends. With an adventurous 8 days ahead of us, we braced ourselves for the unknown and daydreamed about all the shades of blue. Nassau-Bound We began our adventure in the Bahamian capital of Nassau where we sailed from Palm Cay Marina to our first location, Leaf Cay, where we met some fast and friendly creatures. The iguanas were big fans of grapes! We then sailed to Danger Cay to check off a bucket list item, swimming with Caribbean reef sharks! Their robust, streamlined bodies was a sight to see. The mix of mystery and adrenaline was a virtuous blend while swimming alongside them. Snorkeling and More.. Approximately 12 nautical miles away in the sand banks of Norman Cay laid our next adventure. When I heard I could snorkel above Pablo Escobar’s sunken drug plane, I knew I had to. The plane was only 10 feet down allowing us to swim by and through the eroded skeleton. The plane is now home to and extraordinary array of colorful reefs and marine life. The Exumas Sand Bar at Pipe Creek is one of the finest of the Bahamas, a favorite of many photographers. We strategically timed this adventure as the low tides disappear at night. We woke up early to experience the narrow shallow channels. During exploration of
the sandbars, I witnessed a rare sight, a spotted eagle ray. While at Soldier Cay, I swam with nearly 50 different species of fish. Bread was my motivator for keeping the marine life close. The most fascinating part of the aquarium was its ecosystem and the ability to house so many species, prevent erosion, and provide protection. Swimming with Sharks We made a stop to swim with the Nurse sharks at Compass Cay. While very intimidating, these predators are not aggressive towards humans but rather curious. So curious, that they would swim on
