The Blue Hole
30 March 2015 | Hoffman Cay
Helen
Departed Castaway Cay at 8:30 and the next Disney ship was already in port. A totally different weather day with calmer seas, sun shining and a lot less wind. We motor sailed to the Berry Island chain. Mark chose one island, but as we headed closer and he got the weather, there was a decision to change to Hoffman Cay to see the Blue Hole. The water around the many Cays in this area was quite shallow but at least 5 feet below us. Mark chose a very protected area to anchor just off the beach which included a path to the famous Blue Hole. Mark and Robert dropped the dinghy in the water and decided we would row over to the beach. We had lunch and got our swim and snorkel gear and headed to shore. The path was well marked and we followed the guide book instructions. At the end is was questionable but Mark found the correct location. It was a huge pond surrounded by weathered limestone with a lunar landing look. Lots of protected caves. We all got in the water. Mark dove down several times and spotted lots of fish along the edge. The light from the sun pierced the waters with beams of sun rays. It was incredible. My underwater camera battery failed just as we got to the hole. As we walked back thru the jungle like path, we passed a group of people heading to the hole. Also saw a couple of different types of small iguanas. We walked the small beach which had incredibly soft sand. The water was beautiful in color and so very clear. The ladies paddled the dinghy most of the way back to boat. We had the whole anchorage area to ourselves, with a Canadian power boater quite a ways off. We took a swim around the boat. I checked the anchor which was holding. Everyone got in the water which was much colder than the temperature at the beach or at the Blue Hole. After showering, Mark and Robert worked on the sail and trimmed one of the reefing lines while Chris and I cooked dinner. The winds were very light and there was not much motion on the boat. We all decided to retire early until Robert brought out his computer and decided to watch a movie. So, we all stayed up way past cruiser's bed time to watch the whole thing. The winds were light overnight so everyone had a good sleep. We are listening to weather in order to plan our day.