After the usual early morning swims we headed onshore to explore the trails of Hawksbill Cay. As you wander through the island you are wending your way though narrow pathways between stubby palm trees and other shortish vegetation. You can't see very far ahead - good fun to explore. And then when you think you have the place to yourselves you suddenly hear voices! Our walk took us to the 'Loyalist Ruins'. Note to self: must look up what these are, and who were the Loyalists?

In some ways it is an island of two parts. The beaches on the west side are characterised by flat turquoise water and white sand fringed by the aforementioned stubby vegetation. We assume that bigger trees don't survive when they get hurricanes through here. On the east side which faces the prevailing wind there is quite a lot of plastic rubbish washed up on the rocks and beaches and it is really very difficult to remove it and get it out owing to the conditions. It has been collected up into heaps so perhaps someone is trying to clear it up. You would need a very still day to get a boat in close to gather and offload this - not easy. Most of the plastic was fishing discards - nets, fish boxes, fish barrels, float, and the like. It is a real shame and the worst we have seen on our travels.

On our return to the west-facing beach, after our long hot walk, we had the most welcome swim. In the afternoon we explored the various snorkelling sites in the area, which were fairly interesting with some good corals and a nurse shark spotted from the ding. The trouble is that now we have been spoilt by our trip to the Aquarium site at O'Brien's Cay; we may have peaked early on the snorkelling.