Upon Mike and Christina's arrival, we moved over to Big Major's Spot to anchor in front of the beach with the Pigs. We were delighted to see a brand new litter of piglets, still nursing. We visited without food to share, though, so we didn't get to see any swimming.

Once again, the wind forecast motivated us to get right up to the Park. The winds and seas built on the way up so we were glad we decided to stay on the Banks for the trip. We anchored at Emerald Rock and took our favorite hike, witnessing some pretty dramatic surf on the Sound.

We were able to get into the North mooring field the next day. We attempted to snorkel but it was a bit too choppy. We did the customary hike up to Boo-Boo Hill and Mike and Christina borrowed the Park's tandem kayak and went exploring.

A break in the wind allowed us to move up to Shroud Cay. Again, that stretch on the Banks blessed us with perfect sailing conditions. The engine went off and we had a beautiful morning under full sail. The tide was right that afternoon to dinghy through the mangrove creeks and enjoy the inlet to the Sound. Our evening entertainment was witnessing the senior occupants of the sailboat right near us stripping down and bathing in their sun shower right on their deck. Not a pretty sight but we were impressed with their willingness...

Hawksbill Cay, still my favorite I think, was our next destination. A mere stone's throw from Shroud, it has a different feel to it altogether. With a stop along the way to visit the cave, we headed again to the sand bars at the north end of the cay. Despite the overabundance of sunshine for our northern guests, a good time was had by all.

We managed to squeeze in a night at Cambridge Cay, but the conditions were too snotty so we aborted our attempt to snorkel the Rocky Dundas. We enjoyed a hike to Bell Rock instead.

Back at Staniel Cay, Mike and Christina finally got to snorkel in decent conditions in the Thunderball Grotto. We were grateful to have another great week showing off our favorite spots.

It it always bittersweet to leave the pristine beauty of the Exumas. After our guests left, though, it seemed to be time to move on. Our original plan was to go to Cat Island, but the upcoming wind directions prompted us to start moving north for the protected harbors of Eleuthra. We moved north along the Exuma chain and anchored off of Cistern Cay and crossed yesterday in flat seas and minimal wind to Rock Sound, Eleuthra. Stay yuned...