Light and Variable

Imagine you are slowly skimming across a sparkling, unending, swimming pool blue, body of water.  The surface is smooth as glass.  The movement of a small boat putting across the surface creates the only breeze.

After nearly a month of bouncing in 15 to 20 knot winds, today's dawn brings light and variable winds.  Ed fills the dinghy tank with gas. We grab the handheld VHF, some jugs of water, granola bars, almonds and sunscreen.  

It's  a perfect day to explore new areas below and above the aquamarine waters surrounding Great Exuma.  

The Exuma Cays offers visitors an opportunity to play in some the Bahamas most pristine waters.  On this postcard perfect day, nature showcases the virtual Bahamian aquarium just below the surface of our dinghy.

Chop and wavelets often distort much of which lies below the surface on those windy days.  On windy days, which are quite frequent during the Bahamian winter months, the only way to get a true glimpse of life beneath the surface is to snorkel or dive. Today everything is visible from the dinghy.

Turquoise waters reach out to meet the deeper blue of the sky. A few pillowy white clouds moving slowly overhead reflect the blue of the water. A backdrop of brilliant greens; sea grape, mangrove and silver palm perch upon a rocky landscape along the shore.  Patches of white sandy beaches link one rocky outcrop to another.

We run the dinghy at half speed in 15 feet deep waters. Sea grass and sand ripples appear as if only I nches away.  A small sea turtle stops to checks us out.  Before I can turn on the camera, it zips away.   

Dinner plate sized cushioned sea stars seemingly stare up at the sky. Dark orange and brown in color, the slow moving sea creatures contrast vividly against  the white sandy bottom.  Joining their larger cousins, smaller thorny sea stars are sprinkled like decorations across the uneven sand.

Small schools of fish dart away as we motor close.  In front small fish jump from the water as a two foot barracuda follows in search of mid morning snack.

Later we pass over a half dozen large manta rays resting just above the floor of the bay.   One sweeps up and glides behind us before hanging a left and swimming away.

Near rocky and partially shaded shores,  long needled purple spiny sea urchins keep us in the dingy. Stepping on one of those would not be fun.  

Sea cucumbers continue to be a mystery to me.  Found  in shallow waters, they look like an oversized rotten banana from the boat.  Close up, one

can spot  ridges and bumps that do look like a dark cucumber.  It is a scavenger and related to both the starfish ad urchin. 

As the sun moves towards noon, the apparent breeze created by the forward motion of the highly cools our sun warmed faces and arms.  It is a comfortable 75 degrees.   

As we enter the tidal shallows we try to stay in a band of deeper turquoise water. When the color fades to clear and white we have to get out of the dinghy to  pull or scull the dingy into deeper water.  

Around one turn, a partially sunken  sailboat reminds us how quickly life can change.  We are sad for the sailors who have lost their boat.  We learn later that the boat sunk in a storm.  The owners were not onboard.   

A freight boat and an old barge, both encrusted with rust, sit halfway beached as testament to how devastating weather can be when summer hurricanes pass over the Bahamas.  Schools of small yellow fish and stripped sergeant majors utilize the wrecked boats as an artificial reef.

The shallows surrounding the mangroves serve as a nursery for sea turtles.  During the nearly mile trek from the mangroves back to the deep Exuma Sound, dozens of juvenile sea turtles dart back and forth  so quickly it was impossible to identify them.

The Exuma Sound flows through and around the Bahamian archipelago. It connects to the Atlantic on the northeast and southeast of the inland chain.

 

Today the expected swells and waves have given way to calm.  We shoot across the smooth sea at 15 knots.  Below in 20 feet of  water we look down into the reef.

Muted browns of elk horn and stag horn coral mix with green brain coral.  Branched finger coral grows next to gorgonians and lavender sea fans.  Along the reef, divers with spear guns also take advantage of the calm day while they hunt for spiny lobster and hogfish. 

The wind begins to clock and increase as we head back into Elizabeth Harbor.

This unexpected light and variable day was a gift.  We unwrapped it and surrounded our senses with its quiet joy and wonder.  There will always be days in our lives when the wind blows ferociously.  On those days we must remember that ahead a light and variable day of peace and beauty awaits.