Spanish Wells was our last stop before leaving Eleuthera to head to Abaco. We spent a few days in the area…enjoying the town, and (of course) snorkeling! Keith wanted to revisit the spot, where last year we saw numerous crawfish (also known as lobster).
It was March 26 with only five days left in crawfish season, and Keith spotted a BIG one. Luckily, the water was only about 8 feet deep, so coming up for air was fairly easy. Getting the lobster out of it’s hidy hole was NOT easy. Here are a few pictures from the epic battle. Spoiler alert- in the end, Keith won!
Most of the battle looked like this. Keith would surface for a deep breath, then dive down and stick his arm in the cave/hole and try to pull the lobster out. However, the lobster was well anchored, and was armed with sharp points with the intention of inflicting a little damage himself. As the battle ‘raged’ on the lobster lost legs and antennas, while Keith suffered numerous scrapes, cuts, and punctures.
All of this action attracted a little attention…thankfully, not from a shark.
There was definitely the smell of lobster in the water, and this ray was looking for an easy meal. Keith abandoned the hole, and let the ray investigate. The ray circled many times, and hovered directly over the hole, but finally realized no lobster was forthcoming…so, Keith went right back to work.
Finally, Keith prevailed and a large lobster tail was his prize…along with antibiotic ointment and band aides😉
On March 28, we had a nice weather window to cross the 55 miles in the Atlantic, from Eleuthera to Abaco. One of the stops we prioritized, while visiting Spanish Wells, was a visit to the seafood and bait store to purchase ballyhoo rigs so we could troll during our crossing…and that purchase paid off!
Our first Mahi Mahi came several feet out of the water when he hit the bait. Landing a fish on this boat is definitely a team sport. I was at the helm, and since Keith saw the fish hit the hook we were quick to respond. I pulled the throttles back to idle speed, and left the boat in auto helm. I called ‘fish on’ over the VHF radio, to alert the boats with us that we were fighting a fish. Keith reels the fish in from the top deck while I prepare to step onto the swim platform to ‘land’ the fish. This process entails me tying a safety line across the stern (to keep me onboard), getting a life jacket on, and preparing the net or gaff, whichever is needed for the size. Once Keith gets the fish close enough to my position, I either scoop or stab…then pull the fish onto the swim platform to wait for Keith to come down to the cockpit to help me get it into the boat. Once aboard we pour cheap rum into the fishes gills, and they are instantly subdued. This fish was 37” and weighed 11 pounds, so it was easy to catch with the net.
Our second catch started out very differently. I was at the helm, and Keith went to the bow to read. I heard a strange tap sound…not the usual ZING…….that happens when a fish hits the line. I glanced over my shoulder and noticed the rod was a little bent, but again no line was being pulled out. After closer inspection, I saw the line tangled around the tip of the rod. I looked back into the water and saw, what looked like a hat being pulled through the water. I pulled the throttles back, and called for Keith…not sure if we had a fish or trash on the hook.
It was a fish, but if you look closely you will see the hook is under a flap of skin on its head. Apparently, this one missed the bait, but got hooked anyway. I have no idea how long we were pulling this poor thing through the water, but he/she was definitely exhausted when we got her onboard. This one was 39” and weighed 12.5 pounds, but was still easy to net. My fillet knife was busy that day, and we ended up with 8 lbs of Mahi fillets. Between lobster and fish, our freezer is full again!
This overly friendly guy greeted us, as soon as we tied our dinghies to the mooring ball, as we prepared to snorkel Coral Garden at Sandy Cay. Clearly there is some tour boat that feeds this turtle regularly!
Other snorkeling trips have been equally fruitful.
I’m impressed this adorable place is still standing (kinda). As we move north along the Abacos, the destruction caused by, the category 5, hurricane Dorian is evident. While these islands have made great strides in rebuilding, there are still many signs of the devastation left behind.
Hope Town seems to be making great strides in the recovery.
This is our view from anchor.
It’s always fun to climb a lighthouse. “This red and white striped monument to the past is the only kerosene powered, hand cranked lighthouse left in the world. It is a true marvel to behold, and a fascinating piece of engineering. Built in the 1860's, this British Imperial lighthouse has stood the test of time.” (Bahamasairtours.com)
This mechanism contains a weight on a cable that must be hand wound each day. When the weight is released, the gears turn the lens, which rides on rollers, as the weight descends through the night.
I don’t care who you are…that is COOL!
The views from the top are amazing! The first shot is the view, facing east, of the harbor, town, and Atlantic. The second pic is the view of the Sea of Abaco to the west. The colors are stunning!
The town was bright and lush.
I love these ‘streets’
During an impromptu snorkeling experience, to Fowl Cay, we were rewarded with our first (this year) glimpse of an octopus. It was a windy day, and as I was preparing to make lunch Keith suggested a quick dinghy ride around the corner…just to see what is there. We ended up at Fowl Cay, me in a beach chair with a book, and Keith snorkeling very shallow water near the beach.
The area was mainly flat and sandy with a little grass. There was a strange rock, in 3 ft of water, that had a suspiciously large number of shells littered around. An octopus was hiding under the ledge of the rock, and was using the three larger conch shells to close off the entry. Keith could see the octopus behind the shells, and attempted to move a shell to get a picture…but the octopus was having none of that! The octopus had a grip on the back side of the shells, and when Keith was only able to move a shell and inch or two before it snapped back into place 😂
Finally, he gave up and wedged the camera into a crack and snapped a picture with the hope of capturing some proof of the octopus…yep, I’d say he got proof. Of course, I was clean and showered with no intention of getting in the water that day, but…how can anyone take a pass on an octopus. Wet I got!
Double win…on the other side of that rock was a spotted moray.
Continuing north, and thoroughly enjoying our last few weeks…before we need to return to the US😟
