Big Major and Staniel Cay

The sailing caravan next headed to the Big Major/Staniel Cay area in order to pick up two special passengers for Emerald City. Rich and Mary Jim"s daughter and son-in-law were arriving for a five day Bahamian cruise. We repeated fun activities, diving in Thunderball Cave, with its magnificent colors and exotic fish, and feeding the pigs at Big Major. This year, we added shark petting. Almost tame nurse sharks and manta rays circle the docks at Staniel Cay, drawn by the fish cleaning from the successful fishermen who frequent the Cay.

Sadly, Wind Dancer reports that Big Major has changed from a great hidden spot for adventurers to a parking lot for Megayacht cruisers in town for a quick Exuma experience. The anchorage was full of giant yachts, replete with inflateable slides, jetskis, and buzzing little center consoles, which ferried people in and out of the pig feeding area and Thunderball cave. The private boats were in the minority. In addition, and I don't blame them, after several pigs died the past year and were found to have sand in their stomachs, the owner built a feeding trough. So now, although the pigs are just as cute and they still swim, people are encourage to put the food in the trough for them. It's better, but it sure isn't the same. You can do that at a farm.






The Staniel Cay Yacht Club is still a fun place for lunch.