Pulling the Dinghy was Definately Worth It!

Mangroves

                 The stingray was not the end of excitement for the day. We still had another cain of islands to go. We sailed for about 2 hours to get to the final destination of the day. From the start I could tell that these were going to be some pretty islands. However pretty was nothing compared to what it actually was. These islands were magnificantly breathtaking. Indescribeable in one word, the colors were vibrant, the water was crystal clear, and the air smelled fresh not like dirty salt water similar to the smell of many oceans. Even the sand was at the peak of perfection, soft against your toes. Every rose has a thorn, and this rose's thorn was pulling the dinghy. Since the beautiful sand was too shallow we had to pull the dinghy across the sand bar. Unfortunately i was paranoid the whole time. I was afraid that a conch would stick out its nail and puncture my bare feet. About 10 minutes later we rode the dinghy to a small private coral reef. We snorkeled around, and for me this was my first coral reef so I was amazed by the bright colors and tropical fish. This makes this archipelago even better. There were even  mangroves on the sides which serve as a home to many baby fish that was amazing to see plants interact so directly with sea life. This was only part of  this wonderful ecosystem!

Nurse Shark Fin

                 My legs began to wane in strength, so I hopped up on the dinghy. Soon enough the current started to get the best of everybody and one by one people started to load onto the dinghy. Kristin and captain Jeff were the only two left and we were all freezing. Captain Jeff grabbed his spear and explicated were he saw some lobster. We were all watching as Captain Jeff threw down his spear and stabbed the shell of the lobster. He threw it onto the dinghy and went to catch more. We were all a little creeped out by the dead crustacean in our midst, especially Kristin. Kristin was so scared by it, she was hysterical! part of the fact was that the lobster rubbed its antenna together and made a screeching sound used to warn other lobsters. During our whine-fest Captain Jeff popped up his head and shouted "I see a nurse shark!". Mrs. Pollitt hopped in the water with her trusty camera and snapped a few photos. This concluded our day as we sped back to Boundless. Captain Jeff cooked the lobster followed by us quickly devouring it. That was a full day of excitement and fun. 

The Sunken Plane

              
                 This is the beautiful sight of our new adventures ( or at least part of it), Norman's Cay. To most this is the stereotypical look of an island. Really this string of islands has a dark, and mysteriously intriging history. About 50 years ago these islands were occupied by a very sneaky druglord and his helpers. This man's name was Carlos Later. Carlos Later flew various kinds of drugs from Mexico through the Bahamas and into the U.S.. Many years after the inception of this wildly illegal plan, Carlos's plan failed when his plane crashed into the water between two of the islands. The wildest part about it..... we got to snorkel inside it! This activity is like one you would see on movies I would have never thought that I would actually do it one day. The moment I spotted the sunken plane I was in my wetsuit faster than you can say neoprene. We anchored the boat in the vicinity of this enigmatic piece of history. Once we were fully stopped none of us hesitated to lower the dinghy and speed over to the plane. We stopped the dinghy and all of us splashed in at once. When you first look at the plane you see the cockpit open and laden with fish. Coral occupies every nook and crannie. One of the most popular species of coral, Fire Coral. This kind of coral stings you if you touch it. That wasn't the only surprise in the plane.

              Once I finished going around and through the plane, Elinor and I decided to head back to the dinghy. We were swimming and swimming until I halted because of a mysterious metal part of the plane seperated from the integral piece. I dove down to take a closer look (not to far due to my ear issues. I scrutinized it carefully and it just looked like an incredibly mis-shapen part of a propeller. Everything was calm and cool until Elinor and I both realized it had EYES!!!! We screamed and kicked away as fast as our bodies would let us. The screaming was not heard by everybody since the water muffled our voices. Once we caught sight of the dinghy we lifted our heads above the water and screamed "There is a stingray to the right of the plane". Mrs. Pollitt quickly grabbed her camera and jumped in. Elinor and I were so scared we squirmed onto the dinghy and panted until everybody else was ready to depart. This was such a movie moment aside from the panicked swimming away. This was enough excitement for one day. Hopefully more exciting moments lie ahead.

Stingray

Land of the Iguanas

           Allen's Cay here we come. We had to sail six hours to get there but it was definately worth it. Once we arrived all of us; Anne, Kristin, Elinor, Eleanor, Mrs. Pollitt and me, were so excited we ungracefully slid into our neoprene wetsuits faster than Usain Bolt can run the 500 meter dash. We all jumped onto the dinghy and went to Allens Cay otherwise known to us as "The Iguana Island". We stepped off the dinghy onto the soft sand off Allen"s Cay. Almost immediately iguanas of all sizes started to emmerge from the brush of the islands. Kristin desperately wanted to poke one the lizards, to keep Kristin from getting bitten we denied her of this action. The iguanas were so interesting, the would even scoot towards after a minute or so. There were even baby iguanas coming up to us.

         Contrary to most people's beliefs not all islands have an abundance of palm trees. For example Allen's Cay only had one. We all tried to climb the lone twelve foot tree, and we all failed. Kristin was determined to climb the whole twelve feet and retrieve a coconut she abruptly failed right after she took the first leap onto the tree's trunk. After oour disapointing encounter with the lone palm tree, we decided to engage in some less physically draining activities. Snorkeling was first on the list, at Allen's Cay the water's are clear, the sand is snow white, and as soft as velvet, Allen's Cay is most definately postcard worthy. All these factors made snorkeling more enjoyable than it already is. We found a lot of small coral and baby conch shells. Mrs. Pollitt found one suprisingly amusing mound of sand with a stream of sand coming out of the top of it, almost like a volcano. After Elinor and I got tired of snorkeling we secretly added another item to the to-do list; Exploring! Unfortunately, Elinor and I had no idea that this section of the island was made entirely out of sharp eroded rock. we thought we could make it through so we kept painfully walking through this sharp beach. We got stuck but after a few minutes we figured it out and arrived safely onto the dinghy.

     

          Once we embarked back onto Boundless Elinor and I inspected our cut feet, everyone joined together for dinner. That night was the first meal I had ever had on a boat, the kitchen was just as new to me. The stove was very different from the stove most people have in their homes, this one rocked with the boat! The refridgerator was also unique in that it was built into the counter. These appliances seem to work because the spaghetti on the boat was delicious. Exceeding the standards of what anybody would think possible to be created in the confines of a 46ft boat. Compliments to the chef (Mrs. Pollitt)! After we filled our stomachs with a satisfying meal we proceeded to play a game Captain Jeff usually plays on the boat. He would ask us odd questions like: "If you could have any super power what would it be?" That wasn't all we did before we hit the sack, we also watched a boat appropriate movie, Captain Ron. Captain Ron was the perfect ending to an adventurous day.



Arrival

         "Ugggh, It's four in the morning, do I really have to get up" That is what I would have said on any other day. However today is not just any other day, today is the day I go to the BAHAMAS! Now this is what I said "Yes it's 4 in the morning, it's Bahamas time!" Once I hurridly get myself together we are out the door on our way to the airport.Of course the roads were clear, so made it to the airport in expert time. We get our tickets and we head to our gate. Once we get passed security there is a man with a massive golf cart, and no one would pass up a free golf cart ride. So we jump on and speed through the empty corridors. we make it to our gate. There starts our journey to Nassau, Bahamas. We started in Louisville then we went to Atlanta, and then to the Bahamas ;Finally a break.

         We finally arrived in Nassau! It is so magnificent here. We hop into a cab and drive over to Nassau Harbor. The harbor is filled with expensive yachts, tough sailboats, and cargo ships. We started to embark on the boat Boundless! First we get familiar with the boat and Captain Jeff, then we get moving.We sailed about 20 minutes to a place outside the harbor.On the way there we saw many beautiful, majestic vacation homes right on the water. Not even 5 minutes later we were already dressed in our neoprene wetsuits ready to snorkel. And snorkel we did, Kristin dove and and caught a furry sea cucmber, sea star, and a conch; Kristin is a beast. onced we finished snorkeling our day was practically over. Well, we did watch a movie and sleep under the stars. So overall today was an exciting and productive day!