Staniel Cay, for a few more days

Yes, plans are subject to change! As always, the weather dictates, and thus we've been keeping tabs on Hurricane Tomas to the south. Looking at the National Hurricane Center forecasts, predictions were for Tomas to turn and cross over the Turks and Caicos by week's end. Since we really didn't want to be running south, only to be in Tomas's path, we opted to stay put at Staniel for a few days and see what the weather brings. Not exactly a hardship, we realize!

So, Sunday being bright and sunny, we did a lot of different things, from snorkeling a couple of times in Thunderball Cave to cruising in Eclipse around Big Majors, to walking about on Staniel Cay and lunching at the SCYC. As I said earlier, it's quiet here....nary a boat at the Yacht Club, and the anchorage at Big Major's was utterly empty of boats as well. It was lovely and very isolated, so much so that when we cruised up to Pig Beach, only one lone swimming pig came out to see us!! 

The lone pig on Pig Beach, barreling down across the sand to the water

She was swimming her heart out, but no food for her efforts

We had a lovely walk around Staniel Cay later in the mid-morning sunshine. It seems like many places have been spruced up for the coming season, and it was a beautiful day for a walk. We just went over to Happy People, passing the old library and down to the public dock, didn't even walk up to the Blue Store or the Pink Store. 

Ron in front of the Happy People Restaurant & Bar

Sign for the entrance to the old library

The Library on the hill

From there, it was lunch at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club and watching a few football games. (The Ravens had a bye week, so no cardiac football for us this Sunday....that will have to wait until Thursday!) After lunch on the way back to the boat, we saw the familiar nurse sharks hanging about the docks at the Yacht Club, as well as a pair of rays swimming in the shallows. More snorkeling and swimming at Thunderball in the late afternoon (the currents at the cave can be challenging but also a lot of fun!) before a bit of camaraderie at the SYCY bar with a few folks costumed and ready to celebrate Halloween! We also saw the AquaCat, the live-aboard dive boat that cruises through the Exumas, pull in for the night to  take a berth at the SYCY. (We've actually cruised aboard her back in 2002 when Ally was first certified at the age of 10. She was their youngest diver to date at that point!) So...while it wasn't a late night, it was fun!