Back on the water again! We did a nice long run from Nassau to Warderick Wells and the Exuma Cays, Land and Sea Park. The first land and sea park in the world, which was established in 1959, covers 176 square miles. It was designed to conserve and protect land and marine life in their natural states, unspoiled by fishing and hunting.
The park was too late to save the original virgin mahogany and hardwood forests, which were stripped clean by loggers many years ago, leaving just scrub pine and palm. Reminiscent of our beloved upper Michigan and Ontario, also lumbered clean.
Warderick Wells is the headquarters island of the park. There are several mooring fields in the park, and we picked up one in the south anchorage, which has mooring balls for six boats. The use of moorings is encouraged to prevent damage to the coral, which may be caused by anchoring. Adjacent to our mooring are large slabs of blue-green reef forming stromatolites. These types of reefs are the oldest evidence of life on Earth, with some fossils dating back 3.5 billion years. The live ones near our boat are estimated to be about 2000 years old. They are extremely fragile, and as with all park life we are directed not to disturb them. 
No comments:
Post a Comment