Shroud Cay

We enjoyed beautiful Bahama Bank sailing to Shroud Cay. The anchorage on South Shroud Cay is beautiful and exciting to explore but the mangrove river in the south are non-motor crafts only. The reviews said it was a kayakers paradise and I believe it.

We motored to the Northern end of Shroud Cay. In passing a cut that lead to the windward side of the Exumas, we saw a sprawl of coral growth. We dropped anchor and found some of the best snorkeling since Guadeloupe (Jacques Cousteau Underwater Park). Sharks, barracuda, schools of fish, COLORFUL corals at manageable depths. We stayed here for a few hours before moving on to the mangroves on Shroud Cay.

We took our dinghy in past immaculate beaches through calm and clear waters, and entered the river with mangroves reaching out on either side. We wound our way around the twisting river turtles fleeing on every turn, eventually finding the famous, Camp Driftwood. I read that a hermit sailor carved out steps to the top of a hill to create his own little sanctuary. Over the years cruisers brought driftwood and plastic tokens to the top to add their own flair etching their boat name on the surfaces. In 2012, rangers came through and cleaned out Camp Driftwood. When we found it, the hilltop was pristine and beautiful. I was a bit dismayed to see that I missed out on the art of Camp Driftwood… but the more I come to think of it… so many islands, cays, and beaches (ex: Warderick Wells/Big Major) have tokens from cruisers. The Exumas are not missing out in having one less hill with plastic & driftwood from cruisers stating they’ve arrived. You want to make your mark & celebrate your travels? Fine, as someone who is also proud about our own travels I support that but make it in the sand, or etch your name on a barstool, let nature be. That’s my rant, sorry if I rained on someones parade.

Kirsten playing on the limestone.Read more