Warderick Wells is the headquarters of the Exumas Land & Sea Park. It began in the late 1950’s when the Bahamian government recognized the need to protect and preserve its marine habitats and ecosystems. This island is absolutely stunning! Its landscape includes a mix of white sand beaches, pristine waters with every shade of blue imaginable, rock bluffs, salt flats, mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds, and ancient ruins. The marine life includes rays, sharks, and spectacular reef fish. And the wildlife is impressive as well, with birds, lizards, and the native Caribbean hutia, a rodent about the size of a guinea pig (sadly, we didn’t get to see one).
Every boat that anchors or secures to a mooring ball in the Exumas Land and Sea Park is required to register at the main office and pay a nightly fee based on the vessel size. So, our first order of business was to check in at the office and meet the warden. Just our first steps onto the dinghy dock gave us a glimpse of this breathtaking place. We were anticipating a great day of explorations!
The warden at the park office was super friendly and helpful. He gave us a map of the island and pointed out all the great places to go. Now we just had to figure out what to do first.
Right after checking in, we walked out of the office to the official entrance to the island where we were greeted by a skeleton of a 52-foot sperm whale. Sadly, the sperm whale lost a battle with plastic garbage from the ocean and serves as a reminder for visitors to act responsibly with our waste.
We spent some time walking on the beach and then planning a hike for the day. Trails stretch throughout the island, so we could hike from one end to the other and explore this amazing nature preserve.
We were supposed to walk to Boo Boo Hill today, but we took a wrong turn and ended up crossing a salt pond, trekking over salt flats at Banshee Creek, and then hiking up a rocky hill overlooking the Great Bahama Bank. We decided we would hike Boo Boo Hill another day. It was time to go back to the boat for a late lunch and then an afternoon of snorkeling. What a wonderful day. God’s creation is incredible! To Him be all glory and praise!
