Passage to the Berry Islands: Leaving the Bight

Red mangroves in Cross Harbour Bight lagoon.

Today the S/V Pandion turns southwest and sails 40 nautical miles to Bullock's Harbour in the Berry Islands. We are leaving the Bight of Abaco, after nearly three weeks of exploring this remote and pristine area of islands, bluffs, lagoons and coves.

We've been waiting for a weather window to make this passage to the Berry Islands, but it has given us more time to explore Cross Harbour. Yesterday we watched as four eagle rays glided beneath our dinghy, while a sea turtle swam through the group of rays.

On any given day in this tidal cut, Brenda and I have seen up to 12 sea turtles cruising about. They are curious animals, constantly poking their heads up to watch us.

Giant Anemone at low tide in Cross Harbour.

Exploring the tide pools of Cross Harbour at low tide has been a powerful reminder of using your eyes and ears to explore this quiet and fascinating world. At low tide, you can hear snapping shrimp popping their claws to stun their prey.

If you take the time to stop and just watch, you will see brittle stars slowly crawling across the bottom of a tide pool; the tentacles of anemones reaching out to catch drifting food, and reef crabs picking their way through the rocks.

Conch shell midden at Cross Harbour.

We also discovered mounds of ancient conch shells lying along the shoreline.

The scene reminded me of the Calusa shell middens that we see among the mangroves and oyster reefs of Rookery Bay Reserve in South Florida; evidence of prehistoric people that thrived on the abundance and productivity of these amazing places.

Upsidedown jellyfish in sea grass bed. These animals
have symbiotic algae that live in their tissues;
providing nourishment to the jellyfish through photosynthesis.