We can only admire the courage and skills of early explorers that navigated these waters without the aid of a high-quality GPS plotters.  The small anchorage between the larger Hoffman’s Cay and Devil Cay and behind the smaller White Cay was our second stop in the Berry Islands. I would not have had the nerve to enter it without the GPS.  The beach by the entrance had featureless rock until just a few hundred yards off and then a small entrance opened up to the SW. We swooshed in and had to make a hard turn to N to avoid crashing into Saddleback Cay. But in about the time it takes to read this post we were in calm quiet, deep water behind the lee of White Cay and dropped anchor in 16 feet of sand.

This was that real paradise we’ve been looking for in the Bahamas – only about five boats when we arrived – pristine beaches, crystal clear water. The shoreline is rugged with numerous little bays and alcoves and secluded beaches. Every boat could have its own little personal beach if it wanted!

Once we got the anchor set and settled in, we looked around at the several beautiful islands and beaches surrounding us. We were eager to start exploring! A huge Blue Hole in the middle of nearby Hoffman’s Cay was one of the highlights we were looking forward to seeing. A blue hole is a large marine cavern or sinkhole, which is open to the surface and has developed in a bank or island composed of carbonate bedrock and is usually thousands of feet deep.

The blue hole at Hoffman’s Cay is located about 1/4 mile inland. We beached our dinghy on the second beach and follow the man-made trail of dense vegetation until we come upon the vast hole in the middle of the island. We stood at the top of a high cliff marveling at some daredevils who took their plunges. Not being adventurous, but mostly not wanting to get injured in the middle of nowhere, Claudia and I chose to hike to the bottom level of the blue hole. Along the hike, we saw shallow limestone caves made up of stalagmites, stalactites, and natural limestone columns. We hung out with other cruisers then Claudia jumped into the blue hole for a refreshing swim and some manatee style free-floating relaxation.

Before heading back to our boat, we headed out to Turtle Beach and snorkeled with some incredible sea turtles and manta rays.

The weather forecast predicted some nasty storms coming our way in a few days. We made a reservation at a marina in Chub Cay and we’ll need to start moving in that direction soon, but we still have couple of days to enjoy our next anchorage in Bond Cay.