Our sailing exploration of the Exuma chain of islands is nearing an end, but not before we knock off another Bahamas bucket list item: swimming with a mermaid.

Many small islands of the Bahamas are privately owned, and one of those islands is Musha Cay owned by the magician David Copperfield, who did a cool thing back in 2011. He commissioned an artist to sculpt a statue of a mermaid looking at a grand piano. He then sank the sculpture in about 15 feet of water nearby and had a contest to see who could find it. Since then it has become a go-to site for snorkeling among cruisers, charters, and day boats alike.

Before sailing to Musha Cay to see the mermaid, we spent two nights at Black Point. Black Point holds a special place in our hearts because it reminded us of how we grew up as kids, a time when no one bothered anyone, and people were friendly and happily going about their ways. The biggest difference of course was the turquoise blue sea and the coconut palms, versus the New England small towns and murky waters. We felt right at home moseying through the streets, chatting with folks as we explored and did our normal errands. Everyone in town was super friendly and welcoming. We met a man named Magic who invited us to watch him perform at the upcoming Farmer’s Cay regatta. He’s sailed on “Patton’s Pride”, a Class-C Bahamian Sloop. Since we couldn’t make the regatta, we opted to cheer him on during his sea trial practices. Later on, we were invited to a cruisers dinner at Lorraine’s Cafe where we gathered with a dozen other cruisers and enjoyed a wonderfully fun night out without cooking or washing dishes.

The next day we made our way to Musha Cay, 18 miles south. We left early to make sure we didnt arrive at low tide due to many shallow spots. We arrived an hour before low tide, just enough depth without touching the bottom. Once at Rudder Cut, we found a good spot to drop anchor and settled in. We were ready to find our mermaid.

The piano/mermaid sculpture was indeed pretty cool, albeit in deeper waters than we would normally snorkel. With a good deal of chop and current which made me feel a bit nervous but Claudia assured me that we were good. We’re not sure exactly why underwater sculptures are just inherently cooler than above-water sculptures… but there’s just something about the contrast or the unexpected nature of the sculpture that seems to make it magical.

Tomorrow we leave for George Town, a place we’ve heard so much about. Everyone says we have to go there, it’s like no other place you’ve been to. Like everything, we’ll keep an open mind and decide for ourselves, but for now, no expectations.

Magic, Our Sailor Friend

Magic On Patton's Pride Sea Trial

Black Point Road Sign

Rudder Cay Cave

David Copperfield Guest Cottage

Aging Underwater Piano