Hidden Gems on Grand Bahama

We have greatly enjoyed our 20 days on the island of Grand Bahama.  It is the longest length of time Dan and I have ever taken on a trip so it was a good test run for our new life style of living out of a suitcase. We definitely learned some things about packing or at least I did as I have always over packed for any trip!😊

During our stay, we explored the island from tip to tip.  One of our favorite spots was called Garden of the Groves.  A lovely botanical garden filled with many species of plants and of course birds!  We spotted Cuban Emerald Hummingbirds in the butterfly garden which was another new species for us bringing our new Bahama bird sightings to 12.  All in all, we identified 45 species while tromping around the various neighborhoods of the island.

Another favorite spot was our snorkel trip to Peterson's Cay, a tiny island National Park surrounded by beautiful reefs.  Dan and I had snorkeled this place 12 years ago and fell in love with its remote beauty.  We were very pleased to see that they have turned the island into a bird sanctuary as well as with the health of the reef.  At least to our untrained eyes, the reef was in absolutely beautiful shape. 
Our final scuba dives took us to two new areas.  Pygmy Caves had corals we had never seen anywhere else before and were a definite "do again" dive in our book.

Our condo was perfectly situated on a channel that afforded us many hours of entertainment as well.  Incredible yachts such as Jack Nichlaus's Sea Bear came by several days.  She is a $10M boat that requires a crew of 5 just to keep her going!

Other visitors in our channel, known as the Bell Channel,  were spotted such as sting rays, nurse sharks, a very large manatee and countless tropical fish.  There was certainly never a moment where there was nothing to do or watch if you were willing to be still and just observe.

Week three of our stay brought several days of rainy weather which was a nice change and brought much needed moisture to the area.  June is generally a fairly wet month so if you plan to visit the Bahamas for a totally sunshine filled vacation, planning it for May or earlier is wise.  There are many  resorts on the Grand Bahama and more empty beaches then you can imagine.  It is an island that is struggling a bit as their tourist numbers have been decreasing over the past several years due to hurricane impacts, high taxation on all good/services purchased on the island as well as an entity known as the Port Authority which appears to rule the island even though it isn't the government.  We've enjoyed learning Grand Bahama's history, experiencing its culture and cuisine.  We were highly amused as we tried to understand the English language dialect the local Bahamian's use when visiting with each other. We never did master any of it!  All in all we had a super time.

Wishing you each a Bahama sunshine filled day no matter where you are!