Allen Cay 24 44.75 N 76 51.40 W Jan 29, 2008

We are anchored in one of Florrie’s favorite spots on earth. It is an excellent anchorage within the protection of three small cays and some tiny unnamed ones to the north. To the south is the crescent-shaped SW Allen’s Cay. There’s space there for only one anchored boat. That makes the ideal post card picture; one catamaran surrounded by a low island covered in low shrubs and one coconut palm punctuating the horizon. To the west is Allen’s Cay. It is very low, not more than 30’ high, with scrubby brush and no visible coconut palm trees. Coming in from the Exuma Bank we could see the 60’ masts of about eight boats already here. The sunset was typically magnificent but the real surprise came after dark. The entire “island” was raucously noisy with the calls of different kinds of birds. Florrie remarked that she wished she were an ornithologist so she could identify each species by sound. It is Leaf Cay, to the east, that is the real treat. That is where the “prehistoric” marine iguanas live. As we pulled in to anchor we saw their long black bodies dotting the small beach. At that time a couple of power boats had brought tourists (day trippers, possibly from Nassau) to see and feed them. People bring grapes and put the fruit on long sticks, keeping their distance from the wild but reasonably approachable lizards. We have an apple that we’re willing to cut up for the critters when we visit them this morning.