Reef sharks

I will never forget the rush of excitement and fear that coursed through my body as I slowly slid into the water and saw the reef sharks swimming under our sailboat. It was a moment of awe for these often-misunderstood predators of the ocean by humans, myself included. And here in the Bahamas, these seas are home to several species of sharks. When we set out on our adventure, we had no idea that we would soon come face to face with these majestic creatures, but it is a moment that will stay with us forever.

The sun was shining brightly and the water was a breathtaking blue when we anchored in the bay of Matthew Town, Inagua Island. We were in ecstasy from our last hour of sailing, greeted by the dolphins and the sun making the water glow all shades of blue. We had to check in with the officers already waiting on shore, and Jeroen and Rajesh were in charge of this task. With the dinghy lowered and the outboard motor fitted, they headed for shore with all the necessary papers in hand. Their mission was clear: checking us in and trying to arrange a data SIM card. Fortunately, we had already registered for the online program “click2clear” three weeks before our arrival and paid for the sailing permit. The customs and immigration officers were very friendly and after checking our papers they stamped our passports with permission to stay for two months. Although our visa application for Rajesh allowed for a stay of three months, the agents indicated that they can only issue a maximum of two months and that we can apply for renewal just before the expiration date, at an additional cost of course. However, the sailing permit was valid for three months. Despite the bureaucracy, we were too happy to be in this beautiful location. Bahamas, an island nation consisting of more than 700 islands and cays, 30 of which are uninhabited. We are excited to explore the azure waters, coral reefs and shoals that the Bahamas is known for. But we’re also a bit intimidated by our draft of 2.1 metres, which makes finding a good anchorage a challenge. And let’s not forget the larger predators that call these waters home – we’re both excited and nervous to see the marine life up close. So here we are, sailing into the unknown. Our first stop is a 45-nautical mile trip to Hogsty Reef, a coral reef in the middle of the great depths. We depart at 5am under the light of a nearly full moon and are treated to a beautiful sunrise. The wind is cooler than we are used to, but the sun soon makes up for everything and we cast our fishing rod again. Unfortunately, we don’t catch anything on this trip. As we approach the reef we see a small pile of beach in the distance with what looks like a broken lighthouse. The water changes color as we get closer to our anchorage and we anchor in 7 meters’ deep water, without shelter, and Jeroen enters the water to check the anchor. What he sees down there sends him back up the ladder in ecstasy – three reef sharks swimming around under the boat! Rajesh and I quickly put on our swimsuits and go into the water with Jeroen. The strong current makes it difficult to hold on to the bathing ladder, so Jeroen comes to the rescue by attaching a rope to a cleat for us to hold on to. The clarity of the water is incredible – you can see for miles underwater. We swim around in awe and enjoy the beauty of this little piece of paradise in the middle of the sea. We would like to learn more about the local marine life and hope that after our time here we can better assess the behavior of the sharks and dare to snorkel and dive around sharks with more confidence. After lunch we got into our dinghy and headed for the sand plain. As soon as we got there, we were greeted by a shark that was swimming close to the beach, but then quickly took off, talk about a short visit! Nevertheless, we slowly got out of our dinghy and explored the sand flat. Rajesh took some nice photos and videos with the drone and we tried to explore the area a bit more that way.

There is a strong wind coming and it is therefore unwise to stay here longer than 1 night. We didn’t want to end up like kites in a wind tunnel! We set our sights on Jamaica Bay on Acklins Island for our next anchorage. It was going to be a 7 hour 47 nautical mile sail so we hit snooze one last time and left at 7am this time. Who says adventure can’t start with a good cup of coffee and a quiet morning?” The sun was just starting to rise above the horizon. There is no wind and the boat seemed to be in a swimming pool, with no wind ripple in the water. water. We started the engine and started our journey. An hour later the wind gods decided to bless us with their presence and the wind picked up to 16 knots. We quickly hoisted the sails and the sound of the engine stopped. The only thing that all that was left was the sound of the wind and the sea It was a beautiful moment to see everyone relaxing on the boat. One was absorbed in a good book, the other studied the charts and tried to find the most beautiful anchorages around Acklins Island. And as for me, I was busy observing everyone and already writing the next blog about our adventures. Just as I got lost in my thoughts, our trusty fishing rod started spinning. Jeroen quickly sprang into action, ready for another battle with the sea monsters. It was a big one, took him almost 30 minutes to get it in. And when he finally did, we were amazed at the huge Mahi-Mahi caught at the end of the line. The brilliant blue, green and yellow iridescent colours were a sight to behold. We were ecstatic, it had been a while since we had caught one of these delicious fish. We knew we could get more than two meals out of this catch.

The wind increased to 24 knots and the boat glided smoothly through the water. We round Acklins Island on the southwest side and turn to a close wind course. We managed to sail almost all the way to our anchorage, where we finally anchored in 20 feet of water. Two other boats were already there. It was a wonderful sailing trip. That night we go to bed early. Tired and satisfied from the journey. Jeroen had studied the maps of Acklins Island and found a potential new anchorage he wanted to try. We set out the next morning a little unsure, not sure if the new anchorage would provide adequate shelter from the wind, but we were determined to find out. We pick up the anchor and sail 3 nautical miles further east, keeping a close eye on our depth gauge. Suddenly a dolphin appeared and swam alongside the boat, in only 3 meters of water. It was tempting to jump in and swim with the dolphin, but unfortunately we’re not anchored yet so it wasn’t safe to do so while also navigating an area of coral. Unfortunately, the waves and swell at the new anchorage were too rough making it too wavy to stay. It was a beautiful place, but only when the wind and waves were calm. So, we decided to go back to our old anchorage. Once back we donned our snorkel gear and jumped into the water to explore the underwater world. The water was clear and there were coral rocks around which beautiful tropical fish swam. However, there were also large stretches of sand only that were not so exciting.

I woke up the next morning with a strange feeling in my bones. It took me a while to realize what day it was: my birthday! And it wasn’t just any birthday, it was my first birthday at sea during our trip, without family and friends. Despite the distance, I was showered with love through apps, phone calls and Facebook messages. In addition, Jeroen and Rajesh were there to celebrate my birthday with me and they made it an unforgettable day. They sang me a birthday song and we ate a delicious carrot cake, complete with colored matches for candles. For dinner, we indulged in chilli chicken with fresh chapati and homemade cherry/chocolate and lime ice cream for dessert. My birthday present? We had the boat stickers made on Saint Maarten at Imagen Graphics. The three of us made them to the boom and the front of the boat, which made me super happy.

But as the day wore on, I saw a menacing sky looming above us like a grumpy giant ready to unleash its fury. And boy did it! The rain fell right in front of us, as if holding a grudge against the land. Unfortunately, we needed that rain for our water tanks, but all we got were light showers that didn’t provide enough water for the water tanks. In between the rain showers, we boarded our dinghy and headed for the beach, determined to explore the coast. One time we walked along the waterline, to stretch our legs. The other time we tried to get through the wild bushes, the thorns of which stuck to our clothes and refused to let go, we didn’t get very far, but we did discover a freshwater pool with some beautiful birds and had other moments we don’t need miles of sandy beaches to satisfy our curious minds. In fact, we were amazed at what we found in just a few square meters. Small shells in various shapes and colours and a very nice size. We also saw baby hermit crabs running around and larger crabs peeking out from under the rocks. It was like a bustling shellfish city, and we couldn’t help but feel like the invaders. For the next two days, the wind blew outside and we played Yahtzee, read, wrote, and watched movies. Then we could continue our sailing adventure further north. Our next destinations were Gordons Beach, South Point and Clarence Town, which required considerable sailing distance. This is the disadvantage of the Bahamas that the islands are so scattered.