Warderick Wells - Part one - Boo Boo Hill

After leaving Shroud Cay, trying to get away from the wind and waves, we pulled into Warderick Wells. We wove our way through the large charter and private yachts into one of the park run mooring fields. The closer we got to shore, the more the winds calmed. Once we pulled in behind Emerald Rock, just off Warderick Wells, we were in beautiful, calm, and protected water. We grabbed a mooring ball in the empty field and since it was well past office hours at the park, we settled in for the night and were treated to a beautiful view of the sun setting behind Emerald Rock.

The next morning, after a quick trip ashore to walk the dogs on one of the many beautiful beaches, we headed into the office of the Exuma Land and Sea Park. We were greeted by "Stinky", a pilot whale skeleton that was found stranded in 2010 and recently placed into a nice glass case.

"Stinky"

After spending some time in the offices, speaking with the delightful Ms. Cherry, Elliot, the Conservation Manager, came in. It seemed that they needed some help servicing the engines on all their patrol boats. As Steve's specialty [Boat repair in exotic places], he spoke with the park warden and set up some time to volunteer for them the next day to service their boats. With that scheduled, we set out to hike up to the famous Boo-Boo Hill and explore the main island.

Map of the trails

Warderick Wells is the headquarters for the Land and Sea Park with 18 different trails, over 7 miles total. We had our eye on several and started with the Causeway Trail to Causeway Bridge. This led through the low wetlands and crossed Banshee Creek, which provided a surprise view of Miss Daisy.

Miss Daisy in the distance

Close up

After crossing the "bridge", we headed up the steep Hutia Hill Trail. The trails are made up of mainly "Moon Rock" or sharp, weathered limestone that can be dangerous if you're not careful. We took our time walking up the back side of the islands' bluffs that varied from rugged, sun-baked rocky terrain to shady, mangrove tunnels [pictured below]. Coming across Murphy's Hideaway, we took a welcome break from the heat and while the kids, braver than us, explored the hideaway, Steve and I hydrated and rested. 

Hutia Hill Trail

Jake braving the ladder into Murphy's Hideaway

Murphy's Hideaway

At the top of the bluffs, Hutia Hill Trail turned into Hutia Highway with it's beautiful views of the ocean along the bluffs. We had another break and took in the breathtaking beauty that is the Bahamas. This wasn't the first time we sat on the edge of what feels like "cliffs" overlooking the ocean since arriving in the Bahamas but it still made me a little nervous. Once you sit and look out, though, all those nerves seem to disappear.

Looks like they could have their feet in the water - but check it out from a different angle below.

After our rest, we continued on Hutia Highway and followed it down to Boo Boo Beach. Since it is forbidden to take anything from the land or sea in the Land and Sea park, visitors often pile shells and other pretty things into little collections along the way. We added a couple ourselves and readied ourselves for this last steep hike up to Boo Boo Hill.

Shell collection

Boo Boo Beach

Final hill leading to Boo Boo Hill - notice the "B" in rocks to form stairs along a steep sandy part.

All we had read about Boo Boo Hill did nothing to prepare us for what we found. So named because it is said to be haunted with the souls of a missionary ship that went aground on the reef below. Legend says that on a moonlit night, you can hear the voices of those missionaries singing. Makes for a great story but [spoiler alert] the sound coming from the nearby blowholes, could easily be mistaken for ghostly songs. Tradition is for cruisers to place driftwood or something else natural, atop the hill and each upon return each year, you find your item again. The mound of driftwood on top of Boo Boo Hill is massive. We spent about an hour looking through all the amazing items, trying in vain to find something from anyone we knew. The view from the top was spectacular and well worth hiking in the heat. There was also a nice breeze up there that we enjoyed. Since we like to be different, we thought instead of a driftwood sign, we would leave one of our painted Easter Conchs. We placed it off to the side of the mound in a spot that had some other shells. We love that we added a little color to the grays of all the driftwood. 

Easter Conch #3

24°23.457'N

076°37.446'W

Panoramic view from the top 

We left, heading down Boo Boo Hill trail, and quickly ended up back at Powerful Beach and the park headquarters having completed a full circle. Located on the beach is the skeleton of a 53' Sperm Whale [died after swallowing a plastic bag]. He watches over the tiki hut, park office and front mooring field. A sad reminder of the effects of human pollution. A 50 ton whale taken out by one plastic bag. 

Once back at the headquarters and dinghy dock, we headed back to Miss Daisy. We had planned to walk the trail to see the settlers' ruins but after several hours of hiking in the heat, we opted for a swim and relaxing evening instead. Another beautiful sunset featuring Emerald Rock, ending another amazing day in the Bahamas. 

Next up, Warderwick Wells - Part two - Underwater