Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Land Tour of Andros

Though I am not new to Andros and have visited several times throughout the course of my life, I have never really explored the island. I am currently working as an intern for the next few months and will be sharing some of my experiences here at Small Hope and around the area. I've only been here for a week so far, but on my day off I joined some guests (Cheryl and Jeff) on a land tour with Dennis. The agenda was to explore some blue holes, caves and check out the northern part of the island. On our way up to Conch Sound, we passed pine forests, schools, colorful houses, a Mennonite farm, and a handful of building projects that were left abandoned. It was certainly insightful to ride with our knowledgeable tour guide (and trusty divemaster)Dennis, who answered our questions with ease. When we reached the sound, we saw the flattened water which signified a blue hole underneath and we all got our snorkels on to explore.
Blue Hole at Conch Sound
Caves


What a sight! The cracks in the limestone fell deep and hundreds of fish were passing through as the limestone walls bent and curved in different directions. Several schools of fish of varying size swam beneath us as we floated at the surface. A large blowfish hovered in the open space while another hid behind a crack and slowly peered out everytime I moved a different way. As I watched a lionfish swim around, Dennis called me over and pointed to a sleeping nurse shark, which was exciting for me but  unfortunately it swam away before Jeff and Cheryl could make it over to see.



Unfortunately we set out on a relatively chilly day and the water was so cold I had goosebumps and we were all shaky. We returned to the car, cracked open some drinks, and further explored the island and saw some lovely beaches, Captain Morgan's caves in Morgan's Bluff, and met some locals after having experienced some car malfunctions. We missed out on Captain Bill's Blue Hole, but I'll check that out sometime soon when I have the time. All in all, we had quite an adventure and I look forward to more trips like this. Pin It Now!

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