Thunderball Grotto
This picturesque hollowed-out cave was the location for the filming of the James Bond movies Never Say Never Again and Thunderball, as well as Splash. A varied and beautiful assortment of fish live in and around the cave. The grotto is best visited at slack tide and low tide. At low tide, swimmers have enough room to enter the cave with heads above water; otherwise, a quick underwater dip is required. Due to our long walk on the ocean side, we arrived a little later than planned, and, while it was still low tide, slack tide had passed and the current had already become strong. While Larry easily maneuvered to the other side and back, I would snorkel to about the middle and then be pulled back at the entrance by the current. I just kept swimming back in! Thousands of colorful fish swim all around you and they do like to be fed. Fish food or even cooked rice in a water bottle with a small hole in the lid is easy to shake and the fish rush to the treat and to you or they will eat out of your hand.

Sunlight shines through the natural skylights where rain has eroded the rock. Natural entrances are on both the east and west end. The next time we visit, I'll enter one end and flow with the current out the other end. This natural fish bowl is amazing. The Thuderball islands are protected by the Bahamas National Trust, so no fishing allowed.

Thunderball Club is a short boat ride away and is packed with photographs taken during the 007 filmings. Sean Connery looks so young -and gorgeous! With a daily Happy Hour and lots of atmosphere, the Club is a popular spot for cruisers.

Nurse sharks and rays are numerous around the docks at Staniel Cay Yacht Club. They are great subjecst for photos, but their interest in the area is far more primal.

Fishing guides and their paying anglers usually come back from a fishing trip in the Exuma Sound with a nice catch of mahi mahi, dorado, and tuna.





Dinnertime






Lovely rental cottage avail- able at Staniel Cay Y.C.


This area covers several islands. Small reefs with good snorkeling are found around the islands. We snorkeled and walked the trails to the Ocean Beach and to the Ocean Park. We are seeing cruisers that we met in Georgetown, which then leads to sundowners and catch up time.

We also had two days of too much wind and rolling plus some much appreciated rain. My skin needed a break from the sun and these were good days for boat maintenance.