Posted by: Editor on Feb 17, 2005 – 07:52 PM
excursions Little San Salvador Island, Bahamas – “Heeere stingray! Heeere stingray!” cried one excited teenager as he tried to coax the silky sea creature closer as if he were calling a cat.
“Holy moly,” he said when the graceful, whip-tailed fish nibbled food from his fingers. “I’m talkin’ to a stingray!”
The teen was among the dozen or so passengers from Holland America’s Westerdam snorkeling in gin-clear water on Half Moon Cay, the cruise line’s slice of paradise on this 2,400-acre island about 100 miles southeast of Nassau.
We were all totally mesmerized by one of the island’s newest amenities: Stingray Adventure.
Unlike the more famous stingray attraction on Grand Cayman, where rays are free to come and go, Half Moon Cay’s facility is an acre-sized, lagoon-side pen that houses 26 rays, assorted marine animals and a hawksbill turtle named Precious. As one snorkeler lifted Precious from the water, the maize-and-black dotted amphibian posed languidly for photos. She was no Cindy Crawford, though, and eventually tired of the limelight, squiggling until she was placed gently back into the water.
The island’s stingrays, some a quarter-century old – Methuselah in fish terms – didn’t seem to mind the habitat’s constraints and, anyway, whenever need be, they scuttled beneath the soft-sand bottom for a reprieve.
When it comes to habitat, Half Moon Cay was divine for passengers, too.
This Garden of Eden spot is only open to cruise passengers. Holland America purchased the island in 1997 for $6 million and sank another $10 million into its development. Most of the line’s Caribbean cruises – and some of its Panama Canal cruises as well – include a daylong stop here. Sister line Windstar Cruises also has ships that visit.
Today the place includes an aqua sports center, a children’s playground, a straw market and food pavilions, an ice cream store, a post office, even a Spanish-style chapel for wedding and renewal-of-vows ceremonies. All but 55 acres of the island has been purposely left pristine; a sanctuary for birds, a delight for visitors.
Relaxing here for the day is worlds apart from typical stops at popular Caribbean islands. You and your fellow passengers have the place to yourself. You can kick back on an isolated outcropping of sand amid rocky ruins the Arawak Indians once might have called home.
The island boasts plenty of white talc beach and ample lounge chairs, the perfect place to while away the day doing nothing but developing a tan. But then you’d miss some of the fun activities.
In addition to the stingrays, a standout is the newly debuted horseback ride into the surf. Minutes after stepping off the ship’s tender, we were at a 5-acre paddock where Molasses and 23 other water-loving steeds awaited their romp along the beach and a wild dash into the surf. The experince is exhilarating.
If proverbially you can lead a horse to water but not make it drink, these muscular chestnut- and oak-colored mounts sure loved to swim. The specially trained herd from the famed Chukka Cove in Montego Bay, Jamaica, were flown first to Eleuthera aboard a 727 then ferried to Half Moon Cay. Here they do five rides a day and the 1-hour excursion costs a reasonable $59.
Not into horses? Take a Jeep to the other side of the island for a Jet Ski excursion that zooms over wave crests at 38 mph.
We skipped that in favor of a guided nature walk. Our leisurely jaunt wended through Half Moon Cay’s version of backcountry, where guide Frank Smith eagerly described the flora and fauna. Starting nearly every sentence with “Believe you me, my friends,” Smith said sapodilla trees are the source of Chiclets. Several neon-blue lizards darted across the sand. Following their tracks, we spyed a curly-tailed lizard posing in the sun.
Rising to only 90 feet above sea level, Half Moon Cay has such delights as wild orchids. As Smith chatted, the lyrical song of Bahamas mockingbirds provided background music – Smith said these creatures can even mimic chain saws and telephone rings, though we laughed skeptically.
Among the bird species that thrive on the island is the yellow banana bird, which is quite visible around the island’s barbecue lunch spot.
Lunch on-island is an open-air affair, a buffet barbecue, free to all passengers. We piled our plates high with burgers, chicken and all the fixins’, including luscious brownies for dessert. Beverages are extra.
It was not as if we had overworked ourselves but, hey, who can ignore the call of the island’s massage parlors – two open-air huts overlooking the beach? Here you can opt for an hour massage that will leave you limp.
For a taste of true lxury, some passengers lounged in seaside cabanas. Eight private cottages dot the beach, available for those willing to fork over $249 per day. Each accommodates up to six people. Tack on another $200 and you get butler service and drinks all-around for the day.
As we headed for the dock to catch the tender back to the ship, we decided next time we’d gild the lily and splurge on one of those.
GFtailFor more information, call 877-SAIL-HAL (877-724-5425) or go to www.hollandamerica.com.
By Arline and Sam Bleecker