Amazon Adventure # 32. Thunderball Cave.

                                                              "Here fishy, fishy."

On the way south we had seen the rock islet which enclosed Thunderball Cave, the set for a scene from an early 007 James Bond movie ( Goldfinger), and now we were back again with time to use our recently gained skills with our snorkeling gear to dive down through the underwater entrance and up into the hollow interior of the island. Heather picks up the story.

                        Inside the island is Thunderball Cave.

The journal:

Feb.14th.
It is very still this morning which bodes well for our visit to Thunderball cave since there must be no swell. We must be anchored nearby just before slack tide as that is the only safe time to go in there.

First we waded ashore and did a shop again at Staniel Cay and got some drinking water from an enormous Canadian motor yacht. Then we found a good place to anchor near the cave. Beginning to get cold and overcast, but still calm, thank goodness. Bill and Anne first went into the cold water to check things out. Strange to watch them disappear into the rock! Bill came back for Elaine and then Gwyneth, then me.

I had practiced so long for just this moment! I dove down through the hole and gulped down a great mouthful of water I was so nervous. It was beautiful inside even with no sun. There were not as many fish as I had expected but they were lovely, hanging around like ornaments at first and then flocking up to investigate us when we stayed still. Bill was very cold by now so we headed back to the boat to warm up.

Anne and Elaine started off again with a big cabbage leaf to feed the fish but Elaine saw a big grouper below and came shrieking back and could n`t be persuaded to go back in the water so I went in her place and found Anne absorbed in the cave with great flocks of fish around her as she fed them little chunks of cabbage. ( “Here fishy, fishy, fishy!”coming up her snorkel.) Like being in an aquarium with the fish! When they all clustered close though, they made you want to giggle. Gwyn and I made one more trip and then on to Sampson Cay to buy gas and then to an out of the way ‘creek’ at Compass Cay. After supper we took the tent down in preparation for the big storm. It came, and flooded us on deck totally. I went below around 4am. and organized a place to lie down. Bill did better without me! Heather.