Graham’s Cay Guanaja Honduras Bay Islands

Views en route from Bonacca to Graham’s Cay

Having spent the morning shopping in Bonacca, by midday we were off again and making tracks towards Graham’s Cay.  We passed the headland that provides the protection for El Bight and enjoyed views of the beach on its eastern side and of the attractive holiday homes that back it.

Graham’s Cay

Between Bonacca and Graham’s Cay the sound inside Guanaja’s eastern reef is generally deep and we had no navigational problems, particularly since there was good light from the high sun.  We anchored to the west of Graham’s Cay, as close in as we reasonably could get, which wasn’t too close because of shallows that extend a fair way out.  There were 2 other yachts anchored off when we arrived; an aluminium yacht and a GRP ketch, Mariah.  Trish & John Billings from Mariah came over to say hello and told us about a favourite snorkelling place further up the cays, so after lunch we went to take a look.

The site is on the south side of the northern cut through the reef, just to the south of North East Cay.  We anchored the dinghy on a sandy patch and hopped into the water.  Our first impression was of lots of soft corals, especially fan coral,.......

A veritable aquarium:  Stoplight parrotfish, Blue tang, Doctorfish, Blueheaded wrasse and Sergeant majors

…… and of lots of fish.

The water was surprisingly turbid, probably due to the wind direction, but we were still able to see plenty of fish and other marine life…..

Top left: Lionfish (sadly, one of several).  Bottom left: Conch

….and my pictures have come out much clearer than I had expected.

Christmas tree worms on Brain coral

But some of our favourite creatures on this particular snorkelling expedition were the Christmas tree worms, which seemed to grow in profusion on the Brain coral.

That evening we had drinks on board BV with Trish and John and compared notes on the snorkelling.  They said that the visibility had been much poorer than on previous days, so we resolved to return the next day.  We chatted about plans and discovered that they had spent some time with the Suzie Too crowd.  They planned to follow them on to Roatan the next day but, with an issue with some of their stainless steelwork, they intended to head directly for the French Harbour area where they hoped to find someone who could resolve the problem.

Our snorkelling site was a cut-through beyond the furthest left cay in the picture above

But on Saturday 8 February, before we could snorkel once more there were boat chores to do, specifically, the laundry followed (inevitabl), by making water.

Then we snorkelled.  As promised, the water was a lot clearer.  We enjoyed diving down along the wall……

Blueheaded wrasse

….. and just floating gently over the top.

In the clearer water the coral formations, with their surrounding shoals of reef fish, were even more spectacular.

Top left and right: Yellowtailed damselfish on a Leaf coral backdrop.  Bottom left: huge French angelfish.  Centre and bottom right: Porkfish

Barracuda

It felt very much like we were swimming in an aquarium.

The beach at Graham’s Cay

Having enjoyed the local snorkelling we felt that we should also visit the local hotel, particularly since it had been so well recommended to us by Trish and John (and via the Facebook posts of the fleet with Suzie Too).

Graham’s Cay is a beautifully kept island resort, with white-sand, ‘pisted’ beaches, freshly painted outdoor furniture (and trees!?), attractive-looking cabanas and a small aviary.

We enjoyed a beer from the bar and took a stroll around the nearby large, salt-water pen where we saw several turtles (for breeding we think), stingrays, tarpon, conch and lobsters – the latter two perhaps destined for the restaurant’s tables.

But we were most surprised at how empty the place appeared.

On our stroll around the island (admittedly not a long affair as the cay is very small) we saw one other couple out and about and one couple at a table in the bar.  Maybe it’s the low season – we certainly hope so!

Beach-side cabanas 

During the day we were joined in the anchorage by a Swedish yacht which anchored next to us

Back on board BV for our last night off Graham’s Cay and, indeed, on the east side of Guanaja, we made up some dough and enjoyed a homemade pizza in the cockpit for dinner.

The plan for the next day was to sail around to the west of Guanaja to a place called The End of the World.  And if it turned out to be just that, at least we had just had a lovely time here on the east side of the island.

Graham’s Cay, Guanaja, Honduras Bay Islands