Touring Abaco with Marcus Davis is a special treat for visitors! Marcus was born and raised in Crossing Rocks, South Abaco, and he grew up fishing and exploring so knows all there is to know about the local sea-life. He has a winning smile, loves and knows his Abaco, and takes great pride in sharing Abaco with visitors. Marcus is a Park Warden for Bahamas National Trust. (Four new National Parks for South Abaco were established August 31, 2015! – click HERE for details) He also spent several years as a guide onboard the Glass Bottom Boat at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island for its cruise ships. He has been hunting for many years and is a passionate ‘bush-man.’ Marcus is a well-rounded ‘Mr. Abaco!’
Call or Marcus or Siren (his wife) to book your tour. Marcus: 1-242-819-9698 – rangermd2@gmail.com Siren: 1-242-829-3322 -SirenWDavis@icloud.com. He offers a wide variety of experiences and will customize your 1/2 day or full day tour based on your wishes. Some of the activities you can choose from are:
- Visit and explore the Blue Holes & Caves of Abaco: The Blue Holes in South Abaco are historical, cultural, and geological treasures. They have their name after the apparent blue color of the surface water in some of them. On the tour you will be able to see different kinds of blue holes, including the most well known “Sawmill Sink,” an inland blue hole made famous by National Geographic and archeological studies that have changed how scientists view some of the extinctions from the Ice Age! HERE is an article from the LA Times telling about the studies from Sawmill Sink.
It is also interesting to visit the entrances to Ralph’s Cave and Dan’s Cave. As the Park Warden, Marcus has worked to make these accessible, with steps and wooden platforms. You can wade and swim in the water at the entrance to the caves – or on the surface of Sawmill Sink, but if you want to scuba dive in the caves or blue hole you should arrange a trip with Dive Abaco. Brian Kakuk has the authority (government permission) to take divers into the Sawmill Sink Blue Hole – a protected, archaeological site. This is a link to Brian’s web site: Cave Diving with Bahamas Underground, and this link is to an article that was in the Abaconian.
Sawmill Sink Blue Hole
The Sawmill Sink Blue Hole is a key part of the South Abacco Blue Holes National Park. Swimming and freediving is permitted, but permits are required for diving. The sign explains that it is a restricted site. This site was explored and documented by a team from National Geographic.
Ralph’s Cave
After driving a few miles of the main road into this part of the South Abaco Blue Holes National Park, you come to a clearing and a path that takes you to the cave entrance. It is easy to walk down the steps and look into the entrance of the cave, but to really explore the cave you need diving equipment and a guide. In the cave they have already explored several HUGE, auditorium-size rooms, and they are looking for a connection to Dan’s Cave. These caves are part of an enormous underground ‘lake,’ and a source of the plentiful, fresh water Abaco enjoys. In the early 1900s a train ran the length of Abaco and was used in the logging industry. The trains had stops at the caves and blue hole where they would collect the water they needed. The next slideshow of pictures are from our visit to Ralph’s Cave.
Dan’s Cave
Wild Boar Hunting
When you go hunting with Marcus, you start at day break, dressed for the occasion and weather. The dogs are in the back of the old truck, eagerly awaiting the days’ search for hogs. They are already sniffing the air. They know their job: No Dog – No Hog! Marcus knows where it is best to start the search, and the guns are safely secured inside the truck. Off you go….into ‘da bush!’ Are you having Hog-Souse and Johnny Cake for supper tonight? There is a 50/50 chance for that, and if no luck, you will have experienced a special trip into the wilderness with Marcus and the dogs.
Hole in the Wall & the Lighthouse
The road to Hole in the Wall is long and rough – but well worth it! On the way you will be able to enjoy the beautiful natural environment of Abaco National Park, South Abaco, and may stop by a bat cave on the way.
The light house was built in 1836, and automated in 1995. The area is named for the hole in the rock wall that pointed out to sea, but the hole disappeared during hurricane Sandy in October 2012.
THE BAT CAVE on the way to Hole in the Wall
Bird Watching
Bahamas Parrots (locally called: Abaco Parrots but officially Amazona Lecocephala Bahamensis) should be on your list of things to see in Abaco. Today they are only found in Abaco and in Great Inagua. In Abaco you can often see them at Schooner Bay, Bahama Palm Shores, or Casuarina Point. They are very noisy when they are feeding in the early morning and late afternoon, so the easiest way to find them is to listen – you usually hear them before you see them. They nest in the limestone cavities in the pine woods. A few of the many other species to look for are the Bahama Swallow, the Bahama Woodstar, and the Bahama Yellowthroat.
Marcus has helped scientists study the Abaco Parrots by helping with the banding process, so he has held Abaco Parrots!
Fishing & Wading – Cross Harbour National Park
Here is a LINK to Abaco’s Friends of the Environment page with an interesting video prepared by Friends in the process of asking that Cross Harbour be named a National Park. They were successful. It was named a National Park on August 31, 2015.
- Some other sightseeing you can do with Marcus in South Abaco:
- The Long Dock at Cherokee
- The Bat Caves of Little Harbour
- Gilpin Point
Marcus has SO MUCH to show and share! The best plan is to visit Abaco regularly and book Marcus for a tour every trip!