The Exumas Land and Sea Park, which occupies the middle stretch of the cay chain from Wax Cay Cut to Conch Cut, is a no-take marine reserve that has been protected since 1958 and contains some of the healthiest reef systems in the Bahamas. Explorer yachts are the right vessel for a serious engagement with this park: they carry SCUBA equipment, certified dive guides, large tenders for reef surveys and blue hole dives, and the self-sufficiency to spend three or four nights inside the park without needing to touch a fuel dock. The explorer charter fleet available for an Exumas voyage numbers approximately 15 published yachts, typically steel or aluminium expedition vessels with deep fuel and water capacity, dive compressors, stabilisers and the structural integrity for extended offshore passages. Weekly charter rates range from approximately 75,000 euros to 450,000 euros. The advance provisioning allowance of roughly 30 percent covers food, drink, SCUBA consumables, fuel and the Bahamian cruising permit. Explorer guests typically build their itinerary around specific dive sites and tidal windows: the blue holes near Compass Cay at slack water, the reef wall at Fowl Cay Preserve, the caverns of Thunderball Grotto at Staniel Cay, and the open-water coral gardens of the park eastern boundary. The Exumas Land and Sea Park was the first protected marine area in the Bahamas; an explorer charter is the best way to understand why it was worth protecting.
