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  1. Inside or outside the park
  2. What inside the park changes
  3. Other cays and settlements

Cays and places in the Exumas

Every cay and settlement in this Exumas guide, with a plain inside-or-outside-the-park status for each cay and a link to its page.

Updated 2026-10-18Sources: 4Exuma Park editors
Short answer

The Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park runs from Shroud Cay in the north to Bell Cay in the south2. Shroud Cay, Warderick Wells, Hawksbill Cay and Cambridge Cay fall inside the boundary corners the Bahamas National Trust publishes; Compass Cay, Staniel Cay and Thunderball Grotto fall outside it1. The no-take rule applies within the park boundaries3.

At a glance
Park runs
Shroud Cay (north) to Bell Cay (south)2
Established
19581
Park area
112,640 acres of land and sea1
Park headquarters
Warderick Wells2
Park office
VHF 09, "Exuma Park"1
On this page
  1. Inside or outside the park
  2. What inside the park changes
  3. Other cays and settlements
Wide panorama of turquoise Exuma water with a palm-fringed cay on the horizon
Goat Cay across the shallows, seen from a boat in the Exumas

The Exumas are a chain of cays, and only part of the chain is the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park. The park was established in 1958 and covers 112,640 acres of land and sea1. It is the most visited national park in The Bahamas1. Each page below says whether the cay stands inside the park, where the no-take rule applies.

Inside or outside the park

The Bahamas National Trust publishes the park as four corner coordinates1. The park starts at Shroud Cay in the north and ends at Bell Cay in the south2. See the park boundaries for the corners themselves.

Cay Park status Page
Shroud Cay Inside, at the northern end1,2 Shroud Cay
Warderick Wells Inside; park headquarters2 Warderick Wells
Hawksbill Cay Inside1 Hawksbill Cay
Cambridge Cay Inside1 Cambridge Cay
Bell Island Inside; a private island4 Bell Island and Little Halls Pond
Compass Cay Outside1 Compass Cay and the nurse sharks
Staniel Cay Outside1 Staniel Cay
Thunderball Grotto Outside1 Thunderball Grotto

For how the park differs from the rest of the chain, read the park versus the wider Exumas.

What inside the park changes

Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is a NO TAKE ZONE: no fishing, conching, shelling or lobstering. Nothing living or dead may be removed from within the boundaries of Exuma Park3.

The park’s headquarters are on Warderick Wells2. Anchoring is not permitted in the mooring fields, on coral reefs or in other designated areas inside the park3. The park rules cover the rest, and park and mooring fees lists what boats pay.

Other cays and settlements

More places in this guide; each page gives its park status:

Boaters planning a route between them will want Exuma Bank versus Exuma Sound, and the Warderick Wells headquarters guide covers the park’s base.

All 19 guides in this section

Warderick Wells Cay: park headquarters, moorings, trails and rules

Warderick Wells is the headquarters island of the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park: moorings, the Boo Boo Hill trail, camping, hutia, facilities and park rules.

24°23′N 76°37′W

Shroud Cay: tidal creek rules, park status and what to know before you go

Shroud Cay is the northern end of the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park. Creek and motor rules, the lazy-river tide, Camp Driftwood, no-take zone and who to call.

24°33′N 76°47′W

Bell Island and Little Hall's Pond Cay: who owns them and what the park rules mean

Bell Island is a private island inside Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park. Who Wikipedia says controls it, what Bisnow reports on Little Hall's Pond Cay, and the rules.

24°18′N 76°33′W

The Aquarium at O'Brien's Cay: where to snorkel, tides, access and park rules

The Aquarium is a shallow coral wall off O'Brien's Cay in Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park. Best tide, dinghy access, what you see, mooring balls and the park rules.

Pipe Creek and Sampson Cay, Exumas: how to enter, what to see, what is private

Pipe Creek lies between Compass Cay and Staniel Cay in the Exumas. How to enter from the banks or Exuma Sound, tidal cuts, Pipe Cay, Joe Cay and private cays.

Compass Cay nurse sharks: swimming at the marina, rules and what else is on the island

Swim with docile nurse sharks at Compass Cay Marina in the Exumas: the high-tide dock swim, marina rules, who to call, and why Exuma Park rules do not apply.

24°16′N 76°31′W

George Town, Great Exuma: things to do, the regatta and how to get there

George Town is the capital of the Exuma district on Great Exuma: Elizabeth Harbour, the Straw Market, the regatta, Stocking Island and how to get there.

23°31′N 75°47′W

Swimming pigs of Big Major Cay: where they are and what rules apply

Where the Exuma swimming pigs live, how to reach Big Major Cay, what to feed them, what happened in 2017, and why park rules do not apply there.

24°11′N 76°27′W

Allen's Cay iguanas: how many are left, where they are and how to visit

Allen's Cay rock iguanas are critically endangered, about 1,000 live on three small islands, and the cay is north of Exuma Park. Location, law and visiting.

24°45′N 76°50′W

Thunderball Grotto, Staniel Cay: tides, entry, snorkeling and the Bond link

Thunderball Grotto, just west of Staniel Cay: when to enter by tide, what you see inside, the Bond films linked to it, and why Exuma Park rules do not apply.

24°11′N 76°27′W

Staniel Cay, Exumas: marina, yacht club, airstrip, ball rates and what is nearby

Staniel Cay is an Exuma Cays island south of the park: yacht club and marina, ball rentals, stores, a 3,000 ft airstrip, film history and nearby stops.

24°10′N 76°26′W

Stocking Island, Exuma: beaches, snorkeling and getting there from George Town

Stocking Island sits 1 mile across the harbor from George Town, Exuma: how to get there, Chat 'n' Chill hours, snorkeling, the Beacon and where to stay.

23°32′N 75°46′W

Norman's Cay, Exumas: Lehder history, the C-46 plane wreck and MacDuff's

Norman's Cay, north of Exuma Park: the Carlos Lehder years from 1978, the C-46 plane wreck in 6 to 10 feet of water, the airstrip and MacDuff's.

24°38′N 76°49′W

Hawksbill Cay, Exumas: camping permit, park rules and location

Hawksbill Cay is one of three camping spots in Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park. Camping permit and fees, the Loyalist ruins, moorings, rules ashore and location.

24°29′N 76°46′W

Little Farmer's Cay, Exuma: turtles, the February festival and how to get there

Little Farmer's Cay sits about 20 nm south of Staniel Cay: where it is, how boats and planes arrive, the turtle bay and the First Friday in February festival.

23°57′N 76°19′W

Cambridge Cay, Exumas: Little Bell, moorings, snorkeling and the Sea Aquarium

Cambridge Cay is also called Little Bell and lies near private Bell Island. The name mix-up, its mooring field, the trail, the Sea Aquarium and Rocky Dundas.

24°18′N 76°32′W

Lee Stocking Island, Exuma: the old marine research station, trails and anchorages

Lee Stocking Island in the Exumas hosted a NOAA-linked marine research facility from 1984 to 2012. Location, stromatolites, trails and anchorages.

23°46′N 76°06′W

Musha Cay and Rudder Cut Cay: the underwater mermaid piano and the private island

Musha Cay is a privately owned Exuma island. The Musician, a mermaid-and-piano sculpture, lies in 13 to 15 feet of water off Rudder Cay. Location and tours.

23°54′N 76°16′W

South Exuma Cays: Little Exuma, Torch Cay (Hog Cay) and the southern end of the chain

The southern end of the Exumas: Little Exuma, Tropic of Cancer Beach and Torch Cay, the private island formerly called Hog Cay. Locations, history and access.

Questions people ask

Which Exuma cays are inside the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park?

The park extends from Shroud Cay in the north to Bell Cay in the south2. Warderick Wells, where the headquarters sits, is inside it2, and so are Hawksbill Cay and Cambridge Cay by the Trust's corner coordinates1. Bell Island is a private island inside the park4.

Is Staniel Cay inside the Exuma Park?

No. Staniel Cay lies south of the park's south-west corner, so it is outside the park1. The no-take rule applies within the park boundaries3.

Which Exuma island is best?

There is no single best cay. Pick the one that matches your question and open its page. Check first whether it is inside the park: inside, the no-take rule applies3.

Sources (4)
  1. Exuma Cays Land & Sea ParkBNT
    Bahamas National Trust · bnt.bs · checked 2026-10-18
  2. Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park
    Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org · checked 2026-10-18
  3. Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park Rules (PDF)BNT
    Bahamas National Trust · bnt.bs · checked 2026-10-18
  4. Bell Island (The Bahamas)
    Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org · checked 2026-10-18
Photo credits (1)
  • DrGvago / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Park fees and rules come from the Bahamas National Trust or the Bahamas government; check them again before you go. How we check facts.