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

Cambridge Cay shows up on charts and in cruising guides under two names. The same cay is also Little Bell, which sits next to a private island called Bell Island.

Is Cambridge Cay the same as Little Bell?

Little Bell, also known as Cambridge Cay, lies near Bell Island¹. They are different islands, and the Wikipedia article on Bell Island warns against mixing them up¹. OpenStreetMap lists the cay as Little Bells Cay².

Searching for “Bell Island” while planning a stop at Cambridge Cay leads to the private island instead. The Bell Island page covers it in more detail.

Where is Cambridge Cay?

OpenStreetMap puts the cay at about 24.300° N, 76.534° W².

The Bahamas Cruisers Guide says the park’s large mooring field lies west of Cambridge Cay⁷. The park boundaries map shows the outline of the park, and the places hub lists the other cays in the Exumas.

What are the moorings like at Cambridge Cay?

Fees, booking and anchoring rules come from the Bahamas National Trust, not from cruising guides. The Bahamas Cruisers Guide page on Cambridge Cay was last updated in March 2017⁷.

As of that update, the guide describes the site this way:

• Cambridge Cay has the southern-most mooring field of the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park⁷.
• Moorings are on a first come first served basis⁷.
• A host at the mooring field provides information to visitors⁷.

Sail Abacos, a charter operator, says moorings are assigned on arrival and advises arriving early in peak season⁴. It says the protection from westerly weather makes this an excellent overnight stop, though easterly swells can make the moorings uncomfortable in certain wind patterns⁴.

Read how to book a mooring in the Exuma park and the anchoring rules before you plan the night. Fees change, so check the Trust’s ParkPay page before you pay.

What is there to do at Cambridge Cay?

Yacht Warriors, a charter operator, reports a hiking trail from the mooring field to the beach on the east side of Cambridge Cay³. It says the cay has beaches suited to relaxing³.

It also reports a diverse range of marine life, including rays and sharks, which can often be seen swimming around the mooring field³. Snorkelers will find more spots in the snorkel sites guide.

Where is the Sea Aquarium snorkel spot?

Sail Abacos says a short dinghy ride leads to the Sea Aquarium at O’Brien’s Cay, where snorkelers float above walls of colorful fish⁴. The Sea Aquarium page has the rest of the detail.

A Lindblad Expeditions group snorkeled the Sea Aquarium in March 2023⁵. The report describes a shallow reef backed by a small island, with huge shoals and schools of fish⁵. Lindblad called the small cove some of the best snorkeling of the trip, if not the best⁵, and placed it in the heart of the Bahamas Land and Sea Park of the Exuma Cays⁵.

What about Rocky Dundas?

Sail Abacos puts Rocky Dundas approximately one mile south of Cambridge Cay, easily accessible by dinghy⁴. It describes dramatic underwater caves with stalactites and stalagmites⁴.

Lindblad describes Rocky Dundas as a limestone wall with several cavern systems⁵. Its guests snorkeled into the opening of one cavern, and the tide and winds made for an adventurous drift snorkel⁵. The Rocky Dundas page covers the caves.

Is Bell Island, next to Little Bell, private?

Yes. Bell Island is a private island inside the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park¹. It is sometimes called Big Bell Island¹. Wikipedia says it features a heliport and two large homes amid extensive landscaping¹.

Wikipedia adds that the Aga Khan purchased 349-acre Bell Island in 2009 for $100 million, according to public records¹.

What does the 1958 park survey say about Little Bell?

The Report of the Exuma Cays Park Project came out of a survey in 1958 and was revised in 1961⁶. It defines the park area as the cays from Shroud Cay to Bell Island, excepting those already under lease or privately owned⁶. It lists Little Bell among the major cays of the park area, next to O’Brien’s and Bell Island⁶. Another passage lists Bell, Little Bell, Cistern and Hall’s Pond as under lease or privately owned⁶.

The survey is a historical document. For how the park came about, see the history of the park.