The Great Exumas Land and Sea Park should be on any outdoor lovers "must see" list. It is truely an amazing testimony to the beauty of nature. Cat Ppalu Cruises provides a week long adventure for scuba dives into this marine preserve, which is one of the largest in the world. The crew of this charter vessel know the park well and will plan your adventure so that you come back with a new appreciation of the natural beauty of this place. The Cat Ppalu is designed to give scuba divers the ultimate diving experience, but snorkelers and non-divers will have a great time too. From nature hikes at Warderick Wells to kayak trips through mangrove swamps and visits with rare iguanas only found in the Exumas, Cat Ppalu offers something for everyone in the Exumas. We spent a week in the Exumas aboard the Cat Ppalu in May, 2006, and are already planning to return and continue our adventure.

It is only by boat that the Land and Sea Park is accessable. Lovely and well maintained, the Bahamas Trust appears serious about keeping the natural beauty of the area. The only mooring is on a mooring bouy. The most protected area are those moorings in the main area, that is where the park office and general headquarters are located. Given good weather the other mooring areas are OK, but for us we perfer the main anchorage. A good dinghy, perferably a RIB, is a must to really get around the islands. Pay attention to the waters as they are very shoal. When making a reservation be sure that the size of your boat is noted as there are moorings where a boat at low tide could be in trouble from the sand bar. Bring sturdy hiking boots or shoes to take advantage of the islands. The weathered limestore is treacherous! We love the Exumas and look forward to another visit in 2007.

Cat Ppalu Cruises, the sister ship of the Aqua Cat, offers everything in the way of diving, snorkeling, kayaking and island exploring. Since you can charter the Cat Ppalu as a group (limited to 12 passengers) you set the itinerary. If you only want to dive a little and do other activities this is the cruise for you. The crew takes the time to talk with all passengers and determine what dive & snorkel sites and islands to visit. They definitely accomodate all on board, right down to lunch and rum punch on the beach. The air conditioned rooms and facilities are more than sufficient since you spend most of the time in the water.
The Chef definitely made our cruise, cooking almost all our meals to order. Many thanks to "The Skipper" Scott, "Dive Diva" Christine, "The Imagineer" Tommy and of course "The Chef" Bruno.