2001 - 6/15 - 6/17 - Rum - Flamingo Point- Conception

Flamingo Point greets us

Friday, 6/15  We decided to move to Flamingo point on the NW side of Rum. It looked intriguing on the charts and we were told there was an abandoned settlement there. On the way, we saw what appeared to be 3 shipping containers on the beach. We were ready for a bit of adventure so we got a bit closer to shore to take a look, dropped anchor and went ashore to explore.  Wayne said the containers were made of marine-grade aluminum and, if he lived here, he would salvage it. I gathered lots of shells before we left. Flamingo Bay is a mine field of coral heads and we didn’t have the best lighting but Wayne, being the excellent captain that he is, managed to get in and found a perfect spot of pure white sand for the anchor in 15 feet of water. We were surrounded by coral heads.We went to shore and found fresh footprints in the sand but no other signs of life. We expected to see someone at any moment but never did.  When we returned to the boat the surge was more than we liked but it was too late to leave. We had a restless night as there were storms in the distance and sleep eluded us. The next morning we were glad to see light but we had to wait until 9:00 for really good light so we could pick our way through the coral heads on our way out. Onward to

Molly trying to stay in the shade

Conception Island. Saturday, 6/16  The island itself is barely 3x2 miles but sits in a surrounding shield of reefs that extend out another 4-5 miles to the North and East. The entire island, with it’s reefs, is a marine park - There are no inhabitants. We took the dinghy to the “inside” where there are tidal creeks and ponds surrounded by mangrove marshes. Some areas are surprisingly deep and the watercolor and clarity was incredible.  We were able to see all kinds of underwater life – turtles, fish and the like. The beach was magnificent: a long walk around but well worth it. Of course, Molly came too. This is a picture of a shipwreck taken from inside a cave on top of a steep rock on the northern side of the island. Some kind soul secured a heavy rope so you could climb to the top of this rock. The water was warm and clear – the beach perfect and deserted.  Our kind of place!  Not sure where all the seagulls came from, but they sure were friendly.Wayne taught Molly to patrol the boat and keep the birds away. She took her job seriously...at least she tried hard. A squall came up in the afternoon - we watched a movie. What a pleasant day.