Staniel Cay Yacht Club the Unofficial Hub of the Exumas

Thunderball Grotto alone drew more than 16,000 visitors in a single winter season.

Staniel Cay Yacht Club has been the social and logistical heartbeat of the central Exumas since 1956. Founded by Bob Chamberlain and Joe Hocher, this marina, restaurant, and cottage resort sits on an island with fewer than 120 full-time residents. It’s the place where cruising sailors top off fuel, grab a cold Kalik, and plan their next day among the cays — the unofficial hub that makes exploring this stretch of the Bahamas possible.

Here’s a quick look at the four main attractions you can reach from the yacht club dock.

The Yacht Club Itself: Marina, Restaurant, and Island Living Room

Staniel Cay Yacht Club operates 18 secure slips and 21 rental mooring balls, a fuel dock with reverse-osmosis fresh water, ice, bait, and shore power. It handles vessels up to roughly 210 feet and 12 feet of draft at low tide — the only fuel dock between Georgetown and Highbourne Cay. The clubhouse restaurant serves Bahamian staples: cracked conch, grilled grouper, lobster in season, and the famous Staniel Cay lime pie. Lunch tables fill with travelers, boat crews, and island residents. The bar pours rum punches and Goombay Smashes as the sun sets over the Sea of Exuma.

Note: The marina monitors VHF Channel 16. Call ahead to confirm fuel availability — it’s the only option for miles.

In the evening, nurse sharks gather at the fish-cleaning station where crews clean the day’s catch. Visitors can watch and gently pet these docile bottom-dwellers from the low end of the dock. The club protects them as resident “pets” — any person or vessel seen harassing them will be asked to leave. This is not the famous in-water shark encounter (that’s Compass Cay), but it’s a quiet, fascinating end to a day on the water.

Thunderball Grotto and the Swimming Pigs: The Two Must-Sees

Just west of the yacht club, a five-minute tender ride takes you to Thunderball Grotto, a limestone cavern featured in the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball and later in Never Say Never Again and Splash. Sunlight streams through openings in the rock ceiling, illuminating tropical fish and coral inside the underwater chambers. Timing matters: at low tide you can swim through the entrance and surface inside; at high tide you’ll need scuba gear or a deep breath to navigate submerged tunnels. Most visitors aim for the hours surrounding low tide for the full experience.

Big Major Cay, home to the famous swimming pigs, lies just north of Staniel Cay — about 10 to 15 minutes by tender. A colony of 20 to 25 pigs, from piglets to the matriarch “Big Momma,” swim out to greet arriving boats, wading chest-deep in turquoise shallows for treats. The origin of the pigs is unclear (shipwreck? abandoned livestock?), but they’ve become one of the most photographed attractions in the Bahamas. Best done early, before the day-boats from Nassau and the charter yachts crowd the beach.

Compass Cay and the Nurse Shark Experience

A 25-to-30-minute cruise north brings you to Compass Cay, where the real in-water nurse shark encounter happens. Unlike the dock-side viewing at Staniel Cay, here visitors wade into the water and the sharks swim right up to them. Nurse sharks are bottom-dwelling, slow-moving, and largely harmless, though they deserve respect at feeding time. The experience is often confused with Staniel Cay’s own nurse sharks — search “Staniel Cay nurse sharks” and most results actually send you to Compass Cay. Make sure you’re heading to the right marina.

The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, just north of Staniel Cay, is another worthy stop. Established in 1958 as the world’s first land-and-sea park, it’s been a no-take marine reserve since 1986, protecting more than 100,000 acres. Nothing may be removed from the park — no shells, no fish, no coral. It’s a pristine area for snorkeling, kayaking, and spotting wildlife.

Staying at the Yacht Club: Waterfront Bungalows

Staniel Cay Yacht Club offers roughly a dozen brightly painted cottages over the water, each with polished wood floors, large windows facing the harbor, and a covered veranda with chairs toward the marina and channel. The color palette is pure Bahamas: turquoise, coral, yellow, sea-green. Each bungalow sits steps from the waterline with a short path to the dock where excursion boats depart. Larger cottages with multiple bedrooms accommodate families or small groups. According to the property website, bungalows run about $667 per night in April — a premium for the location, but you’re paying for direct access to the central Exumas’ best attractions.

Guests can arrange small boats and skiffs through the marina. Staff provides maps and guidance for navigating the shallows, with recommended stops across the island chain. Many visitors fly in via Makers Air from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport — a 90-minute flight that shares ownership with the yacht club, creating a seamless link between South Florida and the island. The airstrip is 3,031 feet of asphalt, taking small scheduled and charter flights from Nassau as well.

Practical Section: Getting to Staniel Cay and Planning Your Visit

Staniel Cay is reachable only by boat or by a short flight to its own airstrip. There is no public ferry. The cay sits roughly 75 nautical miles southeast of Nassau and about 250 miles southeast of Florida. Most cruisers anchor at Big Majors Spot — the large, well-protected sand-holding anchorage off Big Major Cay — or in the quieter channel between the two cays. Anchoring at Big Majors Spot gives you more room and closer access to the swimming pigs and Thunderball Grotto; you dinghy into Staniel Cay for fuel, provisions, and the yacht club.

Best Time to Visit

The dry season, roughly December through April, offers settled weather and the clearest water. Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. The Bahamas set a record 12.5 million visitors in 2025, up 11.4% year over year, and the central Exumas feel that traffic at the marquee sites by midday. The New Year’s Day Regatta — when cruising yachts race traditional Bahamian sloops off Staniel Cay — is the busiest, most festive week of the year.

Provisioning and Resupply

The island has two small grocery stores: the “pink store” and the better-stocked “blue store.” Cruisers restock here, but selection is limited. Many provision more fully in Georgetown or Nassau before heading into the cays. The marina handles fuel, water, and ice — top off here before continuing north or south, as options become limited.

Heading into Compass Cay reframed the day.

Before You Go — Staniel Cay and the Exumas

Can you visit Staniel Cay without a boat?

No public ferry serves the island. You can fly in via scheduled or charter flights to the 3,031-foot airstrip, then stay at the yacht club and use their boats for excursions.

Are the nurse sharks at Staniel Cay safe to swim with?

You watch and pet them from the dock — they’re docile and protected. The in-water swim experience is at Compass Cay, about eight miles north.

What’s the best way to see Thunderball Grotto?

Snorkel around slack low tide. The entrance tunnel opens only then. Bring a waterproof torch or camera; the light shafts are stunning.

How much does a bungalow cost?

Around $667 per night in April, according to the property website. Prices vary by season. Book well ahead for December through April.

Is the water safe for kids?

The swimming pigs are gentle, and the nurse sharks at the dock are harmless. Strong tidal currents near the cuts require caution in dinghies. Always check tide tables before heading out.

The Hub That Keeps the Exumas Running

Staniel Cay Yacht Club isn’t a luxury resort — it’s a working island hub that’s been connecting cruisers, fishermen, and adventurers to the heart of the Exumas for nearly seventy years. You come for the dock, the conch fritters, and the sunset over the marina, and you leave with a better understanding of why this tiny cay holds such an outsized place in the Bahamas’ boating culture. For a deeper look at another side of the Bahamas, check out our guide to Atlantis Resort — a completely different kind of island experience.

References

Staniel Cay Yacht Club. “Marina Information.” ↗

Wikipedia. “Staniel Cay.” ↗

Bahamas National Trust. “Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park.” ↗

Carib Journal. “The Colorful Bungalows by the Water.” ↗

If you’re planning a trip to the Exumas, you might also enjoy reading about Eleuthera’s pink-sand beaches for a quieter island escape, or our sustainable travel tips to help protect the places you visit.