Ocean Cay – MSC Marine Reserve

 

“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

As our cruise ship, the MSC Meraviglia pulled up to Ocean Cay, we were in awe. This 95 acre gorgeous island is a part of the district of Bimini and only 20 miles from Bimini proper and is a mere 65 miles south of Miami. This is the only Marine Reserve experience on a private island in the Caribbean. MSC owns the island and is very proud of that fact. This is an artificial island that was built in the late 1960’s by the Dillingham Corp of Hawaii by dredging sand. At one time this island was used to mine Aragonite sand for industrial purposes. The MSC project began in March 2016 when MSC began their huge clean up and ended up opening with the first cruise ship visiting in December 2019.

We were thrilled this island had a pier where the ship could dock so we could easily get on and off the ship instead of having to be tendered in. Our ship parked near Lighthouse Bay which has beautiful crystal clear water and a gorgeous white sand beach. It is accented with a red and white 100 foot lighthouse on one end of the beach. On this beautiful morning the sun shone down on the island making the morning dew glisten off the trees and roofs of the small shops in the area. What a beautiful sight.

As we exited the ship, we came to an open area with signs welcoming you to the island of Ocean Cay and we heard the melodic sounds of steel drums. There, under a small pavilion, was a Bahamian male playing them with a big welcoming grin on his face. We stopped to listen to him for awhile since I really love the sound of the steel drums. They always put me in mind that I’m on vacation. Then we walked around the Bahamian style village which was painted in lovely pastel colors where you can buy handmade souvenirs, trinkets, tee shirts, sunscreen and more.

We stopped by Springer’s Bar and sat down at one of the outside tables and looked over the menu of tropical drinks. My drink of choice for the day was a Pina Colada since I was on vacation and with the sound of steel drums in the distance; it just seemed like the thing to do. As we sat there on this perfect day, we relaxed and enjoyed people watching while sipping on our cocktails. The staff working there were all very nice and working hard to make everyone happy. We were told they came from the ship and were just working this bar for the day. We were also told that some of the staff live on the island full time to take care of the island and the Marine Reserve. This island is also an Eco friendly as they are solar powered, collect all their rainfall, and keep it as a low impact island.

After our relax, we strolled around the walkways and ended up near the Yacht Clubs special beach. That looked gorgeous but we were not Yacht Club members so we couldn’t get onto that part of the island. The tropical plants and flowers on the island were spectacular. The island was spotless and just brimming with color and beauty.

There are eight beaches you can use including Seakers Family Cove, North Beach, South Beach, Aurea Paradise Sands, Sunset Beach, Lighthouse Beach, and a couple beaches in the Yacht Club area. All beaches have their own bar and stunning white soft sand. There are food trucks set up at each place and there is the Sneakers Buffet if you want a more substantial meal. There is also a welcome center, marina, and a wedding pavilion if you wish to get married while you are in this paradise.

There is much to do while on the island. You can rent sea kayaks, wave runners, and stand up paddle boards, or take an excursion to go deep sea fishing, relax and go on a glass bottom boat tour, scenic boat tour, or even an inflatable raft tour. You can also rent a cabana or enjoy a massage while overlooking the ocean. Or maybe you just want to take a stroll or lay on a beach chair on the beach.

We ended up at Lighthouse Beach where we got a nice chair to sit in and enjoyed our day relaxing and swimming in the crystalline water. We snorkeled there and even with as busy as it was, we still saw some pretty fish. We walked over to see the focal point of the island, the lighthouse and saw the Hemingway style bar and terrace there. What a nice place to hang out and enjoy the sights. The light house has three levels and 165 steps to the top with spectacular 360 degree views of the island.

Our ship was only to be on the island for the daytime but if you are lucky enough to take a cruise and be there at night, they put on a breathtaking laser show, have a large bonfire party on the beach with live Bahamian style music and DJ, and even a Bahamian Junkanoo street parade. They also say just star gazing is amazing. We hated our ship had to leave before nightfall. That sounded like fun. We will have to come back for that.

What makes this island even more special is the efforts MSC did to make it a true Marine Reserve. MSC goals were not to make this island an amusement park but instead a “natural Bahamian island.” There are 64 miles of marine reserve surrounding this island and MSC is investing in a major coral restoration project. MSC planted over 77,000 trees and shrubs on the island so the island will only get more beautiful as the years go by. What they are aiming for is “A sustainable destination where guests can connect with nature.” I believe they have accomplished that.

If you ever get a chance to go to Ocean Cay, I highly recommend it. It is a beautiful well kept island, the staff are super friendly and helpful. It is a great place to get your relaxation on. Till next time. Bye for now.