Category Archives: Bahamas

ByNEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A senior government official yesterday said the ball is in the court of Biminis largest investor to submit a completed $40m offer totransform and take over management of that islands airport.

Algernon Cargill, director of aviation, told Tribune Business that the government was still waiting to receive a final proposal fromGenting Group and Gerardo Capos RAV Bahamas, joint owners of Resorts World Bimini,over a public-private partnership (PPP) that will see the duo redevelop, manage and operate the islands primary aviation gateway.

Were still waiting to hear from them. The ball is in their court, he said. I understand theyre working on it, so we need to hear from them. This newspaper reported in early May 2021 thattheMinnis Cabinet hadgiven approval in principle to enter into negotiations with the duo over Biminis airport.

The Resorts World Bimini owners are aiming to extend the runway from its present 6,000 feet to 8,000 feet, so that it can easily accommodate commercial passenger aircraft as well as private jets. The proposals principal attraction for the government is that it will have to provide no financing itself from the cash-strapped Public Treasury.

Genting/RAV Bahamas were seeking to source financing for their plans from a US-based company called Phoenix Infrastructure Group, although the Government has not yet had contact with the latter.

Mr Cargill said back in May: Were very excited about it. This will be a PPP with that group that is similar to other PPPs. The plans are already in the preliminary stage. Theyre looking at lengthening the runway and building a brand new terminal.

Were being very deliberate in our discussions to ensure we have take a well-developed proposal before we submit it to Cabinet for approval. Theyll be the managing partner for the airport, Genting and RAV Bahamas. Its something weve been planning for a couple of months. Weve had several meetings, but contracts have not been executed.

TheBimini airport talks areseparate from the proposed $150m-$200m package of Family Island airport upgrades that the Government has hired RF Holdings to seek the financing balance for. The project also has no links to plans to transform Grand Bahama International Airport following its acquisition by the Government.

The first market briefing for bidders interested in developing and operating Grand Bahama International Airport, plus the airports in Exuma, North Eleuthera, Great Harbour Cay, San Salvador, Abaco and Long Island, is due to be held before the end of June.

We have created two SPVs (special purpose vehicles), Freeport Airport Development Company or FAD, and the Bahamas Airport Development Company or BAD, that will operate both the Freeport and other already identified Family Island airports independent of the Airport Authority in much the same way as NAD manages LPIA, DionisioDAguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, said earlier this week.

Asked whether the Government is seeking separate bids for Freeport and the Family Island airports, or just one offer for all, Mr Cargill said yesterday: Right now its split out, but a bidder may want to bid on Freeport and the other airports. Its up to the bidder.

We definitely want to deliver on what we promised wed set out to do. Those PPPs were working on, the Request for Proposals, have our immediate attention.

View original post here:

'Ball is in their court' over Bimini's airport - Bahamas Tribune

NASSAU, BAHAMAS Bahamian crowdfunding platform and stock exchange ArawakX, which is licensed and regulated by the Securities Commission of the Bahamas, is set to go live early next month.

DArcy Rahming Jr, chief technology officer and spokesperson for ArawakX, noted: The primary purpose of ArawakX is to move Bahamians from consumers to owners. We have targeted early-stage international startups that are resident in The Bahamas and our rules are written for Bahamians to participate through share ownership.

ArawakX itself will be a publicly-traded company, so Bahamians of all financial levels will finally be able to own their own capital markets.

Initial listings on ArawakX will feature companies in the health, high tech, tourist attraction and agribusiness industries.

We are changing the reality that Bahamians can only get jobs from these companies but can actually own a portion of them. When the company grows, so will the potential wealth of the owner/investor, said Rahming.

He further noted that anyone will be able to participate even with amounts as low as $25.

This is made possible through financial technology (fintech) and regulations. Additionally, with just our initial launch, we will begin to see diversification in the economy and the potential creation of hundreds of jobs, said Rahming.

He added: Our regulations are very robust and provide strong protections for Bahamian owners.

Rahming further explained that the licensing procedure involved over four years of scrutiny, hundreds of pages of applications, hundreds of thousands of dollars of fees and solvency requirements and proof that the ArawakX company is viable and can operate the exchange.

We have welcomed the challenge because it has made us a world-class organization from the onset. We are literally completing requirements in 80 days that it has taken other world-class exchanges 500 days, said Rahming.

We are able to do this because of our dynamic team of national veterans, international advisors and a cadre of highly educated young Bahamian millennials, some of whom decided to come back after being educated abroad to give back while building the country.

ArawakX is under the leadership of Chairman and CEO DArcy Rahming Sr, who was an early pioneer and manager in the $100 million GLOBEX exchange a joint venture between the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the Chicago Board of Trade and the French MATIF.

To round out their executive management team, ArawakX has appointed: Winston Rolle, businessman and former CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, as chief of equities; Leroy Archer, former CEO of Heineken Bahamas, as chief of investor relations; and Kenneth Donathon, former CEO of RND, as chief community officer.

Rahming said:These successful and proven Bahamian executives should give confidence to the Bahamian and international community. Additionally, our rules are being designed and vetted by some of the worlds foremost authorities on exchanges. We have literally looked at dozens of exchange rules and adopted the best ones to suit Bahamians so that they can grow their wealth.

Link:

OFFICIAL LAUNCH: Bahamian crowdfunding platform and stock exchange to go live early next month - EyeWitness News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS The Ministry of Health has been allocated the sum of $297,081,014 in the 2021/2022 budget in order to carry out its planned phased upgrade to healthcare facilities around the country.

This was revealed by the Minister of Health Renward Wells during his contribution to the budget debate in the House of Assembly on Thursday, June 17, 2021.

Wells noted that over the past two years, The Bahamas faced Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the road to recovery is not an easy one.

He said, however, that the country will recover based on the seven-pillared Accelerated Bahamas Recovery Plan that was recently tabled in the House of Assembly by Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr Hubert Minnis.

My ministry looks forward to participating in the rollout of that plan, Wells said, adding that healthcare improvements and vaccinations form the third pillar.

The $297,081,014 for the 2021/2022 fiscal year to support the Ministry of Health includes:

These appropriations will facilitate four areas of the healthcare sector:

We are a government committed with our whole heart to the enhancement our healthcare system. The focus is on saving lives, improving health outcomes and putting much more care into the word healthcare, Wells said.

He added: We realize that in order to further achieve our desired outcomes, we will have to greatly improve our health infrastructure throughout the nation. We have taken the decision to renovate some structures and to build new ones. Consequently, renovations will be made to the priority wards and patient care environments to address bed shortages while ensuring compliance with COVID-19 space requirements and infection control practices.

According to Wells, the intended goal of these improvements aligns with the core value that all individuals and communities receive the health services they need without suffering financial hardship.

The minister also shared the infrastructure plan, which incorporates the latest use of smart and green technology to provide for safe delivery of routine medical services, e-health services and telemedicine, and the safe management of all infectious diseases, including COVID-19.

Supported by funding acquired from the World Bank Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the government will transform the face of the healthcare sector to modernize its facilities to reflect universal healthcare in the Public Hospitals Authority, the Department of Public Health, the National Health Insurance Authority and the Ministry of Health, said Wells.

Infrastructural development in healthcare will also take place at nine primary care clinics in seven islands, he said.

More here:

Ministry of Health gets an estimated $300M in budget for healthcare - EyeWitness News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS The Royal Bahamas Police Force yesterday partnered with the Ministry of Health, the Golden Gates Assembly Church, and Voice of Deliverance Cathedral to host a give-back at the Golden Gates Park.

The initiative included a vaccination drive in the foyer of the church, health screening for men on the park in honor of Fathers Day, and drive-thru distribution of care packages and food vouchers.

Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle said some 300 care packages were given out, along with 150 food vouchers for people in need.

He noted that the RBPFs Sick Bay was on standby doing free health checks for men, including checking blood pressure, glucose, and more, highlighting that men rarely go to the doctor when compared to women.

Rolle also urged Bahamians to take any opportunity they can to get vaccinated.

We are still in this COVID and this is one of the ways in which we can give back, he said.

The police commissioner underscored the importance of the police force to foster better relationships with the community, noting that this is just one of the ways police are giving back.

Ive been saying for a while now that the police are your friends, he said.

The police is in fact the community and the community is the police.

Police officers, only being members of the community, are paid to give full time and attention to work that is the responsibility of everybody in the community in the interest of the community.

Since receiving the appointment of COP in March 2020, Rolle has embarked on several initiatives aimed at increasing police presence and public trust throughout communities in the country.

See the article here:

POLICE ARE YOUR FRIENDS: RBPF partner with Ministry and Health and church for a day of give-backs - EyeWitness News

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

TWO years ago after national and African American Golfers Hall of Famer Agatha M Delancy formed the non-profit Flamingos Womens Golf Club, they will host their first tournament on Saturday at the Bahamas Golf Federations Nine-Hole Golf Club.

The event is all set to tee off at 9:30am and will have a cross section of rising young junior players to the veteran players. A total of 18 players, placed in seven different threesome teams, are expected to participate.

Alena Hutchenson, former national junior, senior and collegiate player, will be the lead instructor. She is the only LPGA Class A teaching professional in the country, but she finds herself in good company as there are fewer than 30 African American and or Black LPGA teaching professionals in the sport.

Im honoured to be the only LPGA Class A teaching professional in the country as it shows my commitment to continuing to grow as an instructor, Hutchenson said.

In 2010, after I completed my Bachelors Degree in Business Management (from Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, NC (outside of Charlotte), I knew that once I moved back home. I wanted to be involved in changing the direction of golf, especially junior golf so to do that I needed to be trained.

As she trained through the Ladies Professional Golf Association for about ten years, Hutchenson said it opened the door for Georgette Rolle and Raquel Riley to join and become LPGA Teaching Professionals with Class B Certifications.

The Bahamas Golf Federation played a crucial role in my development as a golfer as well as giving other golfers like me the opportunity for exposure and the ability to travel to international tournaments, she said. I truly wish that others who were a part of this federation can give back to its continued development if its not through serving as a board member this can also be done by the giving of support through donations.

Hutchenson's involvement in golf dates back to the late 1990s and continued as she previously held the post of junior golf director for over six years in a philanthropic position where she served as a national team coach and manager for the BGFs national teams.

Delancy, a former president of the BGF, noted that the club, which seeks to build a community that empowers women and young girls in partnership with the BGF Ladies Division and current Ladies Chairperson Dr. Patti Symonette.

The club includes women from various professional backgrounds and who serve or have served the country in numerous capacities. It also includes our junior membership for young girls between the ages of 14 -18, but their clinics, intensive beginner and intermediate monthly courses, lessons and league play extend to women 70-plus years.

Delancy, who is also a Senior Womens National team manager and member as well as founding chair of the BGFs Ladies Division,, said Hutchenson has done a phenomenal job since she returned home in assisting her with getting the club off the ground.

We had some things like the Hurricane and Covid-19, which we had no control over, but they knocked us off stride, Delancy said. But once Alena came on and started working with us, she has done a phenomenal job.

We are seeing growth, almost on a daily basis. We can tell you that another lady is coming along. Give it a year and we can have a membership to anywhere, almost a 100 golfers. Thats how much we are growing.

The lessons, conducted by Hutchenson, are very well structured, according to Delancy, and they are affordable.

She puts her emphasis on quality and not quantity, Delancy said. Her class sizes are normally no more than four per session and they are for one hour each time.

Hutchenson added that the tournament will serve as a learning experience and will also unite all of the ladies currently involved in their golf sessions, many of whom have not met before.

Teams will comprise one intermediate golfer and two novices.

This will help bridge the gap between seasoned players and newcomers to the game, Hutchenson said. Also it will be a great opportunity to gauge how well golfers are improving and the necessary steps needed thereafter to further add consistency to their games.

All of the teams are evenly divided so it truly is based on the conditions of the course as well as how well each team plays together that will determine the tournaments champions.

The tee times for Saturdays event are as follows::

9:30 am - Agatha Mona Delancy, Vanria Munnings and A. Pamela Thompson.

9:45 am - Dr. Patti Symonette, Templa Kemp-Lightbourne and Rachel Quant.

10:00 am - Helen Saunders, Immalasha Johnson-Thompson and Tamica Rahming.

10:15 am - Christine Malard, Roberta Quant and Anja Charles.

10:30 am - Gwendolyn Knowles, Sharon Cleare and Antoinette Russell.

10:45 am - Surinder Deal, Antonia Richards and Cherise Archer.

11:00 am - Patryce Curry. Shervonne Johnson and Kyra Isaacs.

Read the original post:

Flamingos Women's Golf Club to host their first tournament on Saturday - Bahamas Tribune

NASSAU, BAHAMAS Minister of Health Renward Wells said yesterday that 143 healthcare workers who stepped forward at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic during the first wave will be paid collectively $640,600, noting those men and women said hear am I, send me when others were somewhat tepid and hesitant.

The government has allocated an additional $3 million in the budget as an honorarium for 1,690 healthcare workers who later joined the fight against the virus that has claimed more than 240 lives.

Wells said the government also paid overtime to nurses who worked during the pandemic.

A total of $162,313 was paid to nurses last October for the period January 2020 through August 2020.

Last September, Wells mandated that overtime was not to accrue and overtime was to be paid on a month-to-month basis.

But he said the Ministry of Health remains on a paper-based honor system and even after some overtime funds were paid, log sheets were still being submitted for Hurricane Dorian.

Although the government was ready to pay the overtime accrued by employees the government still had to wait for the log sheets to be administratively compiled with accurate cost, the minister said.

Mr Speaker, I want it to be noted by all and sundry that the Public Hospitals Authority does not have this problem of paying overtime to healthcare workers since the Public Hospitals Authority has Accustaff sign-in electronic program system.

Consequently, nurses employed at PMH were paid their overtime monthly and on time.

I want it to be known that the time to wait on log sheets has come and gone.

Wells announced the ministry will invest in a biometric sign-in program for the Department of Public Health that will make overtime payments seamless.

Pointing to the nursing shortage, Wells said the University of The Bahamas recently graduated 40 nursing students.

He said those nurses will sit their examinations in November.

Another 30 nursing students will graduate by the end of the summer.

A further 100 nursing students will be following after the group of 30.

So, Mr Speaker, by the end of this upcoming fiscal year there will be an additional 170 nurses in our healthcare system, the minister said.

He said The Bahamas tertiary education system is creating the dull-suite of allied healthcare professionals needed to fully staff the healthcare system with qualified professionals and experts.

We must look to our young people to help get our country get through these difficult times and to help this nations recovery, Wells said.

This Free National Movement government is doing just that with this program.

See the rest here:

HERO PAY: $640000 to be paid to 143 frontline healthcare workers - EyeWitness News

One of the best things about going on a cruise ship is all the fun packed onboard, and a sea day is a great time to try it out.

Before we hit up the fun, the matter of testing was needed.

Royal Caribbean transformed deck 5 of the main dining room into a rapid test center, and guests had the choice of getting an antigen test today or tomorrow.

This test serves two purposes: satisfying Bahamian law and providing a test result to get back into the United States.

This was an antigen test, so it was quick and easy. Most people made reservations once onboard the ship for a time slot, although they seemed to have more availability and took walk-ins.

Since we are doing a back-to-back cruise, my kids had to get an antigen test, but my wife and I did not since we are both fully vaccinated.

Test results are emailed back to you, as well as delivered to your stateroom.

The weather today was not great, with lots of clouds and even some rain. The forecastwas for things to clear up as we got closer to The Bahamas.

Something else new on Royal Caribbean is a new fleetwide drink menu.

Every few years, Royal Caribbean updates its drink menu for locations that do not have a specialized drink menu. One noticable difference with this year's edition is there is a focus on drinks sourced from Caribbean islands, as well as more attention to low alcohol and no alcohol drinks.

Royal Caribbean set up a sampling event where some of the new drinks could be sampled.

Don't worry, the menu is just a starting point, so you can still order all of your favorite cocktails.

With the weather iffy at best, we enjoyed some time relaxing onboard.

A few fellow RoyalCaribbeanBlog readers even took over a Blackjack table in the casino for some fun.

The casino is limiting tables to 4 people to enforce social distancing.

Dinner this evening took us to Izumi, which is the only location in the fleet on the Royal Promenade.

I love sushi, especially from Izumi, and they also have a menu of non-sushi items to enjoy as well.

After dinner, we went to Studio B to check out the ice skating show.

Many guests onboard were equally interested to see one of the ice show's cast, Jordan, who had been doing vlogs on her YouTube channel about being a crew member on Adventure of the Seas.

After the show, there was a comedian in the theater, who did a great job of working the crowd into his act.

In both Studio B and the theater, many seats and even entire rows are unavailable to sit in for social distancing purposes.

Tomorrow is our last day of the sailing, and we will be in Freeport, Grand Bahama.

Go here to read the rest:

Adventure of the Seas Live Blog - Day 6 - Sea Day - Royal Caribbean Blog

Sprawling beaches, pristine waters and more than 700 islands full of tropical playgrounds make the Bahamas one of the most family-friendly getaways. Whether youre looking for waterslides, waterfalls or underwater adventures, the Bahamas are an unexpected hotspot for kids.

Modern resorts on most main islands have evolved to incorporate activities for children to experience this island paradise withor withouttheir parents. From all-inclusive resorts to more boutique options,kidsclubs and young explorer programs abound in the Bahamas.

Combined with short flight times and a world of natural beauty on the other side of the lobby, family-friendly travel options in the Bahamas are top notch.

This 141-acre water park located on Paradise Island is connected to Nassau via two great arcs.The parkoffers a Disney-like atmosphere that puts visitors insidea fantasy world built to evoke the lost city of Atlantis. Attractions include water slides themed on Mayan pyramids and junglesincluding one slide that transports riders through an underwater tunnel surrounded by sharks.

Just a short ride from Aquaventure, Pirates of Nassau Museum puts visitors face-to-face with replica pirate ships and the actual legacy of pirate lore in the Bahamas. Historically, the Bahamas played host to a rogues gallery of infamous pirates including a pirate republic dominated by the likes ofBlackSam Bellamy andBlackbeardEdward Teach. At the Pirates of Nassau Museum, families can explore the history of those famed pirates alongside women counterparts like Anne Bonny and Mary Read.

This 18th century, limestone fortress peers out over the eastern end of Nassau Harbor. Fort Montagu is the oldest remaining fort still standing on New Providence, andactually playeda role in the American Revolutionary War, becoming the location of the first ever successful amphibious assault by United States Marines.

Kayaking, off-road tours and beaches highlight Grand Bahamas Lucayan National Park, a playground for all ages. Located near Freeport, this sprawling jungle landscape allows families to load up for a paddle tour through mangrove forests or pile into a jeep for a Jurassic Park-like tour of the rainforest.

The Baha Mar Ecological Aquatic Conservation Habitat hosts a variety of sea turtles, rays and sharks that families can interact with. Inside this New Providence sanctuary, guests can participate in daily animal feedings, wade into tidal pools and kayak on the nearby Hobby Horse Nature Preserve. BEACH Sanctuary also features a kids club program and a young Explorers Badge program.

One of the worlds preeminent coral farms, Coral Vita, is located on Grand Bahama.Here, researchers are working to understand the ways warming oceans are impacting coral and engineering methodsfor coral to adapt to climate change. Coral Vita offers guided tours for visitors who want an in-depth look at the biology taking place beneath the waves.

This Nassau gardenis home to more than 130 species of animals in a four-acre complex thats perfect for toddlers. Families can feed birds and interact with mammals at the petting zoo. Swans, macaws, peafowls and lory parrots flutter and walk about here under the shade of mangos and coconut palms.

Atlantis Paradise Island hosts this program designed specifically for children ages three to six years old. Sea Squirts is a one-hour, interactive marine program that allows children to hand feed fish and baby stingrays and includes a swim shirt as a keepsake.

The one-two punch of Atlantis and Baha Mar resorts make Paradise Island the top destination in the Bahamas for kids. While we are huge fans of off-the-grid adventure, this pint-sized island off the coast of New Providence is perfect for education and fun just a short distance from Nassau.

Freeport offers an easily accessible alternative to New Providence that comes with a more do-it-yourself attitude for the kids. While families wont be fully remote here, attractions like Lucayan National Park, Coral Vita and Gold Rock Beach offer ready-made adventures for families of explorers.

The idyllic hamlet of Harbour Island just east of Eleuthera is completely navigable by golf cart. Here, pink sand beaches blend with the tranquil confines of Dunmore Town for a destination that offers flawless fun for older children.

Many islands offer car rental services that will deliver a vehicle to the local airport when you land, while shuttle services on main islands provide hassle free transport for families in a hurry.

The Bahamas can be cooler than other Caribbean nations throughout the year due to its location under the trade winds. Average summer temperatures range from 80F to 85F and can dip into the 70s during winter months. Prepare for warm, sunny days with comfortable, breezy evenings.

Hurricane season runs from June to November, though you shouldnt sweat the big storms too much during your trip. Typically, the Bahamas has several days of notice before the threat of an incoming hurricane draws near.

Continued here:

Best things to do with kids in the Bahamas - Lonely Planet Travel News

NASSAU, Bahamas The Inter-American Development Bank has highlighted global experiences following natural disasters in a publication on best practices in post-disaster reconstruction in The Bahamas.

Presented in a virtual event for the government, organized by the IDBs country office in The Bahamas, a summary document entitled International Good Practices and Lessons in Post Disaster Reconstruction in The Bahamas offers insight on strategic efforts deployed in the wake of disasters in other countries around the world, including Myanmar, Japan, and the British Virgin Islands.

The examples in the publication were outlined in an earlier webinar featuring The Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency and the Bahamas Disaster Reconstruction Authority.

We are pleased to publish this brochure presenting creative solutions to developmental challenges, said IDB Country Representative Daniela Carrera-Marquis.

Globally, experiences and lessons learned on post-disaster reconstruction efforts are still being systematically developed. This brochure provides an outline of what can be tracked, evaluated, and learned from post-disaster reconstruction efforts around the world.

The IDB Bahamas office remains committed to working with the government to propose more effective reconstruction projects.

The deadly hurricane Dorian in 2019 caused loss of life and billions of dollars in damage. Experts provided several recommendations for recovery, including customized reconstruction based on the unique culture, investing in well-conceived resilient construction as well as in governance, public-private coordination, and financial and legal structures to enable resilient livelihood recovery and rapid and resilient reconstruction when there is significant national or localized catastrophic impact.

Originally posted here:

IDB highlights international good practices and lessons in post disaster reconstruction in The Bahamas - EyeWitness News

Jordan Riefe

A significant discovery by many execs during the pandemic was that private jets arent necessarily for business only. The good people at Magellan Jets jets saw their business rise 58 percent over 2019, itself a record year for them, as families desperate for lockdown relief took to the skies for havens that take socially distancing to a whole other level, in a good way, like the Exumas in the Bahamas, a series of remote islands a couple of hundred miles from the nearest subway stop.

Catch a flight out of Boston?? and Fort Lauderdale to winter destinations like Aruba, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Leeward Islands, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos, U.S. Virgin Islands, Windward Islands, Bermuda and, all year round, the Bahamas where your pleasure ship awaits the Loon.

Jordan Riefe

From stem to stern shes 180-feet with walls of lacquered cherrywood, tasteful muted tones, pile carpet and elegant marble floors. She accommodates up to 12 guests in six spacious cabins with the main deck full beam master including a jacuzzi and separate shower.

On the lower deck are four large ensuite cabins for two. The sixth and final cabin is an extra single located just aft of the master. And if its just the two of you, the pair of aft cabins can be joined to create a single luxurious VIP suite with a queen and king bed.

The sun deck includes shaded lounge seating, jacuzzi, barbeque and a four-person sunbed. And when youre through lounging around, take to the water with a seemingly endless selection of gear including matching Yamaha Waverunner jet skis, Seabobs, Lift e-foils and stand up paddle boards.

Jordan Riefe

Other options include a flyboard, water slide, water skis, junior water skis, wakeboard, inflatable kayaks, snorkeling and 12 sets of scuba equipment, spearfishing gear, kitesurfing gear, fishing equipment as well as tons of water toys for the kiddies.

And if you prefer to keep dry, there are free weights, yoga, bands and balls for an onboard workout. But if youd rather burn no calories at all, there are board games, jigsaw puzzles and a menu listing hundreds of movies to choose from in your own private screening room.

And if youre not quite versed in the ways of the sea, your talented crew of 14 includes a professional surfer, pro kite boarders and divemaster who will escort you to a vibrant tropic underwater world populated by barracuda, reef sharks, sergeant majors and the invasive lionfish.

Jordan Riefe

The Exumas are a shallow playground where cruise ships cannot venture, making it ideal for private yachts. So hop aboard the 43' Everglades towed tender, or the 21' Novurania, for some of the richest underwater exploring in the Atlantic.

And if youre not certified, you can still hit Staniel Cay to snorkel the plane wreck of one of Pablo Escobars drug runners. It was discovered in the 1980s, a day after it crashed ten miles from its destination the airstrip at Normans Cay. Inside it was packed with marijuana and two dead pilots.

From the surface shes less than impressive, just some steel skeletal bones piercing the water at the breakpoint in the fuselage. Once you dive in, youll find much of the structure intact, allowing you to swim the length of the plane from within, or explore the wingspan of the World War II craft resting on the sandy bottom.

Jordan Riefe

Sure it gets busy, but the Thunderball Grotto is a must. Its where Sean Connery carried out that full-scale underwater assault against the forces of SPECTRE in the 1965 Bond classic that gives the grotto its nickname.

Swim between the rocks into an open cave-like area, where the garden below is teeming with life and the ceiling above is a bit too tight.

Through a groove pass into the pool of the grotto, domed like a cathedral, with two perfectly placed skylights illuminating breathtaking natural beauty, colorful parrot fish, coral and angelfish. And if youre feeling your oats, you can swim out to the beach, hike to the top of the rock, and hurl yourself through 40 feet of shadow into the turquoise pool below.

Jordan Riefe

Stop for a pig, now. How the sows and boars got to Big Major Cay, otherwise known as Pig Island, is a bit of a mystery. Were they set loose by a group of sailors to provide protein for return visits? Are they the survivors of a shipwreck? Are they migrants from a local island? Or were they stocked in the 1990s by residents of nearby Staniel Cay?

The sound of the boat summons them not just to the beach, but into the surf where they blithely paddle their way out in search of a celery stalk or carrot. While they're large and can appear intimidating, the pigs are good company and won't force the issue if you're empty handed.

In fact, theyre a bit less pushy than the iguanas over on Bitter Guana Cay (Iguana Island). Like the pigs, they hear the skiff and come flopping their way down the beach for a snack. Grapes on a wooden skewer are their preferred comestible, but they can be a little eager, and might draw blood in the process.

Jordan Riefe

Of course youd be mad to try to do it all in one day, but you dont have to. For a mere $300,000, you have the Loon for a week. So take breaks back on board for specialty cocktails prepared to your liking, and meals to match your tastes.

A preference form is offered ahead of time, affording the chef and his team all the info they need to prepare bespoke meals made to your specifications.

The Exumas are an ideal playground, but its the getting there that makes this trip special. From the easy in and out at Jet Nassau in the Bahamas, with the good people at Magellan graciously handling visas and COVID paperwork, to the Loon itself, providing the comfort and luxury of a five-star hotel with the ocean under your feet, theres no better way to reward yourself for the hardships of the past year.

Continue reading here:

We Took a Bahamas Yacht Trip to See Swimming Pigs and the 'Thunderball Grotto' - Maxim