You Gotta See Grand Bahama Islands Port Lucaya Marketplace

We weren't going to visit the Port Lucaya Marketplace at first, but seeing that we had time to kill before our cab ride back to Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach, we figured we would first go to the ATM at the nearby resort and spend a little bit of our money in the Port Lucaya Marketplace.

It's basically an area that I would compare to Main Street. There are lots of local shops to visit which sell unique items....plus you could get yourself a Cuban Cigar!!!

The place is a bit intimidating at first due to the flea market like atmosphere that occurs down one stretch off the street. In this area though you can find locals attempting to sell all sorts of good ranging from handmade t-shirts, conch plates, and mugs, shell jewlwey and other beautiful memorbilia to remember your trip by.

I will be uploading a photo of the handmade conch mug we bought for $15.00 later today. They are beautiful, and can be found in the Port Lucaya Marketplace on Grand Bahama Island! If we had more room in our bags we would have also gotten the larger handmade conch bowl, which was just stunning!

The Brain Coral Is Gorgeous!!!

One thing you defineltly will not miss while snorkeling around thewaters on Grand Bahama Island are brain coral!!!

We came across so many wondeful formations in sizes extra small to extra extra large...and someof them grew into odder shapes...like this one! Tee-hee! I dont have to tell you what this one looks like do I?


Here is another beatuful brain coral located amongst other corals and sea weed.


This formation is one of my all time brain coral shots


This was a beautiful medium sized brain coral that I shot at Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach!


This larger brain coral made for a good hiding spot for some of the fish



A big one!!!

What a Weird Colored Lionfish!!!! Grand Bahama Island Photos

I wish this photo came out a little clearer, however even with its graininess you can clearly see that this Lionfish does not look like the lionfish in other photos I posted in older posts of Lionfish!

This fella is clearly blue in color.

Only 1 Left On Amazon, Satava Art Glass Moon Jellyfish Paperweight Sculpture

I should have bought one of these beautiful paperweights when they were more affordable. I remember back a few years ago first hearing about the Satava Art Glass Moon Jellyfish Paperweight Sculpture on Trendhunters, and wanted one sooo badly. I was too cheap to spend the $70.00 or so they first went for when I found them on ebay, and now they are in the $400.00-$3,500 range!

Man they are beautiful though! They just remind me of the Bahamas, Imagine a light being placed underneath!!! Stunning!!!


Here is another noteworthy Jellyfish lamp!


And you absolutely must check out this website, for even more of these lamps in other colors.

Watch For This Beauty As Well

The Cone snail is usually found in Australia, but the Sharptail Eel is normally found in Panama, and we still spotted one.

I wanted to fill you in on this species because if you do happen to stumble upon it, leave it be. The pretty colors are a tempting shell to want to keep, but best leave it be.


Please read the following article on Wikipedia.

Sea of Warning! Do Not Step On The Coral, Do Not Touch Certain Fish, and Watch Where You Put Your Feet!!!

Although it is highly unlikely you will come across any dangers while swimming the lush sea of Grand Bahama Island, there is always a factor at hand.
One being you are out of your element, and two being that you don't know what to avoid in these foreign seas.

Now you don't have to go paddling around like a scardey cat, but there are a few species of fish and coral I wanted to mention to you before you just flop into the water.

While we stood at the resort on Viva Wyndham we saw a lot of stupid careless acts going on by some of the other guests.

The first thing was that some bad swimmers would drop their bare feet onto the corals for a rest!

Not only is this inconsiderate of the LIVE corals, but it is also very, very stupid and could potentially land you a nice long visit to the hospital, and in some rare cases death (depending on what you step on).

There are a few highly poisonous fish and some corals that could cause a sting to the skin that could last up to two weeks if brushed against!

The first of course is fire coral.



The second fish to watch out for is the lion fish. See photo. They won't come out to attack you or anything, but if you brush up against them they could cause sever swelling. Their venom does not usually cause death, but should be avoided.



Can you see the deadly fish in this photo below?! This is the guy to truly watch out for, because he will camouflage to match his surrounding so well that you may even miss him when looking down at the sea floor through your mask.
The Stone fish is deadly, and could cause death depending on how deep it's barbs penetrate into your skin!



See how he just matches his surroundings? Almost invisible!

Next we have of course the Barracuda which generally looks motionless in water. I spotted this beauty, took some photos and backed off. Although attacks are rare, its still best to keep a close eye on one if you stumble upon it. They can lunge straight at you like a bullet and tear flesh. In some countries it is more feared than sharks.



This is why I truly recommend just keeping your feet afloat while in the waters. Don't stop for a rest on any corals, stones, and if you find a sandy patch to rest on, truly check it out before just stomping down.

I really wanted address people with small children who swam in shallow areas of the waters. I saw many swimmers with no masks on stepping in the shallow waters without knowing what was below them! Yikes! The stone fish I caught on camera was only 4 feet out, so perhaps you should think before you sink! The swimmers happily went about stomping on the sea bed, meanwhile Mr. Stone Fish was no more than a few feet away from them. Thankfully I kept nearby and warned them of the fish. Unfortunately when cultures collide, people took my warnings with a grain of salt and were rude when I tried advising them. ((Shrugs))

So... those of you who actually WANT to educate yourselves before jumping in! Kudos to you-Safety first! You'd be shocked by how many idiots you will encounter whom step nonchalantly on the sea bed, not even aware of the potential dangers a few steps away!

Anyhow, I thought this statue was simply adorable, so had to share with you

Many Thanks

To Bahamas.com for linking my blog to their incredible site, it's an honor. The song you hear playing is dedicated to them, and all of the wonderful locals who made my trip to their gorgeous island so memorable. I'll see you again this September.

Some Memorabilia To Remember Your Bahamas Trip By

After getting home, we wished we bought more things while on the island. Although we did walk away with many magical memories, and beautiful photos, we wished we had gotten more than just keychains. After getting home I became obsessed with adding a marine like charm to our bathroom. Here is a few items you may want to consider...

Things To Consider Before Taking Your Trip To The Bahamas

Before we actually landed on Grand Bahama Island there were quite a few things we looked at before actually getting there. Here is a compilation of some of the books and videos we personally looked at before getting to Paradise!

Some Beautiful Beach Photos I Took While On Grand Bahama Island

-Beautiful shot of Paradise Cove, taken from the waters

-We stumbled upon these neat sand formations on our walk to a fry shack from Viva Wyndham. As mentioned earlier in a post, you can walk, or swim to this crab/fry shack from the resort. It's quite a ways away, but if you are snorkeling down from the resort to the left, you will eventually come across the adorable eating spot for some Conch or Bahamian lobster.

-Although I added this picture already, I wanted to add it again, because someone pointed out a water spout in the distance! Shot taken at Gold Rock Beach

-A nice sunny day at Viva Wyndham. My fella buying something from one of the local beach vendors who walk through the beach at random times.

-Just before the sun set, Viva Wyndham

-Another balcony view from our room at Viva Wyndham

-Paradise Cove, to the right of the beach

-Another shot at Paradise Cove. The storm was passed by then.

-The water at Paradise Cove was like a pool

-I snapped this shot at Gold Rock Beach, the place was vacant, all except for these land birds

-A gorgeous arial shot I took just as the storm died down

-A storm passed through on our second day! It looks scary, but like I said, the storms here pass through so quickly and are over in close to 40 minutes-if that.

-This photo was taken early morning at Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach, out in the distance you can see my fella snorkeling the reefs.

-A shot of our morning landing spot. A lounge chair, some shells, and white powdery sands.

-This is a photo I took while at Paradise Cove/AKA Deadman's Reef. A quick storm passed through as you can see the darker clouds. Rain passes through quickly so don't even worry about it. The rain is warm here, and if you are in the water you won't even notice it.

Let's Focus On Some Reef Life Of Grand Bahama Island

Besides the gorgeous marine life, the reefs on Grand Bahama Island are as equally stunning. Here are a few of my all time favorite underwater reefs.

Don't step on this stuff!!! It's fire coral, and can land you into the hospital!

Although this photo is not of a reef, I wanted to share it, because whenever I look at it, it puts me in a good mood. For those wondering, it's a photo I took while underwater. The lens apparently was half in the water, and half out.

Grand Bahama Island, The Sting Rays Are Amazing!!!!

We saw beautiful stingrays every single time we went snorkeling. This stingray I spotted only once and was very unique compared to other Rays in the area. Just look at his shape and colors! He was stunning!


This stingray looked like he was ready for battle, I backed up pretty quickly as the stance was intimidating. Haha.

He scampered away pretty quickly though.

Here Is a List of Things I Personally Brought Along With Me To Grand Bahama Island

These were really neat to have along with me for when I was diving deep and couldn't rinse with de-foggers or baby shampoo.


As far as luggage goes, use the medium sized one if you want to bring the luggage on flight, if its larger than you will have to check it in.


You're also going to want to buy travel sized containers to add your favorite lotions, shampoos, or conditioners. You cannot travel with bottles filled with any types of liquid that are over 3 ounces. You can find these travel bottles at Walmart in their convienet travel care section.

Have fun!!!!

Starfish Are Everywhere Grand Bahama Island; But I Found Their Secret Hiding Spot

I came across all sorts of beautiful marine life while lazily snorkeling around the waters at our resort (Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach), however the more time I spent in the water, the more I realized that these starfish seemed to enjoy hiding more left in the water.

They pretty much avoided the middle swimming area, and hid left to the swimmers marked off sections. If you follow the marked off rope on the left side you will come across all sorts of beautiful colored starfish!

I saw ones that looked green, with odd markings. Ones that were enormous and a gorgeous orange color, and others that seemed to look like they were painted with dark red paints.

Take a look at some of the beautiful starfish we came across while snorkeling just 2-4 feet out in the water.

---This fella looked like he was painted for war

---This giant flesh starfish was one of my favorites, with a flawless orange and tan coloring to it

---This fella just seemed to be in the right place, at the right time for a stunning photo opportunity

---Another Beautiful Starfish

---One of my Favorite Shots