Compass Cay

Compass Cay is a privately held island in the central Exumas with a small marina, and for decades nurse sharks have gathered around its dock, drawn originally by fish scraps from cleaning tables. Nurse sharks are bottom feeders with small mouths and no interest in people, and swimming among them in waist-deep water beside the dock has become a fixture of every Exuma boat trip. There are usually a dozen or more, up to two and a half metres long, moving slowly over the sand. The cay itself has walking trails to a beach on the ocean side and a hilltop view over the surrounding banks.

What you actually see

• The nurse sharks - gathered at the dock in shallow water.
• The marina - the small private harbour the cay is built around.
• The ocean-side beach - a short walk across the island.
• The hilltop view - over the banks and surrounding cays.

When to go

December to May is the dry season with the calmest crossings. Trips arrive through the middle of the day, so earlier or later is quieter. A dock fee is charged per person on arrival, usually on top of the tour price.

Honest expectations

Nurse sharks are docile but they are wild animals with strong jaws, and people are bitten every year, almost always by grabbing or standing on one; do not touch them, particularly the tail. The sharks are there because of long-term feeding, which is not a neutral practice. It is a private island and the fee is separate from the tour. It gets crowded.

Nearby

Staniel Cay and Thunderball Grotto are fifteen minutes; Big Major Cay is nearby.