Cayo Rosario

At Cayo Rosario we were lucky enough to see a whole crocodillo! There are wardens on this key as well and there is a small pond about five minutes walk from their dwelling. The warden threaded a line through a fish head and enticed the crocodile out to snatch at it. He threw it over a branch and then splashed it about in the water until the croc made his appearance, 

The warden and the croc played tug a war for awhile and then he positioned the fish head just at the edge of the pond and the crocodile came up out of the water for his photo op. After he had made his walk down the brownish carpet, we left him to devour the head and went on down the path. 

It was not easy walking, I am not sure you can tell from the pictures but the ground is covered in old coral and was very uneven and jagged to walk on. I thought our warden had something wrong with his foot, when I inquired about it he showed me his rubber boots, the bottom was detached from the sole and he was limping as a result.  The next day we went back to visit and took him Barry's rubber boots that he tromped around Cape Breton in last winter. We figured he needed them more than we did! 

We had a nice visit with them, I had seen an osprey and I took my bird book in to try and identify it. The fellow on the end was very interested in the book and looked at all the pictures, he produced a Cuban bird book and I was able to spot the osprey I had seen in it, it was not in my Peterson's Field Guide of Western North American birds. 

The guys were all busy when we arrived, the gentleman in the greenish shirt was sorting through the rice, removing the bugs, which he later fed to the chickens. The fellow with the machete was sharpening it. 

Shortly after they were absorbed in the delicate task of designing a new gasket for their outboard engine. When we left, after presenting them with Barry's boots and some spare coffee, we were given   three lobster tails as a thank you, a mutually beneficial exchange.

I snorkelled on a wreck on the reef just at the entrance to Cayo Rosario. Barry did not come in as he had cut his thumb while cleaning a fish and was taking good care of it, not wanting a reoccurrence of the ugly infection he had in Indonesia. 

We found the matching pair to the red one we saw on Cayo Campos. I wonder if that wreck on the reef was a result of a lack of one of these. I rather doubt it because that wreck looked like it had been there for quite some time!

Adding a blue flip flop to the driftwood sculpture on the beach. 

We spotted an elusive iguana. We have been seeing their trails on the beaches and the paths we have been hiking around for the past week. It was great to see one, he/she was about 60 to 70 cm long. 

Sailing Info.

We are using the "Cruisng Guide to Cuba" written by Capt. Cheryl Barr,  Volume 1, Varadero to Trinidad, published by Yacht Pilot in Nova Scotia.  It has lots of great information, with way points to help you transit narrow passes and lots of information on what is available in the small towns covered by the book, as well as the flora and fauna in the area.  We have heard the Nigel Calder's book is very good as well. 

Cayo Rosario  21*37.6' N  X  081*56.4' W 

We anchored in 5m of water in sand, very good holding

Reef protects anchorage from waves fro trade winds and the breeze keeps the bugs away

Lots of day anchorages  to snorkel and fish and great beach walking

Cayo Cantiles   21*37.3' N  X  081*57.9' W 

We anchored in 3m of water in sand, very good holding

Anchorage open to ocean swell as it comes in the pass, settled weather anchorage only

Visited the warden cabin from here, very helpful and interesting spot

Cayo Largo   21*36.9' N  X  081*34.6' W

We anchored in 3m of water in sand with very good holding

Great protection from sand spit, open to the west

Gasoline and diesel available at the resort, no propane, laundry services, restaurant/bar, small groceries store, limited goods, everything very expensive except restaurant food.