Jane and Jennifer climbed up through the hole in the rock to see the view from the top and the inscriptions.
The pirate’s cave at South West Bluff can be accessed through the water. Jane and Jennifer climbed up the rope ladder into the little cave, through its roof opening, and onto the top of the cliffs where shipwrecked sailors came ashore in the early 1800s. In the rocks ontop of the cliffs there are carvings with the names of the sailors. The wide cove from Osprey Rock to Bonefish Point is a great place for seeing cruising rays, turtles, juvenile sharks, barracudas, crabs and other marine life. This is one of my favourite places to go to by boat or road. It’s a little piece of heaven that often is yours alone to enjoy. As our islands get busier and more known, it will become more difficult to find these treasures!
Inscriptions carved in the rock by shipwrecked sailors
This inscription is found up on the bluff along with others. A newspaper in Nova Scotia indicates that the St.Louis burned on August 30th, 1842, and was lost. She sailed from Boston to New Orleans with some 24 people on board who were rescued by a brig called Impulse. Apparently she also was wrecked on the Caicos Reef on September 3rd, and was still carrying the crew of the St. Louis. There was no loss of life in either incident.
All this history and it all can be seen if you climb up the rope ladder to the top and look down in the rocks.
Happy searching the next time you’re at South West Bluff.
Marta