Wildlife· Cayos Holandeses· Other Caribbean
American Crocodiles, Nurse Sharks & Rays
9° 35.3′ N · 78° 40.9′ W · approximate
Spotted eagle rays and southern stingrays glide under anchored boats, nurse sharks sleep under coral ledges, dolphins hunt around the hulls, and saltwater crocodiles patrol the channels between the Holandes cays.
Practical
Coordinate approximate: set at Spirit of Argo's East Holandes waypoint (09°35.256'N 078°40.876'W), where they watched a roughly 7 ft crocodile follow their dog along the beach for 45 minutes in 2016. Keep dogs aboard and avoid predictable routines on quiet islands. Small 4–5 ft sharks are seen near anchorages (2024). Rays, the occasional shark and lots of starfish in the Swimming Pool (Balvenie). Turtles and dolphins in Snug Harbor. At night the water can glow with bioluminescence (Moxon). No-see-ums and sand flies bite hard near mangroves when the wind drops, worst at dusk; screens and repellent are essential.
Best for
Wildlife spotting from the cockpit
Nearby
- Banedup Anchorage (East Holandes)Right here
- East Holandes Sand-Knoll Anchorage (West of the Swimming Pool)Right here
- Bioluminescence in the Holandes0.1 NM away
- Cayos Holandeses Anchorage (The Swimming Pool)0.4 NM away
- Ivan's Beach Dinners (Holandes Cays)0.4 NM away
- Ogoppiriadup Cay Beach (East Holandes)0.4 NM away
- Sea-Turtle Nesting on the Outer Cays0.4 NM away
- Veggie Boats & Colombian Trading Boats0.4 NM away