Many people visit the Florida Keys to escape reality and embrace the island lifestyle. And while living and working there is truly wonderful, it’s rarely a vacation. Even when Main Attraction Co-Owners Captain Marty and Katie Lewis manage to find some time off, the calls, texts, emails, and drop-ins keep on coming!

For over a year, they’ve been longing to explore the Bahamas, but it simply wasn’t in the cards. Between running their business and building a new home while needing to sell their prior home they were stretched pretty thin. But as of April, the stars aligned! Their old home sold, they’re settled into their new one, and finally, they could breathe a little easier. Lobster mini-season was the perfect time to get away from all the crowds and traffic.

Bimini, Bahamas

The Lewis family decided to make Bimini their first stop. To make things easier, they filled out their customs paperwork online before leaving. After making the crossing, they docked their boat at Brown’s Marina in Bimini. The dockmaster helped them tie up and called the immigration agent to clear them. Although they were cleared by immigration, they were told they’d need to visit the customs office the next morning.

The next day started with a quick breakfast, and then they hopped on a golf cart to handle customs. Thanks to submitting everything online ahead of time, they were cleared in under five minutes. With that out of the way, they headed to the local beach, where stunning blue water, soft white sand, and a few playful local dogs welcomed them. Their daughter had a blast collecting seashells, ticking off another adventure on her list.

Back on their boat, they set their sights on the SS Sapona Shipwreck. This massive concrete ship ran aground during a hurricane in 1926 and was used as a WWII target practice site. It sits in shallow water, with the top part above water and the rest teeming with tropical fish, making it perfect for snorkeling.

Despite the wind kicking up the waves, the family geared up and jumped in. They spent an hour exploring the underwater world of the shipwreck, joined by other snorkelers.

Afterward, they enjoyed lunch on their anchored boat, soaking in the peaceful views. Back at the marina, it was time for showers and dinner prep. Remembering a fantastic meal from their last visit, they took a short golf cart ride to the World Resort/Hilton for another great dining experience.

Chub Cay, Bahamas

Wednesday

On Wednesday, the crew untied their lines early and set off for their travel day. The wind had really picked up, so they knew it would be a bumpy ride. As they made their way to the “tongue of the ocean,” they had to slow down because the waves were pretty big. They tossed out some marlin lures for about 30 minutes, hoping to catch a billfish. Unfortunately, there were no bites, but it was still fun to try.

They arrived at Chub Cay Marina around 3 PM, and it was absolutely breathtaking. Each stop seemed more beautiful than the last. They radioed the dockmaster, who assigned them a slip number, and a dock attendant met them there to help tie up the boat.

The guys rinsed down the boat after the trip, while the gals put things away and grabbed snorkel gear and beach toys. Their first stop was the marina check-in, where they got resort wristbands to show they were all paid up and official. Then they headed to the beach and set their stuff down. They all waded out knee-deep and found lots of conch shells. The water was crystal clear and just incredible.

Within minutes, their daughter had made a new friend and was off exploring everything the beautiful beach had to offer. They found little pompano fish swimming in the shallows, small and large conch shells, and made new friends instantly. The Bahamas had a great vibe, and everyone was so friendly.

They definitely took advantage of the gorgeous afternoon, enjoying the beach and the beautiful pool. Some locals mentioned that after September, the Chub Cay Resort would become private, requiring a membership to stay there, so they felt lucky to experience it. They made dinner reservations at the resort restaurant, returned to the boat to shower and freshen up, and enjoyed another amazing meal. The conch fritters were to die for!

Thursday

On Thursday morning, the family woke up to much calmer seas. They made breakfast, fueled up, and set their sights on Staniel Cay as they left the Chub Cay Resort. But, as everyone knows, Captain Marty is always on the lookout for fish. Just off Nassau Island, he spotted a flock of birds and quickly turned the boat in their direction. He called out to his son to put the lines out and try their luck with some yellowfin tuna. Within minutes, the lines started peeling out, and they were hooked up. The first catch was a blackfin tuna, a familiar sight for them from the Florida Keys. They snapped a quick picture and released it to let it grow.

After resetting the lines and following the birds again, three lines went off all at once. It was madness. Marty had to come downstairs to reel in a fish while also running the boat, Alex was on another rod, and Katie on the third. They lost a few fish, but the one Katie was fighting was clearly a beast. The boys strapped her into the fighting chair, and she took charge. If you know Marty, his greatest joy is watching others catch impressive fish, so he was thrilled, like a kid in a candy shop. Alex gaffed the big yellowfin tuna and brought it onto the boat. There were lots of high fives and cheering. Once the fish calmed down, they snapped some photos before it lost its color.

With a few hours of travel still ahead, they revved up the engines and took off. Catching that giant Yellowfin Tuna was such a cool experience, especially since it was Katie’s first!

Staniel Cay, Bahamas

As they approached Staniel Cay, the water transformed into a mesmerizing, crystal-clear blue. They arrived at Staniel and secured their vessel at a private dock belonging to Serenity Resort and Cottages. Once settled, they began cleaning the boat and the impressive Yellowfin Tuna. The dockmaster, Mark, was clearly amazed by the fish, mentioning he hadn’t seen one that large in quite a while. He then requested the fish head, explaining he planned to make a delicious soup with it.

During the cleanup, several Nurse Sharks glided by, prompting an impromptu feeding session. Soon, six sharks were circling behind the boat, accompanied by a large Barracuda. It was like a living aquarium! Thoughts turned to dinner, and everyone agreed to try the Yellowfin. They started with sashimi-style slices, served with soy sauce and wasabi. Marty then prepared some Tuna steaks for grilling, rounding out the meal with rice and salad to complement their fresh catch.

Friday

On Friday morning, the wind had calmed, and the Lewis family was eager to see the famous swimming pigs. They packed a bag of carrots and lettuce and set off towards the pigs’ location. As they approached, the pigs began to stir, noticing the boats coming closer. To their delight, the pigs even swam out to greet them, eagerly begging for food. They tossed vegetables to the pigs, some of whom caught them mid-air like dogs. For the most part, the pigs were gentle and simply looking for a snack.

After about ten minutes with the pigs, the family decided to explore the surrounding area. There were other islands nearby with stunning beaches and interesting rock formations to snorkel around. In a short amount of time, they had encountered pigs, Nurse Sharks, Barracuda, a sea turtle, and countless colorful fish. The water was incredibly clear, offering perfect visibility. They explored the various beaches, and the boys even tried their hand at bonefishing.

That evening, they enjoyed a delicious meal of burgers cooked on the boat, accompanied by tater tots cooked in the air fryer. It was a perfect ending to another day of adventure in the Bahamas.

Saturday

On Saturday, the family rented a small center console to explore more shallow islands. They set off, aiming for an underwater cave that was accessible due to the low tide.

While the group explored the cave, Katie stayed on the boat. Suddenly, a fierce squall hit, causing the boat to drift dangerously close to the rocks. She quickly started the engines and managed to escape, but scraped her foot badly on the rocks in the process. Katie tied a shirt around her foot, relieved it wasn’t broken, though the pain was intense.

Within a few minutes, the rest of the family emerged from the cave, and sensing something was wrong, Marty swam toward the boat. He had no idea a squall had come through, as the cave had remained perfectly calm during the ordeal. Marty climbed onto the boat and took control, as Katie was bleeding and needed to tend to her injury.

Once everyone was safely onboard, Katie reassured the family that she was okay, not wanting to scare their young daughter. With the storm still raging, they gunned it back to the dock to ride out the squall and seek medical attention.

You never know with Mother Nature; there had been no sign of the squall coming through, or Captain Marty wouldn’t have left Katie alone on the boat. It was a scary encounter, but fortunately Katie walked away with only some scrapes and bruises.

After riding out the squall and taking a moment to catch their breath, they had some lunch and loaded back onto the center console. Despite her sore foot, Katie toughed it out and joined the ride.

They visited the swimming pigs again to let little Natalie feed them again.

They also discovered more beautiful beaches to explore, built sandcastles, and floated around the sandbars. They even came across a large conch shell.

Later that afternoon, they headed to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, where they enjoyed some fruity island drinks and indulged in local appetizers.

Sunday

On Sunday, they decided to head back to Chub Cay Resort to relax and enjoy the pool and island resort life. It was a peaceful way to wind down, and they ended up spending two more nights there. While on the island, the group visited the Naughty Rooster, a local favorite restaurant. The kids loved it because there were plenty of games like pool, darts, and Jenga. The restaurant was decorated with boat shirts and stickers, and the cracked conch was absolutely delicious.

On the way home to the Keys, Captain Marty spotted a few schools of Mahi, leading to some fun times and a cooler full of meat to bring home. Even Natalie caught some Mahi, making Captain Marty proud of his little girl. It was a blast!

As their vacation came to an end, they couldn’t wait to get back home and into their own beds. Katie was especially eager to have her doctor check out her foot. They also missed their pups terribly, and the dogs were overjoyed to see them. Thankfully, Katie’s foot will be fine—no infection, just some tender scrapes, bruising, and swelling. She is already on the mend answering emails and phone calls!