Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island

During registration Shelley received her tournament competition time for the day which was 10AM. Since it was in the morning we were fairly confident that we would have the afternoon free. And with the afternoon free we could consider taking a snorkeling trip, since it’s a rare opportunity to be in one of the premier snorkeling locations in North America.

We looked on Viator for any afternoon snorkeling trips leaving from Paradise Island and found one for five hours that departed at 1PM. The meeting point was also only a half mile from the hotel. So after a brief discussion we booked it.

Of course, with a one-in-five hundred chance at winning one million dollars we would not risk missing Shelley’s slot tournament rounds, and IF she ended up in a competition that afternoon I would simply have to go without her. But as it was, the tournament rounds were only 3 minutes long and the second round wasn’t until the following day, so we were free to go.

As I mentioned in the prior post, the restaurants on Paradise Island tend to be rather expensive. While we were getting a free stay in the Royal Towers with access the the Aquaventure Park and were getting reimbursed for the flights out (actually more than the cost of the flights since we used some United miles as well), we would be paying for most of our meals.

Fortunately we found Murray’s Deli which served a good breakfast at fairly reasonable prices. The cheesecake pancakes were delicious. We ate plenty knowing we’d be burning a lot of energy swimming and walking throughout the day.

The Slots Tournament

At 10AM we arrived for the slots tournament and Shelley took her place at a slot machine. Slots are really just a game of chance and winning and losing is really just a matter of random luck. We were given tokens to cash in for drinks (more rum punch) and could help ourselves to sandwiches and cookies.

The tournament round was very fast-paced and though she was at one point as high as fourth place in the opening round of fifteen. she ended up in eleventh place. Again, other than hitting buttons there was nothing a person could do to control the outcome. The 100 highest scores in the first round would advance to the second round to compete for a million dollars. The rest would be free to enjoy vacation.

We assumed that she was out of the tournament, but the second round contestants would be posted at 7PM, after we returned from the snorkeling trip. It was a long shot, but maybe her group had just unusually high scores and she would still rank among the top 100 that would advance to the second round.

With the tournament round over in 3 blazing fast minutes, we went back to the room to change into our swim suits, apply sunscreen, and to gather our snorkeling gear and my go pro. We’d be on the water for 5 hours so we’d need to be prepared.

Snorkeling in the Bahamas

We wanted a really good snorkeling trip that would make up for some less-than-thrilling experiences we had in places like the Florida Keys a few years before. We are avid snorkelers whenever we have the opportunity, but it isn’t always a home run experience.

We wanted to see the famous swimming pigs of the Bahamas, to snorkel on a nice reef with many. beautiful fish, see some sea turtles, and get some beach time. This tour was supposed to offer all of these. And it absolutely did. It was probably the best snorkeling tour we’ve ever done over all.

The first stop on the tour was the Pig Beach, which was on one side of on Atholl Island, a short trip by boat away from New Providence Island.

The pig beach was fun (they are a bit aggressive about getting the offered fruit), but it did feel like we were there a bit longer than was necessary (45 minutes) and it was a bit touristy. Still it was fun and the pigs are friendly.

The next stop was the snorkeling stop (which you can see in the video above). It was terrific and very enjoyable. We spent about 45 minutes at the first reef spot off Rose Island then moved onward to Turtle Cay where we found a few turtles, a conch (actually I found it), and other sea life. The journey on the motor boat while enjoying drinks was fantastic all by itself.

The final stop was a beach break on Rose Island. The boat docked at an old pier and we walked across a stretch of the narrow island, past an abandoned home that was in disrepair that had been left by a past homesteader, and on a jungle trail to a secluded beach. Along the way we found a lizard and a peahen. The peahen may have been left by the owner of the abandoned home, and it was now a feral denizen of the island.

I’ve been to many beaches in my life and this one was one of the very best. If not the best.

Clear, warm water? Check.
Sugary, soft sand? Check.
Calm waves? Check.
Seclusion and privacy? Check.
Beautiful, natural environment / free of human development? Check.

We spent about 30 minutes in the waves, enjoying the location and the slowly setting sun. It felt great. On many levels.

After walking back to the boat we ate a late lunch and enjoyed some more alcoholic drinks. The ride back was as enjoyable as you would imagine, listening to music played on the motor boat, sitting at the back of the boat with the setting sun in the distance ahead.

I give this snorkel tour 5 out of 5 stars. Here is the link on Viator.

Back at the Resort

After returning to the resort we went to check on the list of those who would advance in the Slots Tournament. Unfortunately, Shelley wasn’t on the list. On the bright side, we would have all of Saturday free to do as we pleased.

We took a moment to sit in the giant throne chair.

After changing out of our wet clothing and showering, we decided to have dinner at a place called Anthony’s Seafood just outside the resort on Paradise Island. We sat outside. The food was good and we enjoyed a few celebratory drinks. The music on the outdoor patio was really loud (almost to a point of discomfort). It was also a fairly hefty bill. But we deserved to splurge a little.

The following day we would be free to visit Nassau and enjoy the Aquaventure Park. And maybe we could win a chance to reenter the tournament?