Compass Cay
A cay in the northern Exumas, about 5 miles north of Staniel Cay, where you can swim with the marina's nurse sharks. Boat access; landing fee for day visitors.
Quick read
At a glance
- Gateway
- TYM
- Drives on
- LEFT
- Sharks
- NURSEOne of the island’s main attractions, per the marina
- Access
- BOATMarina guests met at Staniel Cay; day visits by tour or own boat
- Fuel
- NONENearest at Staniel Cay, about 5 miles
- Water
- ROOn the island; bottled water at the dock store
- Day boats
- LANDING FEECharged per person to come ashore
Official operator source Compass Cay Marina · transportation checked 4 Oct 2026
01 · The sharks
Swimming with the nurse sharks.
Compass Cay sits in the northern Exumas, about 5 miles north of Staniel Cay by boat. Compass Cay Marina calls swimming with its nurse sharks one of the island’s main attractions, and invites visitors to “swim and play with our pet sharks”.
The marina is the way in: day boats tie up there and pay a landing fee per person to come ashore.
Not published by the marina: handling rules, a minimum age or set hours for the shark swim. Ask the marina, or your tour operator, before you get in.
Official operator source Compass Cay Marina: things to do · marina checked 4 Oct 2026
02 · Visiting
Day boats, house rules and the fee.
- Landing fee
- For day boats of 25 ft and over, the marina publishes a per-foot rate plus $15 per person. Nothing is published for smaller boats. Fees change; confirm when you call ahead.
- Time ashore
- The marina says day boats and guests may use the island “for a few hours”.
- On tours
- Exuma Water Sports lists the landing fee at the sharks as included in its full-day tour.
- With kids
- No minimum age is published for the shark swim. The full-day tour from Great Exuma takes children under 5 on private charters only, and asks for comfortable swimmers and confident snorkellers.
House rules, as published
- No drones.
- No smoking anywhere on the island.
- No fires anywhere on the island; no grilling on the docks.
- No outside food or drink for day boaters.
- Pets stay in the designated area on the docks.
- No SLR or DSLR cameras.
Official operator source Compass Cay Marina: policies · day-boat rates checked 4 Oct 2026
Official operator source Exuma Water Sports: full-day tour checked 4 Oct 2026
03 · Marina
Compass Cay Marina.
- Harbour
- Protected; 10 to 16 ft inside. Entry for up to 6 ft draft at low tide, 8 ft at high tide.
- Boats
- Up to 180 ft
- Power
- 30, 50 and 100 amp, including 100 amp three-phase
- Water
- Reverse-osmosis water at the dock
- Fuel
- None on the island; the marina points to Staniel Cay, about 5 miles away
- Store
- Ice, beer, soft drinks, bottled water, clothing and a few food and sundry items
- Overnight
- Three-night minimum stay, per the marina page
- Contact
- +1 242-422-7300 · info@compasscaymarina.org
Official operator source Compass Cay Marina: marina checked 4 Oct 2026 changes sometimes
04 · Getting here
Staniel Cay, then a short boat ride.
The marina’s guests fly into Staniel Cay (TYM) and are met by boat; the marina puts the transfer at about 20 minutes. If the Staniel Cay airport advisory above is still in force, confirm your pickup with the marina before you fly.
Official operator source Compass Cay Marina: transportation checked 4 Oct 2026
Day trips that stop here
Trips we’ve checked whose published itinerary includes Compass Cay. Other operators may offer the stop too, so ask when you book. Listed in no particular order; nobody paid to be here.
Exuma Water Sports
Full-day Staniel Cay run, from Great Exuma
The long day north: Pig Beach at Big Major Cay, Compass Cay’s nurse sharks, Leaf Cay’s rock iguanas, Thunderball Grotto, a sandbar and lunch at Staniel Cay Yacht Club.
The tour page lists hotel pickups on Great Exuma, including Grand Isle, Emerald Bay and George Town-area hotels, but no dock. Confirm where you board when you book. Landing fees at the sharks and at Big Major Cay are included.
- Length
- About 8 hours
- Kids
- Under 5: private charters only
- Fitness
- Comfortable swimmers, confident snorkellers; Thunderball Grotto is listed as advanced snorkelling
Places on the itinerary
Official operator source Exuma Water Sports: tour page checked 4 Oct 2026
Staniel Cay Adventures
Swimming-pigs day from George Town or Barraterre
A private day in the cays with seven stops, including the pigs at Big Major Cay, swimming with the sharks at Compass Cay, Thunderball Grotto and Staniel Cay Yacht Club.
From Great Exuma it starts with a private charter flight to Staniel Cay, or a private boat from Barraterre. While the Staniel Cay airport advisory is in force, ask how the flight option works before you book. Lunch is not included.
- Departs
- Staniel Cay (after a private flight from GGT) or Barraterre (private boat)
- Hours
- 8:00 am to 4:45 pm
- Group
- Private; up to 6 or 8 per boat
Places on the itinerary
Official operator source Staniel Cay Adventures: tour from Great Exuma checked 4 Oct 2026
Prices left out on purpose: they change. None of these trips has been field-tested by OGC yet.
05 · Stay & eat
Villas on the island, meals on Staniel.
Stay
…a bed
The marina rents villas on the island, with views over the marina, Pipe Cay and Exuma Sound. Boat transfers from Staniel Cay are included in the rental price. Deposits are not refundable; the marina suggests travel insurance.
Official operator source accommodations · FAQs checked 4 Oct 2026
Food
…to eat
No restaurant is listed on Compass Cay. The marina’s FAQ points to the restaurants on Staniel Cay, 5 miles south by boat, and says most guests bring as much food as they can carry on the plane. There’s RO water on the island and bottled water at the dock store.
Official operator source Compass Cay Marina: FAQs checked 4 Oct 2026
Fishing
…bait and gear
Bring your own gear. Frozen bait is available locally or at the marina office.
Official operator source Compass Cay Marina: FAQs checked 4 Oct 2026
Medical
…a clinic
The Ministry of Health’s list includes no clinic on Compass Cay or Staniel Cay. The nearest community clinic it lists in the cays is at Black Point, with listed hours of 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, except public holidays (list dated January 2025). The Royal Bahamas Police Force lists 919 and 911 as emergency numbers; we haven’t confirmed ambulance coverage in the cays.
Government source Ministry of Health: Family Islands health clinics (Jan 2025) · Royal Bahamas Police Force: emergency numbers checked 4 Oct 2026
06 · Beaches & trails
Thirteen beaches and a trail network.
The marina lists thirteen beaches. Rachel’s Bubble Bath is a lagoon at the north end; there’s also a half-mile crescent beach. Trails run north to south and east to west, and Compass Peak, at 92 feet, is the high point. Rocky Dundas, about a mile away, has snorkelling caves; Thunderball Grotto at Staniel Cay is about 8 miles south.
The marina describes the beaches and trails for its guests. Day visitors: ask what’s open to you when you land.
Official operator source Compass Cay Marina: things to do checked 4 Oct 2026
Orientation
Around Compass Cay
More in The Exumas
Getting there
How you arrive
- Gateway
- TYM · Staniel Cay airstrip · On Staniel Cay, about 5 miles south; the marina meets its guests by boat (about 20 minutes)
The Exumas field notes
Read the Exumas field notes.
Dated, sourced notes on the site when a route changes or a guide is finished.