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Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park

Plizio editorial teamUpdated: Jun 2026Data Sources

Sea

Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park (Bahamas)

Weather…

Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park is a 2,100-acre (850-hectare) protected area in the central Abaco Islands, established in 1972. The park encompasses a group of small cays and extensive surrounding marine territories known for their exceptionally well-developed coral reef systems. These reefs host a vast array of marine life, including significant colonies of Elkhorn and Staghorn corals, alongside numerous sponge species. The underwater topography is characterized by complex caves, undersea tunnels, and deep crevices, establishing the park as one of the premier snorkeling and diving locations in the Bahamas. Beyond the marine environment, the cays themselves provide vital nesting habitats for various seabirds and feature pristine sandy beaches and mangrove fringes. As a key component of the Bahamas National Trust network, the park plays a central role in regional biodiversity conservation and serves as a benchmark for coral reef health studies in the North Atlantic. Strict regulations prohibit the removal of any flora or fauna to maintain the ecosystem's delicate equilibrium.

Location: Bahamas
Nearby: Cherokee Sound (6 km)

Best time to visit & climate

The most pleasant time to visit is Jan–Mar.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg °C	22	22	23	24	25	27	28	29	28	27	25	23
Rain mm	44	39	47	57	99	115	104	106	146	102	59	39

📋 Practical info

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Getting there

This expansive and strictly protected marine reserve is exclusively accessible by sea, inherently requiring visitors to arrive via private watercraft or by booking an organized, licensed snorkeling and diving charter from nearby inhabited islands.

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Best season

The significantly calmer and more predictable sea conditions generally found during spring and early summer provide truly optimal underwater visibility for exploring the reefs, whereas the distinct hurricane season naturally poses extremely significant disruption risks.

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Terrain & paths

The vast territory is overwhelmingly aquatic, distinctly characterized by extensive shallow-water coral reef systems, highly fascinating underwater cave networks, and a beautiful scattering of incredibly small, profoundly pristine sandy islets.

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What to bring

Absolutely high-quality snorkeling or scuba diving equipment is totally essential, strongly coupled with strictly reef-safe sunscreen to passionately protect the fragile marine ecology, and highly adequate motion sickness medication for those sensitive to relentless ocean swells.

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Parking

Since the park is entirely a marine environment, absolutely all land vehicles must be securely parked at the mainland marinas, official harbor facilities, or strictly designated dock areas from which your specific chartered boat tour formally departs.

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Safety

Snorkelers and divers should constantly and strictly employ the established buddy system, remain highly, actively vigilant regarding powerful tidal currents near the caves, and strictly avoid intentionally touching or accidentally damaging the highly sensitive coral structures.

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Time needed

Exploring the park's true highlights usually strictly requires a dedicated half to a full day, which easily allows visitors ample unhurried time to thoroughly experience various distinct reef locations and explore the extensive underwater cave systems in immense detail.