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"It's like fishing in a pool." The words were said over drinks by a fellow guest at Deep Water Cay who had just returned from the legendary flats.

I kept a steady pace while running along Bay Street in Great Abaco enjoying scenic seascapes as I went. The scene above, though, stopped me in my tracks.

The joys of solitude are easily found among the 360+ islets, cays, and rocks that comprise the Exuma chain of The Bahamas.

Between the two of us, I think that Patrick and I would both agree that I am the more risk-averse. Even so, I've found myself fascinated lately with the prospect of living the reasonably thrilling experience of swimming with nurse sharks in The Bahamas.

I don't know what these islets are called. I didn't get a chance to tie up at either of them during my last visit to the Abaco Islands a few years ago.

For all of the outsized touristy glitz that has come to define Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas is actually a prime destination for history lovers keen on exploring African roots and the legacy of slavery in the West Indies.

Interspersed among the 360 islands, islets, and cays in the Exuma chain of The Bahamas are little patches of sandy heaven like this. Sandbars: pure Bahamas paradise.

Few places provide it better than the sea; fewer still as spectacularly as The Bahamas. Beneath the waves amid the clear, the blue, all worries fade away.

So, should you go to the Exumas to marvel at the remaining swimming pigs? I say yes. Just don't forget to pack your common sense and compassion.