Raccoon Cay Guide: Exploring a Remote Cay in the Ragged Island Chain
Raccoon Cay is one of the remote islands within the Ragged Island and Jumentos Cays chain of the southern Bahamas. Located northwest of Duncan Town and south of Nurse Cay, it sits in a sparsely developed marine corridor where travel revolves primarily around private boats and cruising vessels. Geographic data places Raccoon Cay at approximately 22.367° N, 75.812° W, with Duncan Town roughly 13 miles to the southeast.
For travelers researching Raccoon Cay, Bahamas, the attraction is not conventional tourism infrastructure. The cay is better known among cruisers for its beaches, western-side anchorages, old salt-pan features, snorkeling opportunities, sandbar scenery, and access to surrounding shallow-water marine environments. Cruising accounts also describe a small reef near a sandbar, adding interest for snorkelers exploring from an anchored vessel.
Raccoon Cay is therefore best suited to experienced boaters, cruisers, snorkelers, photographers, and travelers comfortable with remote destinations. For the wider destination—including Duncan Town, Hog Cay, Pigeon Cay, transportation, fishing, and trip logistics—use the Ultimate Ragged Island Travel Guide as your primary planning resource.
WHERE IS RACCOON CAY?
Raccoon Cay lies within the Ragged Island district of The Bahamas. It is part of the long crescent-shaped Jumentos Cays and Ragged Island chain, which extends for more than 180 kilometers through the southern Bahamas.
The cay is located at approximately:
Latitude: 22.36712° N
Longitude: 75.81172° W
Nearby geographic features include Bonavista Cay about 4.5 miles north, Margaret Cay about 5 miles southeast, Maycock Cay about 6 miles southeast, and Nurse Cay roughly 7 miles north. Duncan Town, the only settlement on Ragged Island, lies approximately 13 miles southeast.
This geographic position places Raccoon Cay firmly within the southern sector of the Ragged Island chain rather than the northern Jumentos.
WHAT MAKES RACCOON CAY WORTH VISITING?
Raccoon Cay appeals primarily because several different remote-island environments can be explored from one boating stop.
Published cruising accounts describe an attractive beach, a sandbar extending toward a small offshore rock, snorkeling near a small reef, and extensive remnants of salt-pan activity.
That makes the cay particularly suitable for travelers interested in:
There are no major resorts, shopping districts, organized attractions, or conventional tourism facilities defining the experience. The landscape and surrounding water are the attraction.
BEACHES AND SANDBAR SCENERY
One of Raccoon Cay's most appealing features is its undeveloped shoreline.
A published account in All At Sea specifically highlights the cay's beach and a sandbar extending toward a small rock offshore. The same account notes snorkeling opportunities immediately around this area.
For boat-based visitors, this combination creates several ways to explore a relatively compact coastal area. Travelers can photograph the shoreline, walk exposed sections where conditions and access permit, explore shallow water, or snorkel near the reef.
As with many remote Bahamian beaches, conditions can change with tides, wind, and recent weather. Sandbar exposure and water depth should therefore be treated as variable rather than permanent.
Visitors should also avoid assuming that an undeveloped beach is automatically suitable for landing under every condition. Assess waves, current, reef, and shoreline conditions before approaching.
SALT PAN RUINS ON RACCOON CAY
One feature that helps distinguish Raccoon Cay from many surrounding cays is evidence of former salt production.
Cruising sources describe extensive salt-pan ruins on the cay, providing another connection between the Ragged Island chain and the historic salt industry of the southern Bahamas.
The features offer an interesting contrast to the beaches and marine environments. Photographers may find geometric patterns, shallow water, salt deposits, vegetation, and weathered remnants particularly useful for landscape compositions.
Travelers should treat these areas as historic landscape features rather than places to modify or disturb. Avoid damaging old structures or removing significant quantities of natural or historic material.
The salt-pan landscape also provides a useful semantic connection with Ragged Island's salt ponds at Duncan Town, where salt harvesting historically played an important role in the local economy.
SNORKELING AT RACCOON CAY
Raccoon Cay can also interest travelers researching snorkeling in the Ragged Islands.
A 2025 All At Sea feature describes a small reef immediately offshore from the sandbar and specifically notes Christmas tree worms among the marine subjects photographed there.
Rather than expecting a developed snorkel site with marked entry points, equipment rental, lifeguards, or tour infrastructure, visitors should approach Raccoon Cay as a natural marine environment.
Snorkeling conditions depend on:
Calmer weather can improve both visibility and surface comfort.
Avoid standing on coral, collecting marine organisms, or touching reef life. Snorkelers should also remain aware of boat traffic and changing current around cuts and offshore areas.
MARINE LIFE AROUND RACCOON CAY
Raccoon Cay forms part of a larger marine environment that has been studied for its queen conch populations.
A 2013 Community Conch survey examined commercial fishing grounds throughout the Jumentos Cays and Ragged Islands. Researchers identified a southern survey sector extending from Raccoon Cay toward Little Ragged Island and documented relatively low adult conch densities in that southern region compared with northern sections of the chain.
The research is important because it shows that these seemingly isolated waters are part of an active and ecologically significant fishing environment.
Visitors should therefore avoid treating marine resources as unlimited simply because the area appears remote.
Fishing, conch harvesting, lobster collection, and spearfishing are subject to Bahamian regulations. Travelers planning these activities should check current rules rather than relying on older cruising reports.
ANCHORING AT RACCOON CAY
Raccoon Cay is a recognized anchorage within the Jumentos and Ragged Island cruising route.
Waterway Guide places the anchorage at approximately 22°21.280′ N, 75°48.800′ W, with reported depths of roughly 8–12 feet. It notes that the bays along the western side of the cay can provide protection from prevailing easterly winds.
When winds shift north to northeast, the same cruising guidance identifies more limited protection around areas known as Spanish Wells or House Bay.
These details are useful for understanding the cay's cruising character, but they should never substitute for current nautical charts, depth soundings, marine forecasts, or judgment by the vessel's captain.
Anchorages can change due to weather, seabed conditions, vessel draft, and swell.
HOW TO GET TO RACCOON CAY
There is no airport or conventional passenger transportation directly to Raccoon Cay.
Visitors generally approach as part of a boat journey through the Jumentos and Ragged Island chain. The Bahamas' official tourism authority describes the surrounding Jumentos Cays as a natural island-hopping route and emphasizes that a boat is necessary for exploring these isolated cays.
For travelers approaching from the southern end of the chain, Duncan Town Airport (DCT) on Ragged Island is the area's principal air gateway. Duncan Town is also the only settlement in the immediate Ragged Island destination cluster.
However, flying to Duncan Town does not automatically provide transportation to Raccoon Cay. Boat arrangements need to be organized separately.
Independent cruisers should plan fuel, water, food, communications, navigation, and weather routing before entering the chain.
RACCOON CAY FOR ISLAND-HOPPING
Raccoon Cay makes the most sense as part of a larger island-hopping itinerary in the Ragged Islands rather than as a standalone destination reached for only a few hours.
The Jumentos and Ragged Island chain contains numerous cays, rocks, reefs, cuts, anchorages, and undeveloped shorelines. Official Bahamas tourism information specifically promotes cay-to-cay exploration as one of the defining experiences of the destination.
Depending on route, weather, vessel capability, and available time, Raccoon Cay can be geographically connected with areas such as:
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Nurse Cay
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Bonavista Cay
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Margaret Cay
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Hog Cay
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Great Ragged Island
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Duncan Town
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Little Ragged Island
The result is less like conventional sightseeing and more like expedition-style cruising through a remote Bahamian archipelago.
PHOTOGRAPHY ON RACCOON CAY
Raccoon Cay offers strong possibilities for coastal and landscape photography.
The beach, sandbar, shallow turquoise water, salt-pan remnants, offshore reef, low vegetation, and surrounding cays provide subjects ranging from wide seascapes to detailed natural textures. Published photography from the cay has also documented Christmas tree worms on the nearby reef.
Morning and late afternoon generally provide softer directional light for shoreline and salt-pan landscapes.
Midday can be particularly effective for photographing shallow Bahamian water because the higher sun angle can reveal variations in water depth and seabed color.
Photographers traveling by dinghy should protect cameras against salt spray and bring sufficient batteries and storage because there are no photography services on the cay.
BEST TIME TO VISIT RACCOON CAY
For Raccoon Cay, marine conditions are more important than choosing a particular sightseeing season.
Wind direction affects anchoring, dinghy landings, snorkeling, and general comfort. Water clarity can also change after strong winds or rough conditions.
Cruisers should examine forecasts for the entire period they expect to remain in the Ragged Island chain rather than evaluating only the weather on arrival.
The cay's western anchorages can provide useful protection during prevailing easterly conditions, but different wind directions may require another anchorage or a change of itinerary.
Flexibility is essential when traveling through this remote part of The Bahamas.
WHAT TO BRING TO RACCOON CAY
Raccoon Cay should be approached as a self-sufficient destination.
There are no established visitor services to rely on, so boaters should arrive with drinking water, food, sun protection, navigation equipment, communication equipment, first-aid supplies, and sufficient fuel for their planned route.
Snorkelers should bring their own equipment.
Photographers should carry waterproof protection and cleaning materials for salt exposure.
Cruisers should also plan waste storage carefully. Everything brought ashore should return to the boat.
RESPONSIBLE VISITING
Raccoon Cay's undeveloped character makes low-impact travel especially important.
Do not leave rubbish, fishing line, plastics, or food waste behind. Avoid damaging coral, disturbing wildlife, cutting vegetation unnecessarily, or altering historic salt-pan features.
Marine research in the wider area has documented fishing pressure on queen conch populations, including comparatively low adult densities in the southern sector encompassing Raccoon Cay toward Little Ragged Island.
That research reinforces an important principle: remoteness does not mean marine ecosystems are untouched or inexhaustible.
Follow current Bahamian fishing and environmental regulations and minimize disturbance both on land and underwater.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
IS RACCOON CAY PART OF RAGGED ISLAND?
Yes. Raccoon Cay is within the Ragged Island district and forms part of the Jumentos Cays and Ragged Island chain in the southern Bahamas.
WHAT IS RACCOON CAY KNOWN FOR?
Raccoon Cay is primarily known among cruisers for its undeveloped beaches, western anchorages, salt-pan ruins, sandbar scenery, snorkeling, and remote setting.
WHERE IS RACCOON CAY LOCATED?
It lies northwest of Great Ragged Island at approximately 22.367° N, 75.812° W. Duncan Town is roughly 13 miles southeast.
CAN YOU SNORKEL AT RACCOON CAY?
Yes, when marine conditions are suitable. A published account describes a small reef near the cay's sandbar with marine life including Christmas tree worms.
ARE THERE BEACHES ON RACCOON CAY?
Yes. Cruising sources describe attractive undeveloped beach areas, including a beach associated with a sandbar extending toward a small offshore rock.
HOW DO YOU GET TO RACCOON CAY?
Raccoon Cay is reached by boat. There is no airport or regular public transportation on the cay, so visits normally form part of a private boating or cruising itinerary through the Ragged Islands.
IS THERE AN ANCHORAGE AT RACCOON CAY?
Yes. Cruising guidance identifies several bays along the western side as providing protection from prevailing easterlies, with reported anchorage depths around 8–12 feet.
WHY SHOULD VISITORS BE SELF-SUFFICIENT?
Raccoon Cay has no conventional visitor infrastructure. Travelers should bring food, drinking water, safety equipment, snorkeling gear, and other necessities required for their stay.
EXPLORE MORE RAGGED ISLAND GUIDES
LOCAL & DESTINATION CONTEXT
Raccoon Cay belongs to the southern section of the Jumentos Cays and Ragged Island chain, positioned northwest of Great Ragged Island and Duncan Town and near Nurse Cay, Bonavista Cay, Margaret Cay, and other small islands. These geographic relationships connect Raccoon Cay with a broader network of beaches, shallow banks, reefs, fishing grounds, salt landscapes, anchorages, and boating routes. Farther south, Great Ragged Island provides the area's only settlement at Duncan Town and its principal airport at DCT. Together, the cays form one of the more remote island-hopping environments in The Bahamas.
CONCLUSION
Raccoon Cay is best suited to travelers who value remoteness more than amenities. Its beaches, sandbar, old salt-pan features, snorkeling opportunities, and western anchorages make it a worthwhile stop for boaters exploring the southern Ragged Island chain.
Unlike a conventional Bahamian attraction, however, visiting requires self-sufficiency. There are no resort facilities or organized visitor services to structure the experience. Weather, anchoring conditions, navigation, and boat access determine what is practical on any particular day.
For cruisers, photographers, snorkelers, and experienced island-hoppers, that simplicity is precisely what makes Raccoon Cay distinctive.
To plan the rest of the journey—including Duncan Town, Hog Cay, Pigeon Cay, transportation, beaches, fishing, and the surrounding Jumentos Cays—continue to the Ultimate Ragged Island Travel Guide.
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