The Bahamas have long held a reputation as one of the most popular destinations for diving in the Caribbean thanks to the proximity to the USA and the diversity of conditions which they offer. Among the highlights are the eastern seaboard of Andros, the second largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere and the third largest in the world, virgin offshore reefs, superb wrecks , famous underwater movie sets, pristine vertical walls dropping 6000 feet, and some exciting and challenging cave diving in spectacular blue holes. For the adventurous, new territory is being opened up constantly by the live-aboard dive boats which explore the outer reefs, atolls and submerged mountain ranges, particularly west to Cay Sal, the least known of the Bahamas Banks, where there is spectacular diving on oceanic walls and shark filled blue holes. To Read More Click Here
BAHAMAS THE SHARK DIVING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
The Bahamas are regarded as the shark diving of the world, and divers here have an amazing opportunity to get close to sharks in a number of different ways with a minimum of fuss and in as controlled a situation as you can be with these wild creatures. There are also encounters with bottle-nose dolphins on Grand Bahama Island and open ocean experiences with pods of spotted dolphins off Bimini. To Read More CLICK HERE
DIVING CONDITIONS
Diving conditions vary around the islands and the visiting diver will experience the full range of reef conditions found elsewhere in the eastern Caribbean. Lying in the path of the Gulf Stream, the four large plateaus that make up the Bahamas are fed by regular currents which are responsible for the higher then average diversity of marine life to be found on these shallow banks. Water temperatures in the Bahamas rarely drop bellow 68°F during the winter months and 82°F during the summer.
WATER VISIBILITY
The water visibility in the Bahamas is generally very good, improving as you travel further to the south away from the major shallow sandbanks. Several important factors help ensure the clarity of the water – most significantly the complete absence of rivers and the massive deep water trench known as the Tongue of the Ocean which separates Andros from New Providence Island and the Exumas, dropping to 6000 feet. Although the Bahamas do experience seasonal planktonic fluctuations, the associated particulate matter quickly falls away into this trench, keeping the inshore, shallow reefs clear of sedimentation. Any bad visibility is usually localized, caused by adverse weather patterns. Visibility does vary according to your location and the time of year, averaging 60 feet in the winter and 150 feet during the summer.
DIVE FACILITIES
Very little shore diving is done in the Bahamas as the edge of the continental shelf is deemed to be too far from the shore to swim; the majority of diving is done by boat. All dive operations have boats leaving at regular times from the dock. The diving operations are usually extremely professional. The larger companies located on New Providence and Grand Bahama islands, where the majority of the diving takes place, offer excellent instruction. On the Family Islands, diving tends to be relatively informal. It is a good idea to contact smaller dive resorts well in advanced of your holiday to ensure they are open and that they have qualified dive staff on hand to assist you.
LEARNING TO DIVE IN THE BAHAMAS
All Bahamian dive operations are affiliated to one of the major schools of instruction (PADI, NAUI, BSAC, and SSI) with PADI the dominant association in use throughout the Bahamas.
Links to Bahamas Tourism information web sites:
Xanadu Undersea Adventures Hand Feeding of Caribbean Reef Sharks, rated by Travel Channel as the #1 Shark Dive in the world.
Dear Dive Center Owners, Resorts Owners & Visitors,
Thank you for visiting this web site.
We are depending on feed back from all of you. We are especially looking for “famous dive sites” descriptions. Have a look at http://www.scubalinksbahamas.com/Islands-Grand-Bahama.html and click on any of the “favorite dive sites” to get an idea of our format. Any submissions will be given full credit with links to your web site / email. If you have any photos from the dive sites we would love to publish them as well.
SCUBA OR SNORKEL WITH WILD DOLPHINS IN THE BAHAMAS
Taking a deep breath, I kick for the white sand, 20 feet below. Halfway to the bottom, a group of five dolphins overtake me, two on the left and three on the right. They swim with a casual grace unmatched by any other creature in the sea. I am a reasonably good swimmer, but, by comparison, I am a lumbering, clumsy life form clearly out of my element. To Read More CLICK HERE
BAHAMAS BY SNORKEL
Today, more and more people are rediscovering the simple joys of snorkeling and free diving, and I can’t think of any destination more capable of satisfying everyone, from the casual snorkeler to the serious free diver, than The Bahamas. To Read More CLICK HERE
