The Bahamas Out Islands offer unique variety of diving experiences
The Out Islands offer an array of dive experiences like no other destination in the world.
The clear waters of The Bahamas Out Islands offer a treasure of sunken Spanish galleons, inland blue holes, caves and forest-like coral reefs teeming with marine life. The Bahamas offers 25 different dive destinations. Divers can swim and feed reef sharks, an experience offered nowhere else in the world. More importantly, the people of the Bahamas are as committed to the art of hospitality as they are committed to preserving the unique ecology of their island home.
Whether you want to go cave diving in Great Abaco or dive in the fascinating blue holes of Andros, you can plan your dive vacation so you can experience all the Out Islands of the Bahamas have to offer. The proximity of this remote family of islands makes it easy to hop from one island to another. Bring along your gear, or rent it from a variety of resorts and private dive shops. And for novice divers, you’ll find guides and teachers, who’ll show you the ropes so you can dive the coral reefs, walls, explore the caves and get a glimpse of tropical sea life in the Caribbean.
Diving blue holes
Created by sudden depressions on the bottom of the sea, blue holes can be found throughout the Out Islands of the Bahamas. The blue holes range from 100 feet to 200 feet deep, many leading to underwater cave systems. Divers easily can identify the blue holes by the dark azure shape, which is a contrast to the light-turquoise sea you’ll find in the Bahamas.
Cave diving
Much of the cave diving in the Bahamas revolves around holes found inland that are connected to the sea. This makes for both an exciting and challenging diving experience.
Night dives
Diving at night offers a unique chance to see the real beauty of the ocean. The night light captures the vibrant colors of the fish and coral, which can be washed out by the sun’s glare.
Reef diving
Most of the water surrounding each of the Out Islands of the Bahamas is less than 20 feet deep, which provides an excellent reef system for shallow dives. And, it’s a great way for beginning divers to get their feet wet, before taking off for the blue holes, caves and other more adventurous dives. Make no mistake, though, reef diving is among the most popular for divers of all experience levels.
Sharks dives
Guides take dive groups to see the spectacular sharks in the ocean. Dive masters use baitfish to attract sharks, allowing divers to come within inches of the sharks. Divers are advised to keep their movements to a minimum while watching and photographing these amazing animals. Walker’s Cay on Abaco Island features one of the most unique shark dives in the Bahamas. As many as 150 sharks will gather around when they hear the sound of the boat engine.
Wall dives
Dive along 50- to 100-foot-long reefs with walls that plummet down to several thousand feet deep. In many locations, divers will discover huge reef “overhangs” that you can swim under. Divers also will find other water erosions and coral creations. There are several popular walls to dive on the Out Islands of the Bahamas. Among them: The Andros Wall, commonly called the “greatest of all Bahamas walls.” Here you’ll found unlimited sites that display mountains and canyons of every shape and size. The Bimini Wall offers a nearly continuous wall facing the Gulf Stream. The North Bimini Wall is just south of the entrance channel to North Bimini and begins in 120 feet of water. This is generally a drift dive for very experienced divers. To the south are numerous walls, such as those at South Cat Cay Wall, Victory Cays Drop-off and Riding Rock Wall. All of these are fish-filled spectacles that begin in 30- to 90-feet waters. The Exuma Wall is directly off Highbourne Cay, a drop-off that faces the Exuma Sound. This is a vertical wall, 75 feet deep.
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New U.S. Passport Regulations
As of January 23, 2007 all U.S. citizens are required to carry valid U.S. passports when traveling to and from The Bahamas.
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