Bahamas

4.17857142857
(7 REVIEWS)

Country: Bahamas

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Bahamas in a Nutshell - This archipelago boasts unmatched visibility and all types of diving. The diverse range of sites includes blue holes and caves, historical wrecks and lush reefs, dynamic walls, and shark diving. There is diving in the Bahamas to accommodate any level of diver.

Intro to the Bahamas - Home to colorful reefs and great visibility, the Bahamas host a stimulating underwater environment, with easily accessed and diverse sites. There are over 700 islands in the Bahamas, meaning that there is truly a paradise for everyone. Thrill seekers can experience unique underwater adventures, such as shark feeding dives, while parents can find plenty of family fun. There also is Hollywood novelty to be found in the Bahamas as it has hosted many major motion picture film crews above and below the water's surface. Divers enjoy incredible dive site diversity, exploring blue holes, walls, caves, wrecks, and healthy reefs in warm, clean waters.
 

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Diving Information 

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Marine Life & Photography Subjects - A rich and diverse marine life can be found in the waters of the Bahamas. The reefs are populated with eels, clownfish, angelfish, barracudas, Nassau grouper, nurse sharks and porcupine fish. Shark diving is popular in the Bahamas. The shark species that divers can encounter here include Bull Sharks, Caribbean Reef Sharks, Oceanic White tip, Hammerheads, Lemon sharks and Tiger sharks. Other marine life in the Bahamas waters are sponges, conch, lobsters, hogfish, snappers, bonefish and many other fish. Several species of whales and dolphins, including Humpbacks, Sperm whales, Minke whales, and Pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins and the Atlantic spotted dolphins are found in the seas around the islands.

Underwater Video of Tiger Beach

Watch for the big tiger shark at the end!


Diving with Great Hammerhead Sharks

One of our users shared this video of his awesome rare Great Hammerhead encounter!


Diving Conditions

Water Temperatures: Summer water temps are in the 80s, while winter months drop to mid 70s.

Visibility: Average visibility is between 80-100 ft.

 

 

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Travel Information 

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How to Get There - The largest airports in the Bahamas are at the capital Nassau, on New Providence, and Freeport, on Grand Bahama. Smaller airports are scattered amongst the other islands. Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau is the largest international gateway into the country. The Freeport Grand Bahama International Airport receives international flights and the George Town International Airport on Exuma also receives a few international flights.

How to Dive the Bahamas - Scuba diving in the Bahamas is user-friendly. There are a lot of land-based dive operators in the Bahamas, but liveaboard dive travel is the most popular choice for those who want to explore the scuba diversity of the vast range of islands.

Best Time to Dive the Bahamas - Diving can be done year round in the Bahamas. Only variable is what your hoping to see while you dive as alot of things are seasonal - i.e. whales, certain sharks like hammerheads and bullsharks.

 

Topside & Non-Diving Activities -  The Bahamas offer something for everyone. Between dive days, there are many activities and attractions, including dolphin encounters, cultural and historical tours, golf, tennis, cycling, kayaking, snorkeling, canoeing, jet skiing, kite surfing, parasailing, fishing, ecotourism, spas, shopping, and more. Of course, with some of the most dazzling beaches in the world available, many visitors to the Bahamas choose to simply enjoy the sunshine.

 

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Other Useful Information 

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Practical Information

Currency: Bahamian dollar (BSD)

Language: The official language is English

Main Airport Code: NAS

Time Zone: UTC-5

Electricity: 120V, 60Hz

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Reviews (7)

  • Reviewer
pterantula
4 Reviews
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5
5
5
2

5-star, 5-star, 5-star... 2-star? Well, The palm tree-lined beaches are pretty, but it's really kind of a hot, dry, bland area; if you're not going there to dive, I think you're just not going to see or do much. I suppose you could read and lounge, maybe write some journals or detective stories. Great diving though!
I hesitate to even call it “Caribbean” diving however, since the Bahamas are in the Atlantic Ocean and not the Caribbean Sea, but the crystal waters and shallow reefs make it similar enough I suppose (and no one like a literalist). As diving and tourism are so well-established there, it’s also relatively cheap, even coming all the way from the west coast of the US.

The spring and summer offer warm, beautifully clear waters, plenty of reefs, fish, dolphins, turtles, sharks big & small; be warned however, it’s pretty much a desert climate, and the sun can get downright brutal. Wear light but concealing layers, lots of sunscreen, and bring a big hat! I spent several days on the deck of a small private boat (looking for oceanic whitetip sharks, which can be abundant around Cat Island), and most of us barely escaped sunburn, even with full coverage. Mid- to late winter is a great time for big sharks, and it is cooler topside – but that comes at the price of much rougher and cooler waters*, and potentially iffy visibility. (*For Tiger Beach in Jan/Feb, I wear a 7mil suit, as even 75F water can get chilly after several hours at a time.) There’s no bad time to go though, and I think the region offers something for everyone – snorkeling, reefs, sharks, wrecks, deep walls, etc. I think it would be possible to spend years here, just exploring and discovering all the reefs and critters.

Getting in & out does require a passport, as close as it is to the US, but I’ve used US currency at stores. Not sure if that’s normal or not. As southern Florida is the most obvious gateway to the Bahamas, I also heartily recommend adding a few days to a trip so as to do some Florida diving. It’s a neat mix of tropical and temperate, and you can find goliath groupers, giant southern stingrays, even the odd hammerhead shark, as well as some really cool wrecks.

Visited on 05/2011 - Submitted on 10/31/2014
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Trying To Swim, Here
Totally Camouflaged
Pretend You're Having Fun
Longimanus Pilots
ccurtis
1 Reviews
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4
5
5
4

DIVING BAHAMAS INTRO

I have been to the Bahamas many times over the last six years with over 120 dives. I absolutely love going there. The water is super clear and there is an abundance of sea life. I will start off with hotels and resorts which there is an abundance that ranges in various needs.

BAHAMAS HOTELS

Atlantis is a super resort with a long list of activites, restaurants and different grades of rooms. It is on the pricey side but the water park access that comes with your room can help offset that cost. It is located on paradise island. Bahamas divers is located near by and most of the excursions leave from that end of the island. Located on Cable beach are another group of hotels: Breezes(all-inclusive) exceptional dining and very friendly staff, there is some night life activities also at this resort, The Wyndham which will soon be Bahamar(the next super resort in Nassau) which also contains one of the two casino's on the island. This resort has a nice location on one of the nicest beaches in Nassau. Our favourite resort to stay at is a smaller family owned and operated resort on the West end of the island called OrangeHill Beach Inn. When you stay there, you feel like you are staying with family. The home style bahamian cooking at the restaurant is a very affordable menu. A Steak meal for around $25 dollars!!! They have a pool and the beach is only a two minute walk. When you are on the beach there is a 50% chance you will be the only people there, with a tiny reef system with in swimming distance(experienced swimmer). There is also a few rocks with some small coral and various sea life showing up. We have seen spiny lobster, octopus, sting rays and even a Baracuda all within 20 yards from shore.

BAHAMAS DIVE OPERATORS

Almost all of my diving in the Bahamas has been with Stuart's Cove. They have a knowledgable staff and run a decent operation. However they are a large volume outfit and you can get that rushed feeling which isnt the nicest when diving. The dive shop is well stocked and the gear is in decent shape. The burgers at the dock are a MUST TRY! If you are a James Bond fan there are some sites that are a must dive. The bomber plane from thunderball, the shipwreck from Never say never. Other movie dive sites include "Into the Blue" , Jaws and then there are the shark dives, absolutely amazing dives with the local shark population.

The other destination I have dove was in Exuma with Dive-Exuma, we dove Angelfish Bluehole and Elizabeth Reef. While the bluehole was not terribly exciting due to the size(40' opening at the top narrowing to about 8' at 90ish feet before turning into single file cave diving) and lack of sea life, Elizabeth reef was amazing with great coral formations and an abundance of sea life. The dive shop was very small but well run.

IN CONCLUSION

All in all the Bahamas is what you make of it, you can do it expensive or you can do it fairly cheap. We have done a 15 day trip for 5 people costing around $7500 for hotel, food, flights. I would definately recommend the Bahamas.
See you there!

Visited on 02/2014 - Submitted on 06/17/2014
  • Top Reviewer
Canadian Diver
6 Reviews
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3
5
3
4

I had the opportunity to dive the Bahamas in the Summer of 2009.

By far the highlight of my diving was doing a shark feed with Stuart Cove. This dive offered a chance to swim with, at times, 30+ Caribbean reef sharks - which is a truly adrenaline filled experience. That said, at no time did I feel unsafe. Doing this shark dive is something that I would highly, highly recommend.

The diving in the Bahamas is suitable to all experience levels. The water is warm and clear, and there was little to no current on the dives that I did. While the highlight for me was the shark diving, the other dives that I did (albeit only a couple) were enjoyable - the life in the shallows was healthy and abundant.

Topside, the weather was always warm, though we did experience one heavy storm in the week we were there. As far as topside activities goes, the Bahamas has a well developed tourism industry with plenty to do for all ages.

Visited on 07/2009 - Submitted on 03/03/2014
  • Top Reviewer
alaskamusher
9 Reviews
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5
5
5
4

San Salvadore, the Bahamas. A dive heaven. dives from 30 foot fish dives to bottomless wall dives with large sharks and rare corals. Night dives are spectacular. There is not a lot of beach diving but the great diving is only minutes from the dock. This is the ideal "take classes in cold USA and open-water dives in paradise. Just great diving.
The Riding Rock Inn is a bit old but exceptionally comfortable. Great bar and restaurant. You must try their Bahama Mama, best drink in the Caribbean. Not a lot else to do on the island. I guided group trips here in the 70's and still in the 2010's it is a dive paradise. when on the east coast it is my go-to dive site.

Visited on 02/2014 - Submitted on 02/22/2014
  • Top Reviewer
Jessicab916
Los Angeles, CA
United States
8 Reviews
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3
3
3
4

Warm, clear water with decent life, and close dive sites. Diving in the Bahamas is easy and fun. There are a few wrecks, local reefs, and things are easy to access. The dive operators are plentiful but the prices aren't as cheap as you'll find in other Caribbean locations. I think this is because many of the cruise ships access the Bahamas (just my opinion).

I traveled to the Bahamas in July and dove with Bahama Divers at the following sites: James Bond Wreck, 5 Dollar Reef, and one more local site of Nassau. Our group only wore bathing suits as the water was warm enough for all the dives (80oF). We saw rays, turtles, lots of tropical fish, etc. My favorites are the parrot fish but I also enjoy seeing the angelfish, and drum fish.

Other things you can do in the area are go spend the day at the Atlantis Resort, rent ATVs and head into the hills.
Nassau is very touristy and you'll find all the beachy bars and restaurants, as well as all the shopping and resorts. A fun place for diving, eating and shopping.

Visited on 07/2004 - Submitted on 02/20/2014
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