Bahamas
There are many great things about diving the Bahamas, but the world-class shark diving is probably the best thing about this year-round Caribbean destination. Divers flock to the Bahamas to dive with tiger sharks at Tiger Beach, oceanic whitetip sharks off Cat Island and great hammerhead sharks in Bimini. Various other shark species can also be regularly seen in these areas.
Scuba Diving In The Bahamas- Diving Information
- How to Get to the Bahamas
- Practical Information
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Average flight time from LAX
6 hours
Scuba Dive Level
All Levels
Visibility
80 to 100 feet (24 to 30 meters)
80°F / 27°C
Average Water Temperature
Shark Encounters
Stunning Reefs & Corals
Scuba Diving In The Bahamas
Bahamas Diving Highlights
There are many great things about diving the Bahamas, but the world-class shark divingis probably the best thing about this year-round Caribbean destination.
Divers flock to the Bahamas diving scene to dive with tiger sharks at Tiger Beach, oceanic whitetip sharks off Cat Island and great hammerhead sharks in Bimini. Various other shark species can also be regularly seen in these areas.
In 2011, their government banned all commercial shark fishing, allowing sharks in the Bahamas to roam freely. Apart from shark diving, the diverse range of diving in the Bahamas includes blue holes and caves, historical wrecks and lush reefs, and dynamic walls.
The Bahamas also offers unmatched visibility and a wide range of diving opportunities for divers of any level, which, all in all, make the Bahamas a strong contender for those seeking the best diving in the Caribbean.
Intro To The Bahamas
Home to colorful reefs and great visibility, the Bahamas diving hosts 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 in the Bahamas, such as shark feeding dives, while parents can find plenty of family fun. There also is a 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 - bring your best underwater video camera. 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
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 in the Bahamas is popular. The shark species that divers can encounter here include bull sharks, Caribbean reef sharks, oceanic whitetip, hammerhead sharks, lemon sharks, and of course, tiger sharks.
Other marine life to encounter while scuba diving the Bahamas' waters include sponges, conch, lobsters, hogfish, snappers, bonefish, and many other fish. Several species of whales and dolphins, including humpback, sperm, minke, and pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins, and the Atlantic spotted dolphins are found in the seas around the islands.
Read more about the shark diving diversity in the Bahamas.
Shark diving at tiger beach, Bahamas
Tiger Beach is a popular area in the Bahamas for divers to take underwater photos and videos of various sharks such as Tiger sharks, Lemon sharks and sometimes great hammerheads. Divers will sit on the sandy bottom at 20-50ft depth with a dive guide, and sharks will often appear minutes after the dive starts.
Check out our detailed guide to diving Tiger Beach.
Best Dive Sites In The Bahamas
Besides the Tiger Beach in Grand Bahamas, there are plenty of other exciting dive sites and dive areas to explore. Here are some of the best dive spots in the Bahamas.
1. The Blue Hole/The Crater in Andros - If you dived the Blue Hole in Belize, you might want to also jump in the blue hole that is also known as the Crater in the Bahamas. It has unique topography and even a cave system below. Compared to the Blue Hole in Belize, it is richer in marine life and you can spot some rays, turtles and eels. So if you haven't tried cave diving yet, that may just be the best place to start.
2. James Bond Wrecks in New Providence - Bahamas diving features the unique experience of exploring the wrecks made famous by James Bond himself. You will be able to dive the Vulcan Bomber from the movie "Thunderball" from 1965 or the Tears of Allah that was used in the movie "Never say Never Again" from1983. Besides reliving the movies, the sites have beautiful marine life, are relatively easy to dive and the wrecks are covered with gorgeous coral.
3. Current Cut in Eleuthera - If you love drift diving, you must not miss this dive spot. Between the islands, the tidal change forces wather through a narrow passage making it a proper adventure dive. Lots of Caribbean Reef fish pass by and you can even see sharks and rays. The current is quite strong, which makes it more suitable for advanced divers.
4. Runaway Wall/Stuart's Cove Dive Bahamas in Nassau - The capital of the Bahamas itself provides plenty of great dive sites, but the Runaway Wall or also known as the Stuart's Cove Dive Bahamas has a shark arena where you can get thrilling encounters with sharks. Having a reputation for some of the best shark diving in the world, this dive site will not disappoint.
5. Victory Reef in Bimini Island - This lively coral reef is home to a large variety of marine life. Scuba divers can spot turtles, Caribbean reef fish, sharks and rays. Besides marine life, it has some great swim-throughs and reef structures.
6. Conception Island Wall in Long Island - This exceptional Bahamas scuba dive site boasts plummeting walls, swim-throughs, and caves. Here you can find some amazing drop-offs, superb visibility and a mix of soft and hard corals and sponges.
7. Columbus Point in Cat Island - This remote dive site is truly breathtaking and has some great marine life to display. Its pinnacles attract lot's of marine life, especially groupers. The stronger currents and depth of the dive site is also bring plenty of pelagic sharks to the area.
Diving Conditions
- Water Temperatures: Summer water temps are in the 80s, while winter months drop to the mid-70s.
- Visibility: Average visibility is between 80-100 ft.
How to Get to the Bahamas
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 in the Bahamas 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
The diving season in the Bahamas is year-round. The best time to dive would depend on what you're hoping to see since many of the marine animals are seasonal, i.e. whales, certain sharks like hammerheads and bull sharks.
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. In the capital of Bahamas, Nassau, you can join Bahamian food tours to get a taste of the local cuisine and visit a local rum distillery for a proper Caribbean vibe. Of course, with some of the most dazzling beaches in the world available, many visitors to the Bahamas choose to simply enjoy the sunshine.
Practical Information
- Currency: Bahamian dollar (BSD)
- Language: The official language is English
- Main Airport Code: NAS
- Time Zone: UTC-5
- Electricity: 120V, 60Hz
Fellow traveler's reviews
Overall Value
Marine Life
Accommodations Food
Maria
3 Reviews
Overall ValueConditionsMarine Life Top SideLoved diving Bahamas! Every dive was easy, stress-free and full of colorful life. The dives were perfect for all-level divers, we were part of a mixed group of divers, and we all enjoyed our dives so much! We saw turtles, sharks (a tornado of sharks at the Washing Machine site!), plenty of small critters, so many schools of Caribbean fishes; at night the sites were amazing, full of curious shrimps and nocturnal fishes swimming arpund both artificial and natural reefs. Cannot recommned the Bahamas enough, it's a perfect destination for everyone! Families, couples, solo travellers, groups, underwater photographers and videographers fish lovers, wreck lovers, wall divers!!
Maria
1164 Reviews
Overall ValueConditionsMarine Life Top SideLoved diving Bahamas! Every dive was easy, stress-free and full of colorful life.The dives were perfect for all-level divers, we were part of a mixed group of divers, and we all enjoyed our dives so much!We saw turtles, sharks (a tornado of sharks at the Washing Machine site!), plenty of small critters, so many schools of Caribbean fishes; at night the sites were amazing, full of curious shrimps and nocturnal fishes swimming arpund both artificial and natural reefs.Cannot recommned the Bahamas enough, it's a perfect destination for everyone! Families, couples, solo travellers, groups, underwater photographers and videographers fish lovers, wreck lovers, wall divers!!
mghedia
1164 Reviews
Overall ValueConditionsMarine Life Top SideScuba Diving in The Bahamas is superb. I've dived all over the world and love coming back to The Bahamas. Marine life is plenty and varied - you can see various species of sharks, macro life, reefs, shipwrecks, blue holes and deep wall dives all in a space of 1 day! The water is warm all year round (although the winter months you will need a 3mm wet suit at a minimum). Summer months the water is generally flat with little waves but winter months the waves can be choppy - especially if there is a cold front coming through. Nevertheless, the water clarity is very good most of the time (100ft+ visibility).
pterantula
1164 Reviews
Overall ValueConditionsMarine Life Top Side5-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.
ccurtis
1164 Reviews
Overall ValueConditionsMarine Life Top SideDIVING BAHAMAS INTROI 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 HOTELSAtlantis 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 OPERATORSAlmost 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 CONCLUSIONAll 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!
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