Diving in the bahamas - The Bahamas - page 38

tourist offices can provide specific location details and help you plan your trip. For inform-
ation on diving organizations, see also Click here .
ABACOS
The Abacos are a diver's treat, with a good mix of caves, reef dives, wrecks and inland
holes. Of particular interest is the San Jacinto , which sank in 1865. Her remains are strewn
on a gentle slope in less than 50ft. You'll see its big boilers, engine, propeller, stern and oth-
er structures. There's abundant fish life hanging around, including schools of grunts, snap-
per, goatfish, groupers and spotted eels. Further south, the Debra K is another fish haven,
at about 45ft. It's also broken up, but is very atmospheric.
The Loyalist Cays have some of the country's most spectacular reefs, all psychedelic
sponges and eye-popping sea fans:
» Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park Most outfitters will take you to this protected marine
area, vibrant with grouper, moray eels and green sea turtles.
» Fowl Cay Another protected marine area to visit with an outfitter.
» Mermaid Reef Just off Marsh Harbour, close to the Loyalist Cays, this reef is shallow
and best for snorkeling; keep your eyes open for the resident barracuda.
ANDROS
A mere 15-minute plane hop from Nassau opens up a whole new world of diving. Andros
is one of the most intriguing islands in the Bahamas, with a sense of frontier diving. Anoth-
er attraction is the presence of oceanic and inland blue holes. Over the years Andros has
become the epicenter of blue-hole diving. While inland blue holes are for highly trained
specialty divers only, there are some exceptional oceanic blue holes that are perfectly suit-
able for novice and intermediate divers.
» Andros Wall This awesome drop-off plummets down 6000ft into the Tongue of the
Ocean. It is adorned with sponges, sea whips and gorgonians, and riddled with overhangs,
chimneys, arches and caverns, such as those in Diana's Dungeons, Alec's Cavern, Hole in
the Wall and Over the Wall, four fantastic sites at the edge of the wall. Keep your eyes
peeled for big pelagics. There are also numerous shallow reef dives in the area.
» Big Blue Hole Originated from a collapse of the sea wall. This magical site features an
enormous cavern system endowed with huge tunnels, boulders and other massive geologic-
al structures. You'll feel like you're floating in a lunar landscape. Unforgettable.
BIMINIS
The Biminis are famous for the wild dolphin excursions offered by Bill & Nowdla Keefe's
Bimini Undersea dive center ( Click here ). The experience differs completely from the Dol-
phin Encounter programs in Grand Bahama. Here it's much more spontaneous. You'll frol-
ic with a pod of wild Atlantic spotted dolphins in their natural habitat on a flat northeast
of the island - it requires a 1½-hour boat trip from the marina. While the encounter is not