Bahamas
'Bahamian Rhapsody'
Diving : Accommodation : Liveaboard : How, Why & When : Prices
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A glance at the names of some of the dive sites of the Bahamas might make you believe that the country is a one-trick pony. Shark Hole, Shark Rodeo, Shark Beach , Shark Alley, Shark Junction, Shark Reef, Shark Buoy, Shark Wall and Shark Runway would all point towards a dive industry built around sharks, but although they are a big draw for visitors, sharks are just one of the many attractions that draw visitors to the Bahamas .
Stretching for more than 500 miles southeastward from the coast of Florida are the 700 low-lying islands and 2,000 smaller sand cays that make up the Bahamas . Commonly mistaken for Caribbean islands, the Bahamas straddle the Tropic of Cancer and are Atlantic Ocean islands blessed with some of the clearest waters on Earth. Being just an hour's flight away from the USA , the Bahamas have always been a firm favourite with American divers although the islands' British heritage is still very much in evidence and although they have been independent since 1973, the Bahamas remain part of the Commonwealth.
Less than 5% of the islands are inhabited and most of the resort development and population are based on the island of New Providence – home to the capital Nassau – and on Grand Bahama which has its own airport at Freeport . With so many other islands spread over a wide area, getting around is a case of island-hopping by plane or using one of the many boats that leave from Nassau . Beyond downtown Nassau are Cable Beach and Paradise Island where you'll find some prestigious hotels as well as a thriving entertainment scene. Away from the main islands are what are commonly known as “The Out Islands”. Some tiny, others much larger, they are secluded but not isolated and all have their own unique characteristics and personality. There are dense mangroves, white crescents of sand, pine forests, salt pans, a mountain (albeit only 60 metres high!) and wetlands. The diving is equally varied and includes wrecks, blue holes, the world's third longest barrier reef, the remnants of James Bond underwater film sets, drift dives, wall dives, encounters with dolphins, stingrays, eagle rays and of course, sharks. The islands of the Bahamas really do offer a diverse range of experiences and between them they cater for just about every taste.
Many of the dive centres and organised shark-feeding programmes are centred around the the small island of Walker's Cay in the north of the island chain as well as around Grand Bahama Banks a little further south and the island of New Providence. However, the Exumas, located in the centre of the island chain, offer the chance to dive virgin reefs with few or, more than likely, no other boats in the area. There are no daily dive operations in this area and you'll have a chance to visit beautiful shallow reefs, drift along walls where coral and sponge life is prolific as well as having the opportunity to explore wonderful wrecks in crystal clear waters. The Exumas stretch for over 120 miles and are made up of some 365 cays and islands – one for every day of the year. Pelagic encounters are of the organized and reliable varieties (i.e. shark feeds) as well as the more natural and un-managed experiences. Opinions are divided on the practice of attracting sharks to an area by the introduction of bait although it's felt that the ‘chumsicle' option, where frozen bait is lowered into the water above an audience of divers, is the most ‘natural' of all the shark-feeding alternatives. Many companies operate a hand-feeding system with dive guides donning chain-mail suits and feeding the sharks individually from a tube – thus asscociating humans with food. Divers are free to draw their own conclusions. In the winter months there is a chance of seeing whale sharks around Allan's Cay at the appropriately named Whale Shark Reef.
Some years they are seen almost every week, in other years they fail to appear at all, but there are many other excellent sites in the area so there are plenty of other alternatives if the big fish aren't around.