Diving Adventures In The Bahamas Diving Adventures The Bahamas, is a large archipelago of over 700 islands located just north of Cuba and is right up there with the best scuba diving locations to be found anywhere in the world. With more than 1,000 underwater sites, scuba diving in the Bahamas offers something for every diver’s taste from the Andros Barrier Reef and the famous blue holes to numerous wrecks and dramatic walls. Marine life is abundant, the waters are clear and warm most of the year and the islands are the perfect place to relax. There is something for everyone in the Bahamas now matter whether you are a beginner or have been scuba diving for decades. From shallow coral gardens teaming with life to sheer, vertical drop offs, there is something to delight every diver who visit Nassau. Visibility is great and the sun shines right down to the sandy patches of the most popular beginner dive spots. Here you will find multitudes of stingrays, goat fish, sea starts, lizard fish, flounder and finger-like garden eels. The divers flood in for the opportunity to dive with sharks, manta rays, whale as well as the resident population of friendly Nassau Groupers .Shore side, there are just as many options from hanging at the pool bar and swapping experiences with fellow divers, to spending a quiet night star-watching on a deserted beach or heading to the casinos to try your luck. The majority of the islands within the Bahamas are on the “Bahama Banks� a number of large plateaus separated by deep ocean trenches which go down to colossal depths. These plateaus are covered in water a mere 5-12 meters deep in most places, offering warm water refuge to a large variety of marine life. The shallowness of these plateaus, and the minimal sedimentary run-off, ensure that the majority of the region benefits from great levels of visibility. Be sure to take an underwater camera because you will get the most fantastic pictures to show your friends when you get back. In addition to the plateaus and trenches, there are also a large number of large sea pinnacles or mounts. A good example is the island of San Salvador, located in the South East of the Bahamas archipelago. San Salvador is actually the exposed peak of a large undersea mountain, which plunges to extreme depths, that makes the island a legend for lovers of wall diving. The Grand Bahamas and Cal Say Bank regions undoubtedly offer some of the finest diving in theBahamasand are home to a large number of Blue Holes caused by a steady erosion of the roofs of limestone caverns over millions of years. Accessibility to the mainland US and a more developed tourist infrastructure had led to increasing numbers of scuba divers visiting the waters around Grand Bahamas andNew Providence in recent times. For the purists, and for those who are prepared to travel a little further in pursuit of more
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unique diving experiences, the islands towards the south east of theBahamasoffer rich pickings. Here, particularly around Conception Island and San Salvador can be found some of the most exhilarating scuba diving opportunities in the Bahamas. Anyone holidaying in theBahamaswill be fascinated by specialist shark dives particularly the Shark Rodeo and Shark Junction specialist dives in Abacos and Grand Bahamas. Feeding takes place in about 40 feet of water, giving divers the opportunities to watch the Caribbean Reef Sharks close up. The UNEXSO program also offers divers the Dolphin Experience program, allowing divers the opportunity to dive with dolphins undoubtedly one of the most memorable experiences on offer throughout theBahamas. Perhaps you would like to explore historical wrecks of all sorts, find inspiration in the beautiful coral reefs, and play with the sharks of theBahamas. There are countless ship wrecks for all experience levels to dive and diving instructors are able to train you in wreck diving so that you can dive safely and get the most out of the experience. Gliding through the ship wrecks and discovering the marine life inhabiting the underwater tombs is an experience you will never forget. There are different wrecks suitable for various levels of diving expertise and experience, so even if you are a beginner you can still enjoy exploring some of the historical wrecks that are scattered across the islands. A must see is the Willaurie, which sank after being damaged in a storm in 1989. It is a 130 foot vessel that came to rest in 55 feet of water and is now home to a great variety of marine life and coral – perfect for an open water dive.Bahamas wrecks often feature in Hollywood movies and two off Nassau were once used in the James Bond movies Never Say Never Again and Thunder ball. The Bahamas are not especially well-known for shore diving which represents the only option that does not include the burden of chartering and running a boat. At Abacos there is a mini-chain of cays and sandbars, such as the Manjack, Great Guana and Green Turtle Cays marked by reefs that are often in as little as a few feet of water and only 15 or 20 feet from the beach. If you are cave-certified in the Bahamas, the caves offers all of the same advantages of shore diving but cave diving offers a special and dangerous challenge to scuba divers. Unlike diving a reef or even a shipwreck, entering a cave usually implies ceilings of impenetrable rock over your head. Even these clear waters become dark from lack of light, and there is no quick escape to the surface in the event of trouble. Luckily, the Bahamas offers a number of caves and blue holes that require only basic cave diving skills to explore. If you don’t have the requisite cave diving training join a group led by a cave-trained dive master. So, when you are planning your next scuba diving adventure put a tick against the Bahamas.
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