Scuba Diving in The Abacos
Directly exposed to the Atlantic, the reefs of The Abacos take a different form from much of The Bahamas. Many sites are relatively shallow, 60 feet or less. Subjected to slightly cooler temperatures during the winter, they are just on the edge of what hard corals require to survive. The general form of the fringing reefs is an ornate, extinct coral base with a healthy top growth of Star and Elkhorn corals. The base reef has been etched out by tidal flow to form a maze of interconnecting tunnels and cathedral-like caverns.
Professional dive services are a given in The Abacos. Walker’s Cay, the northernmost island, has been an Out Islands' diving tradition for decades. In addition to the myriad of shallow and complex caverns, an abundance of fish and some deeper sloping walls, Walker’s Cay features one of the most unique shark dives in The Bahamas. Groups of up to 150 sharks gather at the sound of the dive boat’s engines in a coral arena to feed on the bait while divers mingle with them. Some refer to this as an underwater cocktail party.
There is a huge selection of sites for snorkeling and diving within The Abacos. Maxi-Caves is a historically great spot for comfortable cavern dives where you’ll find friendly groupers and barracuda. Green Turtle Cay features shallow reefs as well as superb fish life, one of the earmarks of The Abacos. Brendal's Dive Center, has a full, PADI certified dive operation, and is located adjacent to the Green Turtle Club Resort & Marina. The Green Turtle Club and Brendal’s Dive Center offers a 10% discount on accommodations and tank dives. Plus, you can receive a free upgrade to an adventure dive day!
Visit Green Turtle Club for more details.
Top Abaco Dive Locations
The Towers: Huge coral pinnacles 60 feet tall, pierced with tunnels and caverns.
Grouper Alley: 50 feet Numerous tunnels beneath coral heads with friendly groupers, turtles and eagle rays.
Wayne’s World: 70 feet A tour of the outside of the barrier reef.
The Cathedral: 60 feet Huge caverns where shafts of sunlight dance on the floor with variety of fish species that call this reef their home.
Tarpon Reef: 50 feet High profile corals with Elkhorn Corals on topside and schools of Tarpon with Moray eels at home in the reef line and black-tip reef sharks.
Coral Caverns: 50-60 feet Series of winding caverns filled with schools of shiny Silversides, Turtles, Eagle Rays and Sharks along the mini walls with Elkhorn Corals topside.
San Jacinto: 25-60 feet The HISTORIC wreck of a large steamship sunk in 1865 with LOTS of tropical fish and huge green moray eel.
The Catacombs: 40 feet A shallow sun-splattered coral garden with wide variety of tropical fish, eagle rays & turtles.
The Ledge: 40-60 feet Coral formations that are home to large pelagic species and black-tip reef sharks and VERY large turtles.
The Pillars: 50 feet Huge coral pinnacles with mazes of tunnels and caverns LOTS of fish and tropicals and turtles.
Where to stay while diving in The Abacos
Green Turtle Club Resort & Marina- Green Turtle Cay
Abaco Club at Winding Bay - Winding Bay, Great Abaco
Coral is Calling
an eco-tourism escape
Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure and answer the call of the coral reefs on your next escape to Andros. At Small Hope Bay Lodge, you can dive in and make a difference in an underwater excursion with The Reef Rescue Network. Powered by the Perry Institute for Marine Science, this ambitious reef rescue program works to protect the heart and soul of The Out Islands—our incredible coral reefs and the thousands of species of marine life that thrive there—and you won’t want to miss this thrilling underwater experience.
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