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Specialties:
Big Animals (Sharks and Dolphins),
Drift Diving, Snorkeling, Wreck Diving, Live-Aboard Diving,
Excellent Reefs and Visibility.
The Bahamas contain more than 700
islands and cays that stretch over 100,000 square miles of the
Atlantic. The broad arc of islands begin just 50 miles off the
coast of Florida. Divers are attracted to the hundreds of
historic wrecks. The name “Bahama” comes from the phrase baja-mar,
meaning underwater or shallows, used to describe the islands by
the 16th century Spanish explorer, Ponce de Léon. The
Bahamas had many buccaneers, gun-runners, speculators, cotton
traders, rum smugglers and pirates who passed through. Today,
the island’s economy is based on tourism and the people are
extremely friendly. The Bahamas offer every style of dive
vacation from quiet island retreats to islands specializing in
casinos and all-night entertainment. Live-aboards are an
excellent option for exploring several of the islands. The
islands and their towns have unique characteristics and are
divided into three distinct groups; New Providence Island, Grand
Bahama Island and the Family Islands. The Family Islands,
formerly called the Out Islands, include Abaco Islands, Andros
and Bimini.
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New Providence Island has
old world charm and offers casino gambling and a multitude of
nightlife activities in addition to virgin reef diving and
snorkeling. Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas is located on
New Providence island along with the famous beach resorts of
Cable Beach and Paradise Island. The island is best known as the
sub-sea movie setting for Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Beneath the
Sea, Splash, and Cocoon, and the James Bond
thrillers, Thunderball, Never Say Never, For
Your Eyes Only and most recently Jaws IV. Diving
around New Providence offers steep walls, drop-offs, caves,
shallow reefs, ocean holes and wrecks. Shark diving expeditions
are also conducted from Nassau.
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Grand Bahama
Island
offers modern resorts in Freeport and
Lucaya and the rustic charm of old settlements like West End.
Grand Bahama ranks second in popularity with divers in the
Bahamas, behind New Providence Island. Shark diving and dolphin
diving are popular on Grand Bahama. The former cement
freighter, Theo’s Wreck, is intact and sitting on the
edge of the continental shelf. The southern shore of Grand
Bahama features three reef lines running parallel to shore.
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Abaco Islands are the
northern most group in the Bahamas chain. Most of the diving
takes place around Marsh Harbour, Walker’s Cay, and Treasure
Cay. The Pelican Cay National Park is a shallow 2000 acre
National Underwater Park, with a depth of approximately 30 feet,
that offers endless mazes of coral tunnels, walls, pinnacles and
wreck diving. The marine life is spectacular with eagle rays,
jacks, angels, critters, huge groupers, and colorful sponges.
Members of the Shark Foundation conduct research on Walker’s Cay
providing interesting and educational insights into shark
behavior.
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Andros is the largest of
the Bahama Islands; just over 100 miles long, and is the least
populated. Andros is fringed by the second largest barrier reef
in the Western Hemisphere and is known for its great wall
diving, caverns, and the country’s largest ocean blue
hole. The Blue Hole dive site is a huge bell-shaped crater
approx 300 feet across and is in the middle of a 50 foot coral
garden. Andros also has a few wrecks, including the 70-foot
deep construction barge, Marion, which makes an excellent
night dive.
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Bimini is not just one
island but a string of islands on the edge of the Gulf Stream.
Divers are attracted to the shallow and deep reefs, interesting
wall dives, drift diving, and snorkeling. The Sapona, a
shallow freighter wreck is off the coast of Bimini.
Best
Diving Months: Excellent year-round, but June through
September is hurricane season.
Water
Temperature: Water temperatures range from 73º in February
to 82º in August.
Underwater
Visibility: Averages around 80 feet.
Airport
Info: Nassau International Airport on New Providence Island
or Freeport International Airport on Grand Bahama Island are the
main airports. Flying on inter-island air services is the most
common way of getting from island to island and there are 52 or
more airstrips. In addition, many of the resorts on the Family
Islands offer their own charter service from the U.S.
Documents
and Customs Regulations: A passport is preferred but U.S.
and Canadian citizens may use a certified, original birth
certificate (with a raised seal), and a driver’s license (photo
ID). All travelers should have a round-trip or onward ticket.
Language:
English
Health:
Small pox or cholera certificates may be required if arriving
from an infected area.
Climate:
Subtropical with average highs ranging from 77º in January
through February to 89º in June through September. June through
October is the wettest period with 15-18 days of no rain but for
most of the year the sun shines and overcast days are rare.
Government:
After nearly 250 years of British colonial rule, the
Commonwealth of the Bahamas declared its independence in 1973.
It is now a parliamentary democracy with a governor-general as
head of state.
Electrical
Current: 120 volts, 60 cycles AC and is compatible with
American appliances. Surge protectors are recommended for
sensitive equipment.
Current Weather:
Get
current weather from Weather.com
Currency:
Bahamian Dollar
(BSD). U.S. currency is widely accepted in the Bahamas.
Get
current exchange rate from XE.com
Current Time:
Bahama Islands are
(GMT -4) and observe Daylight Savings Time.
Get
current time from WorldTimeServer.com
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