Exuma Cays

Exumas Cays itineraries are typically 7 nights in duration, but extended 10 night itineraries are occasionally available. Depending on your liveaboard, four or five dives per day will be on offer, with the chance of night diving.

Dive areas you may visit on this itinerary:

Nassau

The clear blue waters around New Providence Island and Nassau provide a wide variety of diving possibilities from shallow reefs to walls and drop-offs, blue holes and an abundance of wrecks, most of which have been purposely sunk to create artificial reefs. The majority of the best dive sites are located around the west end of New Providence Island; this is also where you can experience some magnificent wall dives along the drop-off into the Tongue of the Ocean which separates New Providence from Andros Island.

Lost Blue Hole - The rim of this large blue hole lies in 12m of water surrounded by coral heads, stingrays and many schools of fish. There is a lobster filled crevice at 24m. In the sand surrounding the hole, divers will find many small fish such as Banded jawfish, Seminole gobies and Tobacco fish. There are usually one or two nurse sharks here and during the spring a large school of Blacknose sharks inhabits the bottom of the 60m deep hole. This is the location of the Bahamas first lionfish sighting.

Periwinkle Reef - This is a shallow patch reef that is teaming with fish. The local Nassau operators feed fish here, so sergeant majors and angelfish will approach scuba divers looking for a handout.

Exumas

The Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park was the world’s first protected reserve to cover both above and below the waves. With fishing prohibited, the coast is bursting with life. Mangroves, sea grass and coral reef can be found in abundance, and wildlife includes turtles and iguanas.

Amberjack Reef - A 15m patch reef that has prolific fish life. You will see reef sharks and up to ten large grouper. This dive also has many interesting small critters such as pirate blennies and garden eels. During the safety stop divers will be surrounded by a school of 100+ horse-eye jacks that hang out under the yacht.

Austin Smith Wreck - A 27m Bahamian Defense Force Cutter lying in 18m of water that sank in 1995 while being towed to San Salvador to be sunk there as a dive site.

Barracuda Shoals - This bankside patch reef has huge schools of fish as well as many small critters on the reef and surrounding sand.

Blacktip Wall - Hammerhead sharks have been sighted frequently on this wall. This reef is also where Ned Deloach (Reef books co-author) found the very rare Lemon goby.

Cathedral - This site is part of the Dog Rocks Reef. This reef starts at 10m and slopes off to 15m before dropping straight down into the Exuma Sound. The Cathedral is a large swim-through where the light filters down from above reflecting off the thousands of silversides that occupy the swim-through. There are many grouper and jacks that come to feed on the silversides. The wall has large stands of black coral and orange elephant ear and tube sponges. Pelagics, eagle rays and sharks are frequently seen off the wall.

Cracked Coral Head - This massive coral head rises 12m off the bottom. Several large swim-throughs make it looked like it is cracked.

Jeep Reef - This site named from a coral encrusted jeep that sits near the mooring is in the middle of the Exumas Land & Sea Park and hosts a healthy population of fish.  It is also one of the prettiest reefs you will ever see. Current that sweeps through this cut keeps the reef 's corals very healthy.

Pillar Wall - One of many excellent wall dives. It starts at 9m and slopes to 15m before dropping 1.5kilometres to the bottom. There are many caves and crevices. There is a large colony of Yellowhead jawfish in the rubble inside the reef.

The Washing Machine - Located in the Exuma Cays, this unique dive site is known for its strong currents that create a “washing machine” effect, spinning divers as they drift along. The site offers a thrilling experience as divers are carried over vibrant coral heads and schools of fish.

Southwest Eleuthera
Cave Rock - A large coral mound in 15m of water surrounded by several smaller coral heads. There are several caves where you can swim from one side to the other. The large variety of corals and fish will amaze you. Hammerhead Sharks have been frequently seen here.

Monolith - Large mounds of coral rise out of the sand at the edge of the wall. They start at 30m and rise to 17m. There is a colony of Garden Eels in the sand next to the mounds.

Little San Sal (Half Moon Cay)
Cave Reef - This 12m shallow patch reef has several large swim-throughs cutting through the middle.

Empress Pinnacles - This wall dive features 9m high pinnacles coming out of the sand at the edge of the wall. Pelagics are seen frequently in the clear water off the wall. There are large stands of black coral on the sides of the pinnacles.

Current Cut - Situated between Eleuthera and Current Island, this dive is famous for its swift currents that can propel divers at speeds up to 10 knots. As you drift along, you'll see a plethora of marine life, including stingrays, sharks, and schools of jacks. This dive offers a thrilling ride and the chance to witness the underwater world at a rapid pace.