Scuba Diving Sites in the Bahamas

Bahamas Dive Sites

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SCUBA DIVING

Certified divers can enjoy 3-4 dives per day. Dive the reefs, wrecks, walls, drifts, blue holes and even a thrilling shark dive! The Exuma Sound is an abyss that runs the length of the eastern Exumas. The coral reefs and underwater visibility is phenomenal, with swim thru-s, tongue and groove coral reefs, and prolific sea life. You’ll see large fish and large schools of fish! Pelagic sightings are a daily occurrence. Sea turtles, eagle rays and sharks abound in this area of the Bahamas! Charters can be tailored to meet the needs of scuba diving groups.

Not dive certified? No problem! Diving instruction is available to those that would like to experience diving on SCUBA! Our certified instructor will lead you on underwater scuba diving tours. Scuba gear is included in the instructional fee. See what everyone is raving about!

If you would like to take the Scuba certification course while cruising on the Cat Ppalu, it can be arranged. Advanced arrangements required. Check out the dive sites
Experience scuba diving like no other in the Caribbean. The variety of dive sites in the Exuma Cays is truly unique and offer opportunities not available elsewhere. Each week we offer a great variety of diving-thrilling shark dives, walls that begin as shallow as 40' and slope over the edge where large pelagics are frequently seen, exhilarating high speed drift dives through the cuts of the cays, blue holes which are banked by patch reefs with huge schools of fish as well as other wonderful sites. Scuba divers can enjoy up to 20 dives per week and will leave with a log book full of new memories and wonderful sightings. Many of our dive sites are in the Exumas Land & Sea Park which is protected so the marine life is both large and plentiful. This is truly the best of the Bahamas- diving the Exuma Cays with Cat Ppalu Cruises!

1. Nassau

Lost Blue Hole - The rim of this large blue hole lies in 40' of water surrounded by coral heads, sting rays and many schools of fish. There is a lobster filled crevice at 80'. In the sand surrounding the hole, divers will find many small fish such as banded jawfish, Seminole gobies and tobacco fish. There are usually 1 or 2 nurse sharks here and during the spring a large school of blacknose sharks inhabits the bottom of the 200' hole. This site is normally visited on the way to or from the Exumas.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.

2. Exumas

Amberjack Reef - A 50' patch reef that was the site of our Exumas shark feeding dive. In accordance with the Land and Sea Park's request, we no longer feed the sharks here. However, there are usually up to 10 Caribbean reef sharks and 10-15 large black, yellow mouth and yellow fin grouper hanging out on this site! As well as these large critters, this dive also has many interesting small critters such as pirate blennies and garden eels. Scuba divers will be surrounded by a school of 100+ horse-eye jack that hang out under the Cat Ppalu while they perform their safety stop!

Austin Smith Wreck - A 90' Bahamian Defense Force Cutter that sank in 1995 while being towed to San Salvador to be sunk there as a dive site. Their misfortune was our gain. This intact wreck lies in 60' of water.

Barracuda Shoals - This bankside patch reef has huge schools of fish as well as many small critters on the reef and surrounding sand. Lobster No Lobster reef just to the north is very similar.

Cracked Coral Head - This massive coral head rises 40' off the bottom. Several large swim-thru?s make it looked like it is cracked.

Dog Rocks - This reef starts at 35' and slopes off to 50' before dropping straight down into the Exuma Sound. This is one of the best dives in the Bahamas. If you like to identify fish, you will marvel at the large variety of fish. Black Coral is abundant here as well as Orange Elephant Ear and Tube Sponges. Near our mooring is a swim-thru called the Cathedral, where light filtering down from above lights up a large school of resident silversides. Many pelagics frequent this reef.

Jeep Reef - This is one of the prettiest reefs you will ever see. The strong current that sweeps through this cut keeps the reef 's corals very healthy. This dive can only be done at slack tide because of the strong currents . It is in the middle of the Exumas Land & Sea Park, so you will find a very healthy population of fish. This dive site gets its name from a coral encrusted jeep that sits near the mooring.

Pillar Wall - One of many excellent wall dives. It starts at 30' and slopes to 50' before dropping 5,000' 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 - The strong incoming tide of up to 6 mph takes scuba divers thru a narrow cut where water drops off a ledge and then makes a sharp bend to the left. This causes the water to swirl like the water in a washing machine. This swirling water will toss scuba divers head over heels. Scuba divers who wish to avoid being tossed around can stay to the right where you will have a smooth fast trip through the cut. After passing through the cut you will then glide over a large patch reef. Enjoy the ride!

Wax Cut Drift - Divers and Snorkelers alike fly over this 30' reef at over 2 knots. You will see rays, sharks, eels and numerous fish as you drift with the current in the cut between the islands. The sheer density of staghorn, pillar and finger corals is amazing. There are several other similar drifts dives we do such as Hammerhead Gulch and Coral Cut.

Whale Shark Wall - This wall is named for the whale sharks that have frequented this area for several winters. Like all of our walls, when you stare into the abyss, you never know what you might see.

Whale Tail Wall - A great wall just south of Wax Cut. Large parrotfish roam the sand inside the reef while sharks & eagle rays are frequently seen off the wall. We have had some very unusual sightings here like a Caribbean torpedo, one of only 4 sighting of this very rare ray.

3. Southwest Eleuthera

Cave Rock - A large coral mound in 50' 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. We have frequently seen Hammerhead Sharks here.

Jake's Hole - This tidal blue hole lies in 20' of water. The highlight of this dive is the vibrant corals surrounding the hole. Because it is very tidal, scuba divers aren't permitted to enter the hole.

Monolith - Large mounds of coral rise out of the sand at the edge of the wall. They start at 100' and rise to 55'. There is a colony of Garden Eels in the sand next to the mounds.