The Islands of the Bahamas

Airport:  There is only one airport serving Bimini Island – South Bimini Airport (BIM). Daily scheduled air service is available to Bimini from Nassau, Grand Bahama Island and Florida and charter services can be arranged through any of the certified local and international carriers. Sea service is provided by a weekly mail boat into Cat Cay and Alice Town, Bimini, from Nassau.

Currency:  The pound was replaced by the dollar in 1966, at a rate of 7 shillings = 1 dollar (1 pound = 2.86 dollars). This rate meant that the new Bahamas dollar was at a slight discount to the US dollar.

Climate:

Language:  Bahamian is an English-based creole language spoken by approximately 400,000 people in the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Dive Landscape: 

Bimini is the true Island in the Stream, perched at the edge of a sheer underwater cliff that falls thousands of feet into the blue abyss. The Gulf Stream rushes north, washing past Bimini, feeding and warming its coral reefs and serving as a watery highway for everything from marlin to mantas, dolphin to sea turtles. Its unique location coupled with a roguish history makes Bimini the Out Islands’ favorite diving and fishing frontier outpost.

Bimini has some of the finest dive spots in the world, including the mysterious Bimini Road (Bimini Wall), believed to be remnants of long-lost Atlantis, plummeting a heart-thumping 4,000 feet. Scuba divers, both novice and advanced, can also explore magnificent reefs teeming with every kind of sea life, several sunken Spanish galleons, a WWI freighter wreck, and the battered concrete hull of the Sapona.

Signature Dive Sites: 

Bimini Road – Also known as the road to Atlantis. This 20′ dive is made up of large rectangular stones on a sandy bottom. Many people believe it to be man made, possibly a road from the lost city of Atlantis. You will be surprised by the richness of marine life. It makes a great snorkel or dive.

Bull Run – The sight of Blackbeard’s Shark Dive but it would be a nice dive even without sharks. The coral grows on high mounds with swim throughs and overhangs. Azure Vase Sponges sprout in many locations. We feed the sharks a chumsicle (a frozen block of fish). The shark feeding is done on a flat sandy area with a tall coral ridge on one side and sea grass meadow on the other. In addition to the Caribbean Reef and Nurse Sharks there are Black Groupers, Gray Angelfish and Yellowtail Snappers waiting for the food.

Hesperus – Also known as the turtle wreck. It has numerous loggerhead turtles, barracudas, sting rays, nurse sharks and occasionally you see other types of sharks. It is visited by many pelagics, kingfish, mackerel, pompano, permit and cobia. Large schools of snapper and grunts. It lies in 15′ of water.

Moray Alley – A 50′ dive with coral spurs arranged on a white sand bottom. Diving here is like turning the pages of a reef fish identification book. In many places the heads of Star Coral have skirts of bright orange and yellow where boring sponges have invaded their interiors.

Nodules – This wall dive is a high energy treat. The wall starts at 70′ and drops into the Gulf Stream. At 120′ there are overhangs and arches which are covered with deepwater sea fans and enormous Orange Elephant Ear Sponges.

Sapona – The wreck of a concrete Liberty ship lies in 18′ of water. Encrusting corals and sponges color the sides of the ship in a bright array of colors. You will find lobster and scorpionfish in the sand under the hull. In the wreckage near the middle are a large variety of fish and several types of eels. The stern with its large prop and schools of fish makes an excellent spot for wide angle photos. In the sand and rubble surrounding the ship you will finds rays and several types of fish including Flying Gurnards.

Victory Reef – A five mile long reef with many dive sites. A sloping reef starting at 30′ and sloping to 80′. Many caves and overhangs. It is on the edge of the Gulf Stream, so it attracts many pelagics. Some of the dive sights along this reef are Blue Chromis, Rainbow Valley, Cathedral, Sponge Gardens and Tuna Alley.