hen
one thinks of the Out Islands of The Bahamas,
several images immediately spring to mind.
These are long strands of powder fine beaches
sloping into an ocean colored with a subtle
yet dazzling palette of blues, stretching to
the horizon; settlements and villages populated
by strongly rooted and honest people, smiling
at you; and a sense of tradition and history
stretching back to the edge of memory. If that
representation is too prosaic for your taste,
consider this. There is one thing that seems
to represent modern life: the stoplight. Search
the Out Islands and you will find that in one
place only, Marsh Harbor in the Abacos. And,
by the way, there is only that single stop
light-throughout literally hundreds of Out
Islands and cays!
The
Out Islands, also commonly known as the Family Islands,
are defined as every island outside of the most populated
islands in The Bahamas-Grand Bahama (Freeport) and New
Providence (Nassau). This has come about due to the fact
that the two big islands are the center of population
and commerce and have been the focus of international
attention. However, the Out Islands hold the very essence
of Bahamian culture and life. With a population of only
50,000 spread through many occupied islands, there is
a sense of rootedness, calm and sincerity.
For divers, there is always the feeling you are one of the first to
experience and view an area. This holds true whether you are visiting
an established dive destination-such as Andros, San Salvador, the Abacos,
Long Island, Eleuthera or Bimini or being lucky enough to find yourself
in the truly unexplored islands, such as the Ragged Island, the Inaguas
or other untouched territory in the southern Bahamas. In the Out Islands,
you can be an adventurer by simply dropping in the water or just walking
down a truly deserted beach. This is the stuff of which dreams are
made. Let's take a quick look at the Out Islands currently offering
professional dive services to visitors.
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The
Abacos
The islands of the Abacos rest on the east edge of the Little Bahama
Bank. Sophisticated yet quiet villages hold echoes of New England coastal
communities-a fishing tradition, which has easily evolved over time
into a solidly Bahamian sense of life. Visit Green Turtle Cay or Man-O-War
Cay and you will find yourself cast back into a time when British Loyalists
fled Revolutionary-era America to settle here. Victorian-style filigrees
adorn solid, hurricane-resistant, pastel-colored Bahamian homes arrayed
around curving, narrow lanes. This is prime territory for casual sailors
looking for easy island-to-island jumps.
Directly
exposed to the Atlantic, the reefs of the Abacos take
a different form than much of the Bahamas. Many sites
are relatively shallow, 60 feet or less (with some
exceptions). 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. Let's start
in the north and go south. Walker's Cay, the northernmost
island, has been an Out Islands diving tradition for
decades. In addition to myriad mazes of shallow and complex
caverns, an abundance of fish and some deeper sloping
walls, Walker's 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 gunning engines in a
coral arena to feed on the "chumsicle", a chunk
of frozen fish (heads and all), while divers mingle with
them, much like an odd underwater cocktail party.
Green
Turtle Cay features tremendous shallow reefs as well
as superb fish life, one of the earmarks of the Abacos.
Dedicated snorkeling trips are available daily as are
numerous water and beach oriented distractions. The topside
atmosphere is fascinating as well. Visit Marsh Harbor
on Great Abaco for the "big city" feel of the
Abacos. Remember, they even have a stoplight. There is
a huge selection of sites for snorkeling and diving.
Maxi-Caves is an historically great spot for comfortable
cavern dives in the company of friendly groupers and
Barracuda.
Eleuthera & Harbour
Island
Eleuthera is the pineapple capital of The Bahamas
(really, pineapples!). It stretches north to south
112 miles. It is the home of the first republic in
the "New World", has more natural wrecks
than any other island, is sparsely populated and
is both rugged and beautiful. The Devil's Backbone,
a shallow and jagged reef extending across the northern
edge of Eleuthera, has torn the bottom out of more
vessels than any other reef in the nation. It also
created the island's name after an emigrating Bermudian
group, the Eleutherian Adventurers, became yet another
group of marine victims. They survived the disaster
and brought their sense of hope and faith to the
island. Harbour Island, lying just off the northeast
corner, is arguably the prettiest community in the
islands. Quiet, quaint, small, fascinating and easily
explored, it benefits from the services of two professional
dive operations. Both provide great dive services
for snorkeling shallow reefs, checking out the wrecks,
Current Cut (one of the most exciting high current
dives in the Caribbean) and a variety of deep reefs and walls.
Andros
Andros is home to two dive operations: Seascape Inn and Small Hope
Bay. Segmented by an abundance of creeks, Andros is one of the least-known
islands, despite its proximity to the U.S. and probably owing to its
size. The richness of the island includes all the cultural wealth of
the remote Out Islands, a thick marine community plus a geological
definition of The Bahamas. It is bordered by the third largest barrier
reef in the world, over 130 miles of continuous reef. Blue holes are
an integral part of the development of these islands and Andros is
blessed with possibly the largest numbers of these natural phenomena.
Defining the primary dive sites off Andros is virtually impossible
because of the vast territory. Just let it be known that one can partake
of everything from shallow snorkeling adventures to walls to wrecks
to big animal encounters to truly edge oriented technical diving. You
definitely can make your choices here.
Bimini
Sitting only 48 miles from Miami, Bimini is the closest and most accessible
island of The Bahamas. It's proximity has given the island a rich
history, much of it couched in cloudy and mysterious practices
perched at the edge of the law: These past practices run from wrecking
(luring ships onto reefs and then plundering their cargo under
the legal umbrella of maritime salvage laws) to rum-running and
smuggling. It is all part of the enticing tapestry of Bimini.
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Today,
Bimini is relaxed and inviting and is a prime dive destination.
Two operations run daily trips to a variety of shallow
reefs, a few great wrecks, and unusual sites, such as
what some believe to be the remains of the Fountain of
Youth and the remains of the ancient civilization of
Atlantis. Dolphin dives, riding the current over the
edge of deep walls, shark dives and more allow visitors
to choose from a broad menu of activities. The Sapona
sits high and dry in only 15 feet of water, creating
a great snorkeling and diving site. Operators also explore
the Bimini chain of islands stretching south.
Berry
Island
The Berry Islands are small and largely undeveloped but offer great
island getaways. Activities include snorkeling and beach relaxation
along with deep-sea fishing and bonefishing, much like almost all of
the Out Islands. The only active dive operation is located on Chub
Cay. Shallow reefs border the island and sharply sloping walls are
found within minutes of the dock. The dive operator also reports frequent
contact with Pilot Whales, Manta Rays and dolphins. No guarantees of
course.
Cat
Island
Cat
Island features the highest peak in The Bahamas, a whopping
207 feet. More than that, on this island it is fun to
get out on the road and explore, talk with locals and
enjoy the heart of The Bahamas. One of the finest shallow
Bahamian reefs, Dry Heads, is here, along with tons of
other shallow and medium depth reefs, miles of walls
and a couple of excellent wrecks.
Exumas
The
Exumas consist of an array of more than 350 small islands
and cays streaming down from just 35 miles south of
New Providence to the anchor islands of Great and Little
Exuma to the south. The northern islands present wonderful
dive opportunities with an intriguing combination of
walls and rich shallow reefs. The northern islands
are the realm of liveaboards, and two New Providence
operators, Stuart Cove's and Custom Aquatics, offer
trips here as well. Two professional operations are
functioning on Great Exuma, Peace & Plenty and Exuma
Dive Center, offering trips to shallow reefs as well
as some perfectly defined Bahamas blue holes.
Long
Island
Home
to Stella Maris, one of the oldest Bahamian dive operations,
Long Island is not only a great dive destination in its
own right, but is also a launching point for trips to
uninhabited Conception Island (great wall dives!) and
Rum Cay. It vies with San Salvador as the first landfall
of Columbus and has a monument on the northern end commemorating
the event. Long Island has a huge number of shallow dive
sites, some deeper sites, the deepest recorded blue hole
in the Bahamas (over 600 feet!) and a very nice wreck
to the north.
San
Salvador
San
Sal (as it is now commonly called, or Guanahani to the
Lucyans) is at the very heart of Bahamas diving. The
debate about the origin of wall diving (Was it at Andros
or at San Salvador?) goes on and on. The answer is as
yet unresolved. San Sal has produced more published underwater
photos than any other destination in the world. Its walls
are world-class. They are vertical and undercut with
striking topography, groupers so friendly you have to
push them away, dependable visits by Scalloped and Great
Hammerheads-and offer so much more it is astounding.
It has a great shallow wreck in only 18 feet of water,
a luxurious Club Med, historic Riding Rock Inn, ruins
of centuries old plantations, sea caves and miles of
absurdly perfect beaches. Oh, by the way, it is also
the historically acknowledged first landfall of Christopher
Columbus.
The
Undiscovered Bahamas
There
are significant areas of The Bahamas which have barely
felt the touch of a human foot, a touch which is quickly
washed away by the ocean and the shifting sands. The
future will hold exploration of the Inaugas, the Plana
Cays and Mayaguana as well as exploring the underwater
territory of other populated but as yet unmapped areas
of the Ragged Islands, the Crooked Islands, Hogsty Reef
and other territory. The Out Islands offer as rich a
marine nation as any found on the planet. Visit and be
part of both the present and the future.
