Text
and Photography by Michael Lawrence
onch
shells and casinos, beaches and ballyhoo, sharks, straw markets and shopping,
turtles, travelers and tourists-in Nassau, it is all a part of the rich
tapestry. It's a destination slowly being transformed into a big part
of the modern world; all the while trying to maintain it's own personal
sense of the old world. In many ways, Nassau is the archetypal tropical
Magic City, the Oz of The Bahamas. If you love a fantasy sense of vacation
but also want the natural world to jump out and stare you in the face,
Nassau will fit the bill admirably. |
| Both Nassau and Paradise Island just across the water (shown here), offer a fast pace and all the amenities. |
For
divers specifically, Nassau/New Providence is an underwater wonderland
of surprises. You can snorkel shallow reefs, experience the thrills of
underwater Hollywood sets and dive natural and artificial wrecks. You
can sail over breathtaking walls, dive and snorkel with sharks, possess
the potential of seeing whales or dolphins and also have access to blue
holes, Out Island adventures and almost anything else you desire-all with
the knowledge that you can be shopping, gambling or eating at a truly
fine restaurant soon after. While divers are in the water, the rest of
the family can while away the time shopping, golfing, playing tennis or
beaching it. If you want it in The Bahamas, Nassau has it!
Once
you are on-island, you will soon understand there are two different faces
to New Providence. One is the big hotel high life of Nassau and Paradise
Island. The other is the quiet, Out Island ambiance of the southwest corner
of the island. Both are equally attractive and all sides of the island
offer not only fine accommodations but also excellent dive services. There
are excellent professional dive operators on every important corner of
the island. It is really a question of atmosphere. In Nassau, Cable Beach
or other areas on the north side of the island, including Paradise Island,
you will have immediate access to all the goodies such as big hotels,
golfing, windsurfing, parasailing, international restaurants, sparkling
casinos, elegant nightlife and all of the other fine diversions travelers
love. If you are on the southwest coast, you will have much of the same
along with quiet isolated beaches, starlit skies and the chance to experience
peaceful personal moments. The two are not that separate. It takes only
20 minutes to get from one side to the other, rental cars are plentiful
and taxis are fast. Also, if you choose to stay in the heart of the action,
all the southern dive operators offer free, door-to-door pick-up and delivery
services for divers and snorkelers desiring to experience the other side
of the island.
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Nassau
Wrecks
Nassau's available wrecks range from former movie sets that are now artificial
reefs, to victims of natural disasters. They include the sets for James
Bond 007 films (request the Vulcan Bomber!) to older and out-of-use Bahamian
vessels such as the Willaurie, to sailboats, military vessels and small
planes, to a brand new freighter sunk within the last few months just
off South Ocean Beach. The north coast, off Paradise Island, offers a
number of wrecks.
 |
Reefs and Walls It doesn't matter if you snorkel or dive, the possibilities are limitless. Shallow reefs abound on all sides of the island. You just can't beat spots like Southwest Reef, Goulding Cay, Fish Hotel, Barracuda Shoals, Pumpkin Patch or Razorback. While some reefs are simple patch reefs, many shallow reefs tend to blend into a sloping drop that abruptly plummets over the wall and into the depths. Naming reefs is a little foolish as there are so many. The same holds true for walls, especially when you start exploring the superb wall sites along the east side of the Tongue of the Ocean. Say what your heart desires and trust your dive operator to take you to the best spot accessible on any given day.
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Sharks
This is one of the biggest attractions. The Bahamas are famed for their
shark dives and Nassau/New Providence is right at the forefront. If you
have not experienced this, the first time will be an eye-opener. The Nassau
shark dives take a couple of different forms. Some dive operators utilize
only chainmail arms and gloves on the feeders. These dives tend to be
orderly, relatively speaking. Some dive operators wear complete chainmail
shark suits. On these dives, the sharks tend to be more active and personal
with the feeders but still sidestep guests. An extra special activity
is the Shark Suit Adventure. You, too, can step into a chainmail suit
and soon have sharks feeding out of your hand. The adrenaline rush of
sharks bumping, brushing and bowling you over will keep you reeling for
days!
A different type of shark dive is Shark Buoy, a massive buoy anchored in 6,000 feet of water in the Tongue of the Ocean. Schools of open ocean sharks called Silky Sharks tend to congregate under it, feeding on jacks and other fish. Being suspended in the deep blue and having the sharks approach is a different and equally satisfying experience. The bottom line on Nassau is this: If you want it, you can find it here. Visitors come from all over the world to sample Nassau's pleasures. Dining can go from conch salad on Arawak Cay or under the Paradise Island bridge to the finest international cuisine possible. Water experiences can go from shallow snorkeling to diving shallow reefs or walls to playing with high-energy sharks. Nightlife can be either the glitter and glitz of the casinos or the glistening sparkle of the stars and the moon off the sea. It's your choice-and you can't go wrong.
A different type of shark dive is Shark Buoy, a massive buoy anchored in 6,000 feet of water in the Tongue of the Ocean. Schools of open ocean sharks called Silky Sharks tend to congregate under it, feeding on jacks and other fish. Being suspended in the deep blue and having the sharks approach is a different and equally satisfying experience. The bottom line on Nassau is this: If you want it, you can find it here. Visitors come from all over the world to sample Nassau's pleasures. Dining can go from conch salad on Arawak Cay or under the Paradise Island bridge to the finest international cuisine possible. Water experiences can go from shallow snorkeling to diving shallow reefs or walls to playing with high-energy sharks. Nightlife can be either the glitter and glitz of the casinos or the glistening sparkle of the stars and the moon off the sea. It's your choice-and you can't go wrong.
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The
Bahamas Experience •
A Parade of Marine Life
• Shark Diving
• Grand
Bahama Island •
Bahamas
Dolphins Encounters •
Nassau
•
Out
Islands of The Bahamas •
Ten
Reasons To Take The Whole Family •
Walls
and Blue Holes •
Rapture
of The Wrecks •
Exploring
The Bahamas by Live Aboard •
Bahamas
By Snorkel •
Bahamas
Diving Association •
Bahamas
Diver On-Line