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 three dive operations: Andros Undersea Adventures,
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.
| OUT
ISLAND DIVE OPERATORS |
