Freeport/Lucaya - Diving Holiday Destination

Freeport/Lucaya (Bahamas)

The Bahamas is a chain of seven hundred islands and cays in 15 main groups, both inhabited and uninhabited, scattered to the south-east of Florida, USA.

Grand Bahama Island is the second most popular tourist destination. Here you will find long stretches of deserted clean-white beaches, inviting hotels, one major casino, night-time entertainment and world-class scuba diving facilities and land and sea sports. Freeport is the resort center of the Island where much action can be found. On the eastern and western ends of the Island are serene and quaint settings and finding hide-away spots is not uncommon. Shopping is also a feature as one can stroll through Port Lucaya and discover duty-free treasures from around the world.

For those into nature, Grand Bahama is also home to one of the oldest underwater cave systems in the world, situated at the Lucayan National Park.

Freeport/Lucaya is a sportsman's heaven, and Grand Bahama offers lots of dive sites, a true diver's paradise. The Bahamas have turned sharks into something of a tourist attraction in recent years. About ten dive operators around the islands offer specific shark dives.

Climate

Year round sunshine and average temperatures of 25°C (80°F) make the Caribbean a good place to visit at any time of year. However, September is a month that hurricanes are most likely to hit islands in affected areas. Mid December to April is high season as the climate is wetter from July to December.

Dive Facts

Water temperature:
25°C (77°F) in winter to 30°C (86°F) in summer

Visibility:
10 - 40 metres (30 - 130 feet)

Suit:
3mm wetsuit or shortie

Dive Attractions

Type of diving:
Wrecks, reefs, walls, drop-offs, caverns and tunnels

Marine life:
Sharks, turtles, manta rays, stingrays, eagle rays, groupers, barracuda, moray eels, jacks, octopus, crabs, lobsters, scorpionfish, brain coral, star coral, sea fans, barrel sponges, tropical reef fish

Grand Bahama is home to Shark Junction, one of the world's first and best shark encounters. Imagine kneeling on the ocean floor, when out of the distant blue, several large Caribbean Reef sharks appear! They slowly circle towards you, always keeping one eye on you as they get closer and closer. Suddenly, they turn and disappear, only to reappear moments later from another direction. This is a dive you will tell stories about for a long time to come.

The island also has several wrecks to dive. The best is Theo's wreck. It is a 230ft. cement freighter sitting in 110ft. of water right on the edge of the ledge, a 2000ft. drop off, you should try to do this one. You can also do some special dives here like diving with dolphins and shark feeding dives. For these special dives its recommended to book in advance as they are always full!

Advanced divers may also explore the blue holes and caverns of Grand Bahama. Recently Ben's Cavern has become available. It is a spectacular sinkhole located in the Lucayan Caves

The island has three reef lines;
The Shallow Reef
The first is shallow, 10-20ft, max 6m, it is a solid reef that runs the length of the islands’ south shore, (as do all the reefs here). It is full of colourful fish and coral that rises from twenty feet almost to the surface. It is a great place for the novice diver to learn scuba, as well as a nice, leisurely second dive for the more experienced diver. It is a very colourful reef with lots of life but recommended on very nice days, as if it is rough there is a strong surge and the bottom will be stirred up bringing the visibility down. Night dives here are absolutely breathtaking. Octopus, shrimp, crab, lobster, crinoids and a whole host of other nocturnal reef life can be seen in the glow of your light. Don't miss it!
Shallow reef sites include, Silver Reef, Sanctuary Reef, Treasure Reef and Fish Farm

The Medium Reef
The second reef is a med. depth, 40-60ft., (12-15 meters), it is made up of scattered coral heads on sand flats; again lots of reef life but you also have the sand to explore and lots of rocks to look under. Vertical growth of the coral heads is about 10 feet (3 meters). In some places, these coral heads are dramatically mushroom-shaped or hollow, providing homes for all sorts of marine life.
Medium depth sites include, Angel Camp, Badger, Spid City.

The Deep Reef
The third reef line is deep 60-90ft. and like the shallow reef it is a solid reef mass. On some of the deep sites the surge channels have overgrown forming tunnels. The deep reef is also where you may see some of the larger fish. There are many sites along these reefs to pick from, most are very good. The deep reef has grown into a complex maze of canyons, tunnels, and secret rooms for you to explore.
Sites include, Pygmy Caves, Tunnels, Gail's Grotto, and Lady of Lucaya

Other

Language: English

Currency: Bahamian Dollar (US dollar widely accepted)

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