WHAT TO EXPECT ON A GRAND BAHAMA LIVEABOARD

Liveaboards in Grand Bahama will offer amazing Caribbean dive sites throughout the Bahamas. Grand Bahama itself is just one of the 700 Bahamian islands and one of the 26 inhabited Bahamian islands. It has 51,756 people living on it with the area being 1373sq/km (530sq/miles). It is the most Northern island of the Bahamas and the closest to the United States; 86km (53miles) from the coast of Florida. Liveaboard itineraries that depart from here will usually visit dive spots like Tiger Beach and other local dive site favourites.

The Spanish named it Gran Bajamar, meaning the Great Shallows due to it being surrounded by beautiful shallow reefs in clear waters. It was quite an underdeveloped island until 1834 when it started flourishing. It is now known for the large amount of resorts and luxury it provides tourists from all over the world.

Grand Bahama Underwater

This area provides liveaboard divers with a diverse assortment of underwater gems, ranging from wrecks, to caves, to ledges, to coral with peculiar and unique shapes, shark feeding stations and the chance to swim with dolphins.

Dive Sites Of Grand Bahama

Sharks are in high abundance in the Bahamas, which also aids with the reefs there being so healthy and thriving. At Grand Bahama there is a feeding station for Caribbean reef sharks, where an experienced feeder will lure multiple sharks towards them, and you as a diver. There are usually between 10-25 sharks with sizes up to 3m (9ft). However, the most famous of all spots is Tiger Beach, here your liveaboard dive trip will see multiple Tiger sharks and Nurse sharks during their feed. These massive striped beasts are magnificent to be so close to.

There are multiple wrecks lying around this area, which may be visited all very different. There is Jose's Wreck, smaller 12m (40ft) wreck that has multiple lobsters and crabs living in and on it, Theo's wreck is a much larger wreck; around 70m (228ft). You are allowed to penetrate this wreck (if you have the certification for it) and keep an eye out for the green moray eels and the spotted eels. There is even an old ferry wreck which has become a rich coral jungle, a beautiful dive site.

Edge of the Ledge, a fitting name for this dive site which is compared to diving at the top of the Grand Canyon as you are diving by the slope of a continental shelf. Apart from the thrill of diving along this ledge, it is a great place to spot some larger species such as Eagle Rays, Hammerheads and Manta Rays. Along with a ledge, Bens Blue Hole dive site also provides the excitement that comes with diving in a blue hole, the hole is located within a large fracture in the ground. You will spot many crustaceans here.

Grand Bahama liveaboard itineraries offer a lot of dive sites which have corals with very unique and peculiar shapes. A few examples are Pillar Castle, filled with pillar formed corals, Arrow Point where the corals are shaped in rough triangle shapes and Picasso Gallery which holds numerous star corals of all shapes and sizes.

Top Tips For Divers

A Bahamas liveaboard to Grand Bahama provides dive opportunities for divers of all levels, with deep sites ranging between 18m - 30m (60ft-100ft), Medium depth dive sites with depths of 12m - 18m (40ft - 60ft) and shallow/easy dive sites with depths of 3m - 4.5m (10ft - 15ft). It allows everyone to enjoy a diving or snorkeling experience.

Getting To Grand Bahama

Grand Bahama has its own international airport called the Grand Bahama International Airport, this is a privately owned airport and flights arrive here from numerous destinations within the United States. If flying is not for you, or you want to get a taste of those sparkling turquoise waters, then you can take a ferry from Fort Lauderdale, Florida direct to Grand Bahama.