Bimini – Bahamas
Bimini, the closest Bahamian island to Florida (about 80 km), sits on the edge of the Gulf Stream. Winter brings great hammerhead sharks to the shallows outside the harbour (about November–April), while the year-round diving includes the SS Sapona – a First World War-era concrete steamer in the shallows – new artificial-reef wrecks off North Bimini, reef sharks, nurse sharks and stingrays. The Bimini Road, a natural limestone block formation, can be snorkelled or dived. Neal Watson's Bimini Scuba Center at the Bimini Big Game Club is the established operator; Epic Diving also runs hammerhead trips.
Facts
- Best season: Year-round; great hammerheads Nov–Apr (sources differ: Dec–Mar, Jan–Apr), bull sharks Dec–Mar, Nassau grouper spawning late Jan–early Feb
- Water temperature: About 24 °C (Jan–Mar) to 29 °C (Jun–Sep)
- Visibility: Generally 25–30 m
- Currents: Strong and variable on the barge, drop-off and Gulf Stream edge; the Sapona is best at slack or incoming tide
- Shark dive requirements: Operator-run baited hammerhead dives: certified divers, full 5 mm wetsuit, hood and gloves (Neal Watson's); Epic needs Open Water certification and a US$1,000 deposit. No official Bahamian shark-diving permit scheme found
- Getting there: Flights to South Bimini (BIM) daily from Florida and Nassau; short ferry to North Bimini (Alice Town)
Season
- Best months: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr
- Acceptable: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
- Water temperature: 24–29 °C
Diving all year; water runs from about 24 °C (Jan–Mar) to 29 °C (Jun–Sep). Great hammerheads Nov–Apr, bull sharks Dec–Mar, tuna migrate Mar–May; rainy season Jun–Sep.
Dive sites (12)
North Bimini wrecks & reefs
- Bimini Barge – 20–29 m, advanced
- Bimini Road (Atlantis Road) – 3–6 m, beginner
- Bimini Trader – advanced
- Coach Sugar Memorial wreck site (J.P. Kipp Barge, Tug Manatee, Lady in Red) – 24–26 m, intermediate
- Hesperus (Turtle Wreck) – 5–7 m, beginner
- Rainbow Reef (sanctuary) – beginner
- Turtle Rocks – 5–10 m, beginner
Hammerhead & shark sites
- Bull Run – advanced
- Hammer Headquarters (great hammerhead site) – 5–7 m, intermediate
South Bimini & Bimini Bank
- Continental Shelf drop-off – 40 m, advanced
- SS Sapona (concrete ship) – 1–6 m, beginner
- Victory Reef & Tuna Alley (Bimini Reefs) – 15–35 m, intermediate
Operators (2)
- Neal Watson's Bimini Scuba Center – dive centre, Bimini Big Game Club, Alice Town, North Bimini
- Epic Diving (Bimini great hammerheads) – dive centre, Guests fly to South Bimini (BIM); hotel on North Bimini
Routes (2)
Only the Sapona and the Bimini Road have published coordinates (Wikipedia); the other positions are estimated from operator and guide descriptions and are for orientation only, never for navigation. Depths and names differ by source. Shark dives are run by private operators under their own rules.