Scuba diving holidays in Nassau, Bahamas

Located on the north-eastern edge of New Providence Island, Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas and the commercial centre. This exciting city is also one of the most popular bases for scuba diving in the Bahamas as there is a wide choice of diving locations for beginners and professionals. From famous Hollywood wrecks to thrilling shark encounters, there is an underwater adventure to suit every scuba diving enthusiast.

One of the most popular and unique dive sites off the coast of Nassau is the Lost Blue Hole. This natural underwater sinkhole measures approximately 100 feet wide and almost 200 feet deep, and hosts an exciting array of marine life. Nassau is also renowned for its exciting shark encounters, which take place around three main dive locations: Shark Wall, Shark Arena and Shark Runway. Large numbers of wild Caribbean reef sharks are frequently spotted during these trips, and divers can get extremely close if they dare.

The crystal clear Atlantic waters surrounding Nassau offer excellent visibility, and marine life is diverse and plentiful. One of the best dives sites to observe a myriad of sea creatures is Tongue of the Ocean or ‘6000 Foot Wall', a deep oceanic trench that features a network of walls that extend for hundreds of miles across the Bahamas, with drop-offs that plunge almost vertically over a mile to the sea floor. Here you will find eagle rays, stingrays, loggerhead turtles, moray eels, shrimps, spiny lobsters, octopus, reef sharks, nurse sharks and sea anemones, as well as hundreds of tropical fish and other fish species such as Nassau groupers, jacks and snapper. The pristine coral reefs and gardens are a particularly beautiful sight to behold, with their vibrant colours and combinations of hard and soft species. Purple sea fans and giant purple tube sponges, rare black coral, red gorgonians, brain coral, stag horn coral and elkhorn coral are just a small selection, many of which thrive on wrecks in shallow waters.

A large number of interesting and mysterious ship wrecks lie scattered in the Bahamian waters; some which have met their doom upon the reefs and some which have been sunk deliberately to act as barrier reefs. Many of these provide homes for a plethora of marine life and make exciting underwater playgrounds for divers. Several wrecks have even been used as underwater Hollywood film sets, the most famous having been featured in the James Bond films Never Say Never Again and Thunderball. Another wreck well worth exploring is the Will Laurie, a 110-foot freighter which was damaged in a violent storm. The ship now rests intact and on its keel in 50 feet of water. Some of these sites are even more spectacular at night, so it would be worth booking a night dive to see how the underwater scenery and marine life varies from daytime dives.

There is a good choice of dive centres in Nassau, offering all the equipment and certified training you need by fully-trained professional staff. This will enable you to book all the trips you dream of during your scuba diving holiday in Nassau, so you will have plenty of underwater adventures to remember.