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Snorkelling and diving in The Bahamas: where to go and what to expect
Where to snorkel and dive in The Bahamas: the Andros wall, Exuma's marine park, Bimini's hammerheads and Grand Bahama's shark dives, plus seasons and rules.
The blue holes of Andros
Andros is pierced by hundreds of blue holes: inland pools in the pine forest and dark circles in the shallow sea along the barrier reef, all formed as caverns in the limestone collapsed during past ice ages. Many are linked by cave systems. Blue Holes National Park near Andros Town makes several of the inland ones easy to reach.
Blue Holes National Park
Managed by the Bahamas National Trust, the park lies a short drive west of Andros Town in central Andros. A trail links several inland holes through pine forest; Captain Bill's Blue Hole has a wooden platform and ladder and is the most swum. The water is still, clear and layered, fresh over salt, and the surrounding forest is home to the Bahama parrot and other birds.
Ocean blue holes
Offshore, blue holes open in the sandy shallows inside the barrier reef and in the reef itself. They are visited by boat from Fresh Creek and other settlements, often as part of a snorkelling day on the reef; the tidal flow in and out of some holes is strong enough that guides time visits to slack water. Cavern and cave diving in the holes is a specialist activity with dedicated guides.
How the holes formed and what lives in them
The blue holes are collapsed caverns in the limestone, flooded as sea levels rose after the last ice age. Inland holes often hold a layer of fresh rainwater floating on denser salt water, with a visible boundary between them; below it the water is still and low in oxygen, which preserves the cave formations and the remains of animals that fell in long ago. Blind cave fish and crustaceans found nowhere else live in the dark passages. Andros folklore adds the lusca, a sea monster said to lurk in the holes, to explain the currents that surge in and out of the ocean ones with the tide.
What to see and do
Captain Bill's Blue Hole
Platform, ladder and a swim in Blue Holes National Park.
Ocean hole snorkel
Boat trip to a hole in the shallows along the barrier reef.
Cavern diving
For certified divers with specialist guides.
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Common questions
How many blue holes are on Andros?
Hundreds, inland and offshore. Andros is widely described as having the highest concentration of blue holes in the world.
Can I swim in the Andros blue holes?
Yes, the inland holes in Blue Holes National Park are swimmable, and ocean holes can be snorkelled from a boat with a guide.