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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.
Blue hole tours: Andros, Long Island and beyond
The Bahamas has more blue holes than anywhere else on earth: flooded caverns and sinkholes in the limestone, some opening in the forest and some in the open sea. Andros alone has hundreds. This page explains where the best known ones are, how tours work, and which suit swimmers, snorkellers and divers.
Andros: the blue hole capital
Andros has the highest concentration of blue holes in the world, both inland and offshore. Blue Holes National Park, near Andros Town in central Andros, has a trail linking several inland holes where you can swim in still, clear fresh and brackish water surrounded by pine forest. Captain Bill's Blue Hole, with a platform and ladder, is the most visited. Offshore, ocean blue holes open in the shallows along the barrier reef and are visited by boat for snorkelling and, for the experienced, cave and cavern diving with specialist guides.
Tours on Andros are run by small local operators and lodges, usually combining a guided walk or drive to inland holes with a boat trip to the reef or an ocean hole. Flights serve San Andros, Andros Town, Mangrove Cay and Congo Town from Nassau.
Dean's Blue Hole, Long Island
Dean's Blue Hole near Clarence Town on Long Island drops to about 663 feet from a sheltered cove beside a white beach, one of the deepest known saltwater blue holes in the world. It is easy to reach by road, safe to swim and snorkel at the surface, and the venue for the Vertical Blue freediving competition each year. Scuba divers explore its rim and upper walls with local operators; the depths are for trained freedivers and technical divers only.
Other blue holes worth knowing
The Ocean Hole in Rock Sound, Eleuthera, is an inland blue hole in the middle of the settlement where fish rise to be fed. Lucayan National Park on Grand Bahama protects one of the longest surveyed underwater cave systems, with two caves open to visitors by stairs and walkway. Hoffman's Cay in the Berry Islands has a blue hole reached by a short walk from the beach, a regular stop for cruising boats.
What we can arrange
Blue Holes National Park walk, Andros
Guided trail to inland holes with swimming platforms, near Andros Town.
About this placeOcean blue hole snorkel, Andros
Boat trip along the barrier reef to an open-sea hole, often combined with reef snorkelling.
Dean's Blue Hole, Long Island
Swim or snorkel from the beach; scuba around the rim with a local operator.
About this placeCavern and cave diving
For certified cave and cavern divers only, with specialist guides on Andros and Grand Bahama.
Ready to plan it?
Send your dates, group and what you have in mind. We check availability with verified local operators and reply with real options, free of charge.
Common questions
What is a blue hole?
A water-filled sinkhole or cavern in limestone, formed when caves collapsed during periods of lower sea level. Inland ones are ringed by forest; ocean ones appear as dark circles in shallow turquoise water.
Can non-divers visit blue holes?
Yes. Inland holes on Andros and Dean's Blue Hole on Long Island are swimmable from the shore, and ocean holes can be snorkelled from a boat.
Which island is best for blue holes?
Andros for sheer number and variety; Long Island for the single most spectacular one, Dean's Blue Hole.
Guides
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Which Bahamas island is right for you?
An honest comparison of Nassau, Paradise Island, Exuma, Eleuthera, Harbour Island, Abaco, Grand Bahama, Andros, Bimini and the Out Islands.