Barracuda Shoals (★4.5)
A great, easy dive in super clear water; perfect for beginning divers and snorkelers. This site is located in the Exumas not far from George Town and is named for the abundance of barracuda found here.
Explore Great Exuma
The white powdery beaches and turquoise waters that compliment The Exumas is only the beginning of what’s on offer. With Great Exuma as its main base, the Exumas consist of over 365 cays and small islands. George Town is the district capital on Great Exuma, where a few reputable dive centers and dive resorts are available. It’s also possible to dive via liveaboard here, though most depart from Nassau on New Providence.
Operators visit the best sites around Great Exuma, in addition to the Exuma Cays, where even more remote, untouched dive sites await, though the best way to enjoy the further away cays is by liveaboard. Many operators even visit iconic sites around other Bahamian islands, such as Eleuthera, Bimini and Grand Bahama.
Due to such underwater diversity, Great Exuma and its surrounding islands and cays offer great training locations for varied dive courses, from entry-level up to advanced and technical diving.
Dive Activity
Diving in Great Exuma
There's excellent reef diving in minimal currents, along with wreck diving suitable for all experience levels. Drift diving here is unparalleled too, especially at The Washing Machine.
Night diving is equally epic, in addition to shark diving.
Advanced and technical divers can enjoy impressive cave diving, along with dramatic walls that plunge into the dark oblivion.
Typically, scuba diving in Great Exuma is by boat, though some shore diving is possible off a few beaches.
Dive Sites
The best Months do dive in Great Exuma
With water temperatures varying between 27°C-31°C, diving is great year-round. November to May is the best time to dive, when the dry season delivers sunny weather and fantastic ocean conditions.
The rainy/hurricane season runs from June to October, though little changes underwater, and sunny periods still occur. Plus, great deals on accommodation and diving can be found.
Top Wildlife Sightings in Grat Exuma
An array of Caribbean species thrive in the water around Great Exuma, from vibrant hard and soft corals, tropical fish, stingrays, octopus, Nassau grouper, eels and eagle rays, to green, hawksbill and leatherback turtles. Also, in winter and spring, a variety of sharks can be seen, including lemon, grey, nurse and Caribbean reef sharks. Sometimes, hammerheads, bull, oceanic whitetip, silky and tiger sharks are seen. Lucky divers might even spot dolphins, humpback, pilot and sperm whales on their way to remote dive sites.
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 27
iStock-Global_Pics
Barracuda
168 Sightings
J
12
F
8
M
20
A
15
M
9
J
24
J
20
A
20
S
7
O
12
N
11
D
10
Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography
Green Turtle
50 Sightings
J
1
F
1
M
2
A
11
M
2
J
0
J
10
A
8
S
4
O
0
N
9
D
2
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 200
Alamy-WaterFrame
Moray Eel
36 Sightings
J
7
F
0
M
6
A
1
M
5
J
4
J
5
A
4
S
2
O
0
N
1
D
1
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 600
iStock/ultramarinfoto
Wrasse
36 Sightings
J
0
F
1
M
2
A
4
M
0
J
6
J
7
A
10
S
0
O
0
N
6
D
0
iStock-ShaneGross
Loggerhead Turtle
13 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
6
M
2
J
1
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
1
N
0
D
3
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 25
iStock/Juliosanjuan
Eagle Ray
11 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
2
A
1
M
0
J
3
J
0
A
2
S
0
O
0
N
2
D
1
Shutterstock-Andrey Armyagov
Hawksbill Turtle
8 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
1
M
0
J
1
J
1
A
3
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
2
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 80
iStock/Extreme-Photographer
Stingrays
232 Sightings
J
19
F
16
M
17
A
19
M
11
J
35
J
30
A
16
S
13
O
13
N
25
D
18
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 100
iStock-burnsboxco
Parrotfish
166 Sightings
J
16
F
11
M
10
A
19
M
4
J
30
J
22
A
25
S
7
O
3
N
6
D
13
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 90
Shutterstock-Rich Carey
Angelfish
159 Sightings
J
11
F
14
M
15
A
15
M
4
J
27
J
22
A
23
S
7
O
1
N
12
D
8
