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.

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: 27

Barracuda

115 Sightings
J
8
F
5
M
14
A
7
M
8
J
10
J
19
A
9
S
6
O
9
N
10
D
10

Green Turtle

36 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
8
M
0
J
4
J
7
A
6
S
3
O
0
N
6
D
2

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 600

Wrasse

18 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
3
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
4
A
5
S
0
O
0
N
6
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 80

Stingrays

172 Sightings
J
15
F
9
M
13
A
13
M
8
J
16
J
24
A
13
S
12
O
13
N
19
D
17

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 90

Angelfish

87 Sightings
J
3
F
5
M
11
A
6
M
0
J
12
J
17
A
12
S
5
O
0
N
9
D
7

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 250

Grouper/Basslets

81 Sightings
J
8
F
3
M
9
A
8
M
0
J
10
J
14
A
12
S
9
O
0
N
5
D
3

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 100

Parrotfish

77 Sightings
J
3
F
4
M
7
A
5
M
0
J
13
J
16
A
10
S
5
O
0
N
5
D
9

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 12

Lionfish

55 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
7
A
4
M
0
J
11
J
10
A
10
S
0
O
0
N
7
D
6

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 130

Butterfly Fish

53 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
8
A
4
M
0
J
4
J
8
A
10
S
6
O
0
N
9
D
4

Blacktip Reef Shark

47 Sightings
J
4
F
3
M
3
A
0
M
0
J
6
J
7
A
0
S
7
O
7
N
5
D
5

Caribbean Reef Shark

47 Sightings
J
11
F
0
M
3
A
5
M
0
J
0
J
5
A
4
S
5
O
6
N
6
D
2

Grey Reef Shark

45 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
9
A
4
M
9
J
0
J
3
A
9
S
5
O
0
N
0
D
6

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 60

Squirrelfish

29 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
5
A
0
M
0
J
6
J
3
A
5
S
0
O
0
N
6
D
4

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 55

Lobster

29 Sightings
J
0
F
6
M
5
A
0
M
0
J
4
J
3
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
3
D
8

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 60

Spiny Lobster

28 Sightings
J
0
F
4
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
5
J
5
A
4
S
0
O
0
N
6
D
4

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 350

Damselfish

24 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
3
A
0
M
0
J
7
J
5
A
5
S
0
O
0
N
4
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 40

Jackfish

21 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
6
J
5
A
6
S
0
O
0
N
4
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 40

Triggerfish

20 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
3
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
9
A
5
S
0
O
0
N
3
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 3

Trumpetfish

19 Sightings
J
3
F
3
M
4
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
3
D
6

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 150

Sweetlips and Grunts

17 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
6
A
5
S
3
O
0
N
3
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 110

Snapper

14 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
5
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
6
A
0
S
0
O
0
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: 130

Pufferfish

14 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
3
A
0
M
0
J
4
J
3
A
4
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 2

Nurse Shark

12 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
4
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
6
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: 90

Goatfish

11 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
4
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
4
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
3
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 3400

Shrimp

10 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
4
S
0
O
0
N
3
D
3

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 85

Surgeonfish

9 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
5
A
4
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 7000

Crab

9 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
4
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
5

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.

Dive Sites