Reef site recommendations for Bahamas anyone?
- Thread starter CherieDam
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Sinbad the Diver
Contributor
I just got back from a trip to Eleuthera. We dove out of Cape Eleuthera on the Southwest tip of the island. My one comparison is to Key Largo since that's the only other reef diving I've done. It seemed to me there was much more reef diversity in Eleuthera, more types of coral and small life than in Key Largo and more varieties of life in general, more types of fish. But the volume of life seemed lower, as in smaller numbers of fish. As an example you can't look in any direction in Key Largo and not see a Sgt Major, I only saw 2 or 3 off Eleuthera.
There are a lot of great diving sites there. I really like Small Hope Bay Lodge in Andros (because of the Blue Holes), the Abacos, Exuma, Eleuthera, Cat Island, Abaco, Rum Cay, there all good. One consideration might be the Stella Maris Resort on Long Island. It's a bit away from the night life, but I guess it really depends on what you're interested in?
digicus
New
We are returning to Great Guana, Abacos, Bahamas for the fifth time over the past 15 years. Whatever makes your boat float is here! Reefs to walls, wrecks to blue holes to caves.
Great Guana has it all and is probably the best value for the buck. English is the main language spoken across the Bahamas and some "island" dialect is spoken, The Dollar is accepted at par on the Bahamian dollar and change is given back in Bahamian currency. Make sure you get rid of as much as you can before the return trip home as you may have to save it for a future return trip. Not worth much back in the States. Visa and MC seem to be universally accepted but don't be offended as not all the locals accept plastic. Lots of little shops and such and Marsh Harbor even has quite a few "bigger town" amenaties like hardware stores and groceries. Prices in the Bahamas are higher due to the fact that anything you buy either gets to the Islands by Air freight or by Ship freight. You can rent a boat just about anywhere on the islands but you will find that your rental agreement will state that you cannot take the boat out from the Sea of Abaco due to the potential problems of the insurance not covering any losses. I've found that it is best to pay for a dive trip with operators such as Troy and Maria Albury of Dive Guana that are experienced and know when to go out and when not to. Weather is another concideration as with any trip, if the winds are coming out of the wrong direction, you are not going to make it out to the reef due to rough seas. Not fun to be puking over the side in 8-9 foot swells that are rolling and pitching at the same time.
You need to have contingency plans for those rough sea days when it's better to watch a DVD movie or read a good book.
You will find some of the most fantastic fish, coral and wrecks almost "within arms reach". Right between Guana Cay and Man -O- War Cay is the Fowl Cay Preserve which is a protected area with some of the finest diving and snorkeling to be found. Life on the "Out Islands" is very laid back with very little "Night Life" other than Nippers Bar and Grill. The other alternative is probably a night dive with Dive Guana out on the inner reef. The highlight of the week is the Sunday pig roast Johnny puts on @ Nippers. You can even snorkel or dive right off the beach in front of Nippers on a small reef where I have seen everything from Eagle Rays to Barracuda.
Best to make reservations 6-9 months or more in advance to find best buys on rental houses that are the best value and put you in the middle of Paradise where you can do your own cooking and have as much privacy as you want. There are "resort" rooms available with more services and such but expect to pay for the extras. You can dine out at some VERY tasty spots but be prepared to spend some bucks. We try to bring our groceries from Solomons Grocery at Marsh Harbor and splurge a very few times eating out. We usually grab a case of local beer, "Kalik", and some Rum from the liquor store. Really fast perishables are purchased at the grocery store on Guana. If I remember Thursdays are freight days and have the best selection of frozen meats, fruits and vegtables.
Airlines fly into Marsh Harbor and Treasure Cay daily and the ferry runs regular daily routes between Marsh Harbor and the out islands. Rates for the MH to Guana are reasonable @ $25.00 per person for a round trip ticket that is openended. $15.00 pp one way. After hours charters are also available but are pretty spendy so don't miss the last ferry! Taxis to get you from place to place on the Main Abaco Island can be a bit spendy and if you are on the out island cays like Guana you almost have to rent a golf cart as there are no cars on the island and everyone either walks or drives a cart. The whole Guana Cay is less than 7 miles long but if you need to drag dive gear to the beach to do a shore dive you will need a cart.
My wife and I and another couple have a return trip "planned and in the can" in Feb and are just counting down the days till the "Freedom Bird" takes us away. We will spend 10 days on Guana @ Minglewood Cottage and then fly back to the States and take a side trip down to the Keys for a Vandenberg dive and the remainder of our 10 days in Ocala and surrounding area.
Always available if you need a guide! If you go but don't invite me, please drink a Kalik for me!
Steve
Great Guana has it all and is probably the best value for the buck. English is the main language spoken across the Bahamas and some "island" dialect is spoken, The Dollar is accepted at par on the Bahamian dollar and change is given back in Bahamian currency. Make sure you get rid of as much as you can before the return trip home as you may have to save it for a future return trip. Not worth much back in the States. Visa and MC seem to be universally accepted but don't be offended as not all the locals accept plastic. Lots of little shops and such and Marsh Harbor even has quite a few "bigger town" amenaties like hardware stores and groceries. Prices in the Bahamas are higher due to the fact that anything you buy either gets to the Islands by Air freight or by Ship freight. You can rent a boat just about anywhere on the islands but you will find that your rental agreement will state that you cannot take the boat out from the Sea of Abaco due to the potential problems of the insurance not covering any losses. I've found that it is best to pay for a dive trip with operators such as Troy and Maria Albury of Dive Guana that are experienced and know when to go out and when not to. Weather is another concideration as with any trip, if the winds are coming out of the wrong direction, you are not going to make it out to the reef due to rough seas. Not fun to be puking over the side in 8-9 foot swells that are rolling and pitching at the same time.
You need to have contingency plans for those rough sea days when it's better to watch a DVD movie or read a good book.You will find some of the most fantastic fish, coral and wrecks almost "within arms reach". Right between Guana Cay and Man -O- War Cay is the Fowl Cay Preserve which is a protected area with some of the finest diving and snorkeling to be found. Life on the "Out Islands" is very laid back with very little "Night Life" other than Nippers Bar and Grill. The other alternative is probably a night dive with Dive Guana out on the inner reef. The highlight of the week is the Sunday pig roast Johnny puts on @ Nippers. You can even snorkel or dive right off the beach in front of Nippers on a small reef where I have seen everything from Eagle Rays to Barracuda.
Best to make reservations 6-9 months or more in advance to find best buys on rental houses that are the best value and put you in the middle of Paradise where you can do your own cooking and have as much privacy as you want. There are "resort" rooms available with more services and such but expect to pay for the extras. You can dine out at some VERY tasty spots but be prepared to spend some bucks. We try to bring our groceries from Solomons Grocery at Marsh Harbor and splurge a very few times eating out. We usually grab a case of local beer, "Kalik", and some Rum from the liquor store. Really fast perishables are purchased at the grocery store on Guana. If I remember Thursdays are freight days and have the best selection of frozen meats, fruits and vegtables.
Airlines fly into Marsh Harbor and Treasure Cay daily and the ferry runs regular daily routes between Marsh Harbor and the out islands. Rates for the MH to Guana are reasonable @ $25.00 per person for a round trip ticket that is openended. $15.00 pp one way. After hours charters are also available but are pretty spendy so don't miss the last ferry! Taxis to get you from place to place on the Main Abaco Island can be a bit spendy and if you are on the out island cays like Guana you almost have to rent a golf cart as there are no cars on the island and everyone either walks or drives a cart. The whole Guana Cay is less than 7 miles long but if you need to drag dive gear to the beach to do a shore dive you will need a cart.
My wife and I and another couple have a return trip "planned and in the can" in Feb and are just counting down the days till the "Freedom Bird" takes us away. We will spend 10 days on Guana @ Minglewood Cottage and then fly back to the States and take a side trip down to the Keys for a Vandenberg dive and the remainder of our 10 days in Ocala and surrounding area.
Always available if you need a guide!
If you go but don't invite me, please drink a Kalik for me!Steve
Hi Cherie!
You can come celebrate your thirtieth here with us at Small Hope Bay Lodge! We are situated on the third largest barrier reef in the world and there is definitely a lot of macro activity.
You can come celebrate your thirtieth here with us at Small Hope Bay Lodge! We are situated on the third largest barrier reef in the world and there is definitely a lot of macro activity.
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