Best place for shark diving in the bahamas?

[adybaines]

Hi to all,

Many thanks in advance for all replies, I am on the verge of booking flights etc from the UK to the bahamas but going round in circles as to which island as im struggling to find hotels that get many good reviews on nassau, the whole reason for going is the shark diving so is nassau and stuarts cove the best place for shark diving in the bahamas? especially now that walkers cay is not in operation?

And can anyone recommend any hotels on nassau/the other islands?

Many Thanks for your time

Andy

 

[diversteve]

This link might be of some use, it lists the options for shark diving in the Bahamas.

http://www.bahamasdiving.com/6729/with_flash/html/shark.html

 

[MarkUK]

Walker's Cay would have been the one, it is such a shame that place is no longer in operation.

With that out of the picture, you are looking at a few options:

On Nassau, Stuart Cove's – stick feeding sharks and the chance of 'natural' encounters on some of the normal dives.

On Grand Bahama, UNEXSO – hand-feeding sharks, and again, chance of natural encounters.

On Andros, Small Hope Bay – chumsickle feed (like a small-scale version of Walker's).

You have got a few other operations that do shark feeds, but I have personally dived with these three, hence the reason I have listed them.

I've stayed in the resort next door to Stuart Cove's (name escapes me, and it is in need of TLC, but it's location is ideal) and Orange Hill (cheap and cheerful and a short drive up the road).

Wherever you end up diving, you will have a great time!

Mark

 

[Dr. Doug Ebersole]

For your "typical" shark diving experience, I would agree with MarkUK above. As an aside, if you are looking for the "best" shark diving experience, I would go the liveaboard route with Jim Abernethy (www.scuba-adventures.com). These trips give you up close and personal shark diving with reef sharks, lemon sharks, tiger sharks. The winter trips also give you bull sharks and great hammerheads. The sharks are baited in with the scent of fish from bait crates but there is no feeding or chumsickles.

There is a lot of info regarding the boat, the locations, availability, etc on his website. Either way, have a great trip!!!

 

[renpirate]

I did the shark dive in both Nassau with Stuart's Cove and in Freeport with Xanadu. Of the two, I liked the shark dive in Freeport with Xanadu best. The best part for me was when they hypnotized a shark and let us touch it. They also feed the sharks by hand as opposed to using a stick. I also think the diving is much better in Freeport, than in Nassau. However, the topside is much slimmer in Freeport.

 

[Tovster]

Stuart Cove is a blast. I did their Shark Adventure 11 times. It will blow your mind away!

Tov

 

[ronrosa]

For your "typical" shark diving experience, I would agree with MarkUK above. As an aside, if you are looking for the "best" shark diving experience, I would go the liveaboard route with Jim Abernethy (www.scuba-adventures.com). These trips give you up close and personal shark diving with reef sharks, lemon sharks, tiger sharks. The winter trips also give you bull sharks and great hammerheads. The sharks are baited in with the scent of fish from bait crates but there is no feeding or chumsickles.

There is a lot of info regarding the boat, the locations, availability, etc on his website. Either way, have a great trip!!!

Call me chicken, but after seeing Eric Cheng's video I won't be doing the shark adventure with Jim Abernethy. To me, there is a big difference between Caribbean Reef Sharks and Tigers or Bull sharks. The Tigers and Bulls are much larger and appear more aggressive. Eric's video showed divers getting bumped numerous times with Eric fending them off with his camera. :11:

 

[Bieszczat]

Stuart Cove's Veteran. Loved it.

 

[ProfessorAronnax]

Ditto on Stuart's

 

[diversteve]

Call me chicken, but after seeing Eric Cheng's video I won't be doing the shark adventure with Jim Abernethy.

After seeing it, I can't wait to go do that!!! - maybe next year...

To me, there is a big difference between Caribbean Reef Sharks and Tigers or Bull sharks. The Tigers and Bulls are much larger and appear more aggressive. Eric's video showed divers getting bumped numerous times with Eric fending them off with his camera.

Actually that was Jim, Eric was the one doing the filming. I especially liked the footage on the longest clip where you can hear the sharks skin dragging over the microphone on the housing. It didn't really appear that they were too aggressive though - probably more so than normal since Jim was feeding them during part of the dive. I'd love to see Tigers or Hammerheads someday - less likely to want to get in the water with Bulls though, I think they're more randomly aggressive.