Diving in Andros

For the ultimate in unique underwater experiences, the blue holes of The Bahamas Out Islands offer more advanced divers the chance to visit geological features that form only under very special circumstances. The Out Islands, though, are full of blue holes! The king of blue hole diving destinations, is Andros, where you’ll find these entranceway's to underground rivers in the middle of forests, out amid rocky landscapes and even offshore where they appear as underwater caves.

Your dive operator’s experienced guides will safely lead you to these legendary sites where you can peer into the lair of the lucsa (a mythical blue hole dwelling monster) or even see the holes “breath” as water flows in and out with the tides.

Andros Island Blue Holes

Blue holes occur all over The Bahamas, but Andros is the holy (pun intended) grail for divers looking to explore these caves. The expert guides at Small Hope Bay are the cave and cavern kings when it comes to escorting divers into the underworld.

Some of their sites are suitable for any divers, while others are expeditions for advanced divers only, where a guide plus one or two guests delves deep into the dark recesses under the island, sometimes squeezing though small openings that then open up into awesome, cathedral-size caverns. Divers can see for themselves the proof that these caves were created when the sea level was much lower as they’ll swim alongside dramatic stalagmites and dripstones, which can only form in air.

On South Andros, even snorkelers can explore blue holes, swimming above the entrances to caves where colorful reef fish gather to feed in the currents that move through the cave as it “breathes” with the tide (The Bahamas’ early inhabitants, seeing the swirling currents above blue holes thought that sea monsters lived inside, waiting to suck down boats and swimmers).

A completely different experience is snorkeling “The Crack” at Tiamo. Here, you swim into a deep water-filled fault line, feeling like you’re flying through the Grand Canyon only better: because it’s filled with fish.

Explore the depths of Andros’ Tongue of the Ocean, barrier reef and inland blue holes.

Andros is home to two dive operations: Seascape Inn and Small Hope Bay. Segmented by an abundance of creeks, Andros includes all the cultural wealth of the remote Out Islands, a thick marine community plus a geological definition of The Bahamas. It is bordered by the third largest barrier reef in the world, more than 130 miles of continuous reef.

Blue holes are an integral part of the development of these islands, and Andros is blessed with possibly the largest number of these natural phenomena. Defining the primary dive sites off Andros is virtually impossible because of the vast territory. Just let it be known that one can partake of everything from shallow snorkeling adventures to walls to wrecks to big animal encounters to truly edge-oriented technical diving. You definitely can make your choices here.

Shipwrecks in Andros Island

Divers based on the big island can explore the Marion, a construction barge from the AUTEC navy base that was sunk in 70 feet of water with a tractor and crane aboard.

Andros Diving Sites

Key: R=Reef; C=Cave; W=Wreck; L=Wall; M=Unusual marine life

Andros Diving Operators