• Dog Rock Wall

It's one of the favorite dive sites among avid divers. The Rock Wall site is surrounded by beautiful swim-throughs and underwater canyons. Located on the outer area of Ship's Channel Cay, this areas provides an unlimited opportunity to explore the wall site filled with beautiful varieties of the fascinating Black Corals, Orange Elephant Ear and Tube Sponge. The wall dive site is home to thousands of Atlantic spadefish and a number of other marine species. Don't forget to venture through the popular swim through of the Dog Rock Wall site - “The Church.”
Wall Dive Depth: 40-100+ feet

• Crab Mountain Wall

The Crab Mountain reef wall is a great dive site for both beginners and experienced divers who are looking to have a wonderful diving experience on their scuba charter excursion. This area contains many swim through canyons and overhangs that teem with groupers, barracudas, Atlantic spadefish, and sometimes you may even get a glimpse of a reef shark. If you have the time, check the nooks and crannies for moray eels.
Wall Dive Depth: 40-90+ feet

• Pillar Wall & Whale Tail Wall

Pillar Wall is a great wall dive site that starts at 30 feet and slopes to 50 feet. It features many caves and crevices that are home to corals, colorful fish and hammerhead sharks. Located just south of Wax Cut, Whale Tail Wall is a great site to explore parrotfish, reef sharks, and eagle rays.
Wall Dive Depth: Pillar Wall – 30-50 feet and Whale Tail Wall – 30+ feet

• Cathedral Wall

Part of the Dog Rock Reef Wall dive site, Cathedral Wall starts at 11-15m below the water surface. This site features an underwater tunnel teeming with numerous groupers and lion fish as well as black corals and tube sponges. Eagle rays and sharks are also known to visit the Cathedral dive site too. The underground tunnel creates a beautiful light show when the sunlight gets filtered through its walls.
Wall Dive Depth: Maximum 15 meters

• Blacktip Wall

This wall dive site became famous after Ned Deloach, reef books co-author, found the very rare Lemon goby. While diving the Blacktip Wall Site, you may also expect to spot hammerhead sharks.
Wall Dive Depth: 42 meters

• Shroud Wall

The Shroud Wall features flat calm seas and varieties of giant marine animals. Here you will see a friendly Reef Sharks, huge Barracuda, massive Nassau Grouper as well as many Lobsters.
Wall Dive Depth: 27 meters

• The Great Exuma Wall

It is directly off Highbourne Cay, a drop-off that faces the Exuma Sound. This dive site is abundant in coral reefs and prolific sea life such as sea turtles, eagle rays & sharks, angelfish, trumpet fish, turtles, lobsters, moray eels, and other pelagic sightings.
Wall Dive Depth: 75 feet

A hidden gem, the Exumas is the ideal spot for exploring its aqua clear waters, varieties of coral reefs and interesting undersea fauna & flora. The truly magical and exciting Exumas scuba diving sites provide breathtaking and fascinating dive experience to divers of all skill levels. The best of the Bahamas – diving the Exuma Cays will be a memorable experience on your scuba charter vacation.

The post The Thrill of Wall Diving: Top 5 Scuba Dive Sites in the Exumas first appeared on YACHTS BAHAMA CHARTERS.

# Explore the Amazing Reef Sites

The Exumas are the ultimate escape for reef divers as it is home to pristine lush reefs and shallow coral reefs, where you can encounter exciting marine life. Many of the sites are accessible with snorkeling gear, but all make for better diving opportunities with scuba.

1.The Amberjack Reef – A patch reef that houses several types of sharks including Caribbean Reef sharks and nurse sharks, and also a number of large black groupers. You can also expect to spot graceful eagle rays.

2. Jeep Reef – Located in the middle of the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park, this dive site has been named so because of its coral-encrusted Jeep. Diving is possible at slack tide because of the strong currents. Here you will spot a very healthy population of fish.

3.Gazebo, Lobster & Turtle Reefs – Situated close to each other along the Northeast side of Stocking Island, these reefs are surrounded by white sand in depths of 18 feet and 35 feet. Nurse sharks and yellow stingrays are common sightings at these dive locations, and filefish, cowfish & trunkfish are just a few more of the tropical fish you can expect to see while here.

4.Elizabeth Reef – A site that is perfect for divers and snorkelers alike, Elizabeth reef reaches a maximum depth of 30 feet. The topography of the coral, and regular sightings of Eagle Rays at this site makes it a favorite reef dive destination among visitors.

5.Dog and Pup Reef – Dog and Pup reefs are located in Dog and Puppy Cay, and consists of ridges of shoals & sand banks. While diving these reef sites, you can see large schools of French Grunts, snapper, porcupine pufferfish and large grouper.

6.Dog Rocks – This reef site starts at 35 feet and drops straight into the abyss. It is the best reef site to discover black coral as well as tube sponges and orange elephant ear. You can also find a variety of fish species here.

#Discover Tidal Blue Holes

The blue holes of the Exumas are unique geological features as they are the only tidal “blue” holes in the world. Blue Holes are underwater caves; their deep blue colored water contrasts with the surrounding light blue shallow water. Blue holes around the Exumas include:

1.Angelfish Blue Hole – This blue hole reaches a maximum diving depth of 92 feet and is home to a school of eagle rays, hose-eye jacks, blue parrotfish, and turtles.

2.Mystery Cave – Is a 400-foot-deep blue hole, that starts at 15 feet and suddenly drops off to heart-pounding 100 feet. Mystery Cave extends beneath Stocking Island and the surrounding area. Its intrinsic cavern network is home to turtles, eagle rays, and a number of beautiful tropical fish.

3.Crab Cay Crevasse – It is situated near Angelfish Blue Hole, and is approximately 30-100 feet in depth. What makes this cave unique is that there are three different entrances with maximum diving depth of 100 feet. Crab Cray Crevasse is a prime location to view crabs, anemones, spiny lobsters, and round sting rays.

#Austin Smith Wreck and "Thunderball Grotto" are a must-see

• The Austin Smith was a 90-foot Bahamian Defense Force patrol boat that was destined to be sunk as an artificial reef off San Salvador. The ship sits at 60 feet below the water surface and boasts marine species such as barracudas, eels, grouper, angelfish, parrotfish, wrasse, damselfish, numerous invertebrates, and fire corals. You will also find two other wreck dive sites – Comberbach Wreck and The Tug.

• Thunderball Grotto is located just west of Staniel Cay. The mystique of this fantastic underwater cave system is increased by hidden entrances and exotic marine life such as colored coral reefs and fish, like yellow-tail snappers, angel fish, sergeant majors and many more.

The Exumas offer wonderful diving opportunities for divers of all levels. Charter a Luxury Yacht dive boat with a highly trained dive instructor to set out on an underwater adventure. Keep the above mentioned Exumas scuba diving sites on your to do list while planning your vacation itinerary in the diving mecca of the Caribbean!

The post A Guide to the Scuba Diving Excursions in The Exumas first appeared on YACHTS BAHAMA CHARTERS.