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Wreck diving in The Bahamas
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Wreck diving in The Bahamas
Shipwrecks have a life of their own
There is something unmistakably eerie about shipwrecks. Sitting at the bottom of the ocean, covered in barnacles and rust, these haunted hulks can kick anyone’s imagination into overdrive.
Instead of finding ghosts, however, divers enter a fascinating wonderland of corals, rainbow-coloured fish and other marine animals that call these sunken vessels home.
Wrecks for everyone
Whether you’re a novice, intermediate or experienced diver, wreck diving is a thrilling way to experience the beauty and clarity of Bahamian waters. And there are plenty of wrecks from which to choose.
Stuart Cove, founder of Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas, says there are at least two dozen diveable wrecks around the island.
“There’s a great variety,” says Cove. “Most [wrecks] have been donated to dive shops to create artificial reefs.”
For instance, the David Tucker wreck is a former coast guard cutter that was donated by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and deliberately sunk in 1997 at a depth of 50 ft. Two other patrol boats, the Edward Williams and the Fenrick Sturrup, were also sunk in 1997. The three patrol boats were named to commemorate three fallen Royal Bahamian Defence Force sailors who lost their lives when serving on the HMBS Flamingo, which was attacked by Cuban warplanes in 1980.
Located near the David Tucker by Clifton Wall is the Steel Forest, aptly named because of the three shipwrecks found there. The ships rest in a triangular formation on a sandy bottom that slopes down from 30 to 120 ft before dropping off into the mile-deep Tongue of the Ocean.
South of the Steel Forest are the Twin Sisters, featuring two 200-ft tankers, the Carib Breeze and Tropic Breeze, which rest on the bottom 70 ft down. Both were donated by Shell Bahamas to be sunk in 2000.
A must-see wreck is the Willaurie, a 140-ft water barge which was sunk in 1986. The Willaurie is covered in brilliant red and orange corals, making it a favourite of underwater photographers. Schools of Nassau grouper and Cubera snapper swim by along with sea turtles. A few conch are known to inhabit this site.
Cove’s favourite wreck is the Ray of Hope, a 200-ft freighter that lies under 60 ft of water. “It’s fully intact, and there’s lots of big fish to see,” says Cove, adding that grouper, snapper and Caribbean reef sharks frequent the site.
Another popular dive–Cove says it is “the coolest”–is the Port Nelson, a 130-ft Defence Force cutter. “Thousands of schools of fish are here, from the surface to the bottom,” says Cove. He notes that this is a great place to see the African pompano, a unique silvery-metallic fish with a steep rounded forehead and a blunt snout.
Movie wrecks
Film buffs will enjoy visiting well-known wrecks that have appeared on the big screen.
Just west of Stuart Cove’s dive shop, fans of the James Bond movies may recognize some of the wrecks below. Resting on the seabed is the Tears of Allah, a 90-ft-long boat featured in Never Say Never Again. Cove explains that this wreck was used in a scene where James Bond (New Providence resident Sir Sean Connery played the role) evades a tiger shark.
About a few hundred yards away lies the airplane wreck that was used in Thunderball, filmed in 1965. This one is “really incredible,” says Cove. “It’s covered in hard and soft coral.” Both wrecks lie under 40 ft of water–good depths for first-timers.
Another recognizable wreck is found at the Nari Nari/Cessna site, where a twin-engine Cessna airplane was sunk for Jaws IV: The Revenge, filmed in 1987. Although you won’t likely find any great white sharks looming around this wreck, hammerheads have been spotted there. The site is also a great place to spot eagle rays, sea turtles and a lot of colourful coral.
Not far from the Cessna is the DC3 Wall, which is home to a DC3 plane that was sunk for the 2004 movie Into the Blue. Treasure Wreck, located towards Coral Harbour, is another site that was created for Into the Blue. This one features the replica of a Spanish galleon, built specifically for the movie. Keep an eye out for fake treasure chests.
Sunk by hurricane
Another fascinating wreck is the Mahoney, a 212-ft freighter that sank off the northern coast of Hog Island (now Paradise Island) during a hurricane in 1929.
The ship was originally built in the 1880s and was used as a British Admiralty flagship before being tendered as a freighter. The ship was being towed to be scuttled for scrap when the hurricane hit. As it sank, the ship broke into two pieces, with the bow and stern resting 100 ft apart in 45 ft of water.
The wreck was later blown up to prevent it from becoming a navigational hazard. What remains today are its huge boilers and hull plates, now covered in coral. Bahama Divers offers dives to this site.
To experience these treasures of the deep and the fascinating eco-systems they support, Check out the See & do listings or set up a dive through your hotel’s tour desk.
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