Route Description - Exuma Cays and Southwest Eleuthera
The Exuma Cays & Southwest Eleuthera route explores the pristine waters of the Bahamas, combining dramatic wall dives, vibrant reef systems and world-class shark encounters. Diving across the Exuma Cays, guests experience iconic sites like Jeep Reef, Amberjack Reef and the Austin Smith Wreck, known for dense fish life, schooling jacks and healthy coral formations within the Exuma Land & Sea Park. The journey continues to Southwest Eleuthera, where dramatic walls, coral mounds and pinnacles offer encounters with reef sharks, eagle rays and occasional hammerheads.
The Exuma Cays are among the most spectacular island chains in the Bahamas, stretching across crystal-clear turquoise waters and remote sandy cays. This region combines dramatic walls, vibrant coral reefs, blue holes, wrecks and abundant marine life, offering divers a diverse range of underwater experiences throughout the Exumas, Nassau, Southwest Eleuthera and Little San Salvador.
Nassau
Lost Blue Hole
Lost Blue Hole is a massive underwater sinkhole with its rim beginning at approximately 40 feet, surrounded by coral heads, stingrays and schools of tropical fish. A lobster-filled crevice lies at around 80 feet, while the sandy bottom surrounding the hole hosts jawfish, gobies and tobacco fish. Nurse sharks are regularly spotted here, and during spring months blacknose sharks often gather at the bottom of the 200-foot-deep hole.
Periwinkle Reef
Periwinkle Reef is a shallow patch reef teeming with colourful reef fish. Due to frequent fish feeding by local operators, sergeant majors and angelfish are particularly friendly and often approach divers closely, creating excellent opportunities for photography and interaction.
Exumas
Amberjack Reef
Amberjack Reef is a vibrant 50-foot patch reef featuring prolific marine life including reef sharks, large groupers, pirate blennies and garden eels. During safety stops, divers are often surrounded by large schools of horse-eye jacks circling beneath the yacht.
Austin Smith Wreck
The Austin Smith Wreck is a 90-foot Bahamian Defence Force cutter resting in 60 feet of water. Ironically, the vessel sank accidentally in 1995 while being transported to become an artificial reef, and today it serves as an excellent wreck dive covered in marine growth and reef life.
Barracuda Shoals
Barracuda Shoals is a bankside patch reef famous for its enormous schools of fish and healthy reef ecosystem. The site also offers excellent macro opportunities among the surrounding sand and coral structures.
Blacktip Wall
Blacktip Wall is a dramatic drop-off where hammerhead sharks are occasionally sighted cruising through the blue. The reef is also known for rare marine species, including the lemon goby first documented here by renowned marine life experts.
Cathedral
Part of the Dog Rocks Reef system, Cathedral begins at approximately 35 feet before sloping to 50 feet and dropping dramatically into the Exuma Sound. Its signature feature is a spectacular swim-through illuminated by sunlight reflecting off dense schools of silversides. Large black corals, elephant ear sponges and tube sponges line the wall, while eagle rays, sharks and other pelagic species are frequently seen nearby.
Cracked Coral Head
Cracked Coral Head is a massive coral formation rising around 40 feet from the seafloor. Several natural swim-throughs cut through the structure, giving the site its distinctive appearance and creating exciting exploration opportunities.
Jeep Reef
Located within the Exumas Land and Sea Park, Jeep Reef is named after a coral-covered jeep resting near the mooring line. Strong currents keep the reef exceptionally healthy, supporting vibrant corals and dense fish populations, making it one of the region’s most scenic reef dives.
Pillar Wall
Pillar Wall starts in shallow water around 30 feet before sloping to 50 feet and plunging thousands of feet into the depths of the Exuma Sound. The wall features caves, crevices and impressive coral growth, while the rubble zones host colonies of yellowhead jawfish.
Southwest Eleuthera
Cave Rock
Cave Rock is a large coral mound sitting in approximately 50 feet of water, surrounded by smaller coral heads and swim-through caves. The reef supports a rich diversity of corals and fish life, while hammerhead sharks are occasionally seen in the area.
Monolith
Monolith features towering coral pinnacles rising from the sandy seabed at the edge of the wall. Starting at depths of around 100 feet and ascending to 55 feet, these dramatic coral structures are home to garden eels and attract larger pelagic marine life.
Little San Salvador (Half Moon Cay)
Cave Reef
Cave Reef is a shallow 40-foot patch reef known for its large swim-throughs and colourful coral formations. Calm conditions and excellent visibility make it an enjoyable and accessible dive site.
Empress Pinnacles
Empress Pinnacles is a spectacular wall dive featuring towering pinnacles rising 30 feet from the sandy floor at the edge of the drop-off. Black coral forests cover the pinnacles, while pelagic species are frequently encountered in the surrounding blue water.