Diving in Paradise Island, Bahamas

Paradise Island is located in the Bahamas, and is home to an array of white sandy beaches and scuba diving hot spots where divers can have close encounters with a wide range of colorful marine life. Only an hour's flight away from Florida, Paradise Island is a convenient and popular traveler's destination.

  1. About

    • Paradise Island offers everything from culture and history to a range of activities, such as water sports, shopping and golf. The island also has an active nightlife and a choice of high standard restaurants. The main attraction of this glamorous island is the 14 acre Atlantic waterscape, home to over 100 species of fish.

    Underwater Sites

    • There are several fascinating underwater sites located just off the coast of Paradise Island. One of these is the famous "lost blue hole." This is a large natural opening in the ocean floor, which descends from 30 to 200 feet. There are also several underwater shipwrecks which are now home to a range of marine life. For experienced divers there is also the "tongue of the ocean," which is known as the 3,000 foot living wall. There are also many coral reefs to explore in the area, each hosting an abundance of fish and other marine life.

    Marine Life

    • There is a wide variety of fish to be seen in the areas of coral reef surrounding Paradise Island. Among these are the sergeant majors, chromis and angel fish. In certain areas such as the "lost blue hole" divers can also come into contact with groupers, giant southern stingrays, lobsters, eels and a variety of different shark breeds. Around the wrecks divers can expect to be greeted by silversides, African pompanos, schoolmasters and other large game fish.

    Trips

    • It is typical for diving organizations in the area to make two diving trips daily--one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Tourists can book a place on a diving trip to a range of reefs and underwater sites, such as the shipyard, Angelfish reef, the Miranda wreck and the cannonball reef. Some diving organizations also offer free transport to and from hotels in the area.

    Courses

    • On Paradise Island there are a variety of scuba diving courses available at dive schools for tourists to complete within a relatively small time period. Inexperienced divers can earn their open water certification within a few days. Other courses include underwater photography and videography courses, and scuba diving instructor courses.