Scuba Diving Article
Scuba Diving in Bimini
Bimini is a small Island in the Bahamas some 7 miles long and only about 700 feet wide at its widest point. It is located about 50 miles south of Florida and is the western most Islands of the Bahamas - it is also home to some of the best Scuba Diving sites in the world. Crystal clear waters and an average water temperature of 80 degrees even at depth are only some of the reasons why. The waters beneath Bimini are home to millions of sea creatures, an underwater mountain, and just maybe - a road to a mythical kingdom.
Scuba divers are attracted to Bimini because of its magnificent reefs overflowing with 100's of species of marine life. Moray Alley, Hawksbill Reef and Rainbow Reef are just some of the popular dive sites off of Bimini. These Reef Dive sites offer depths from 25-75 feet so there is plenty to do and see for divers of all skill levels. The legendary "Bimini Road" that some claim could be evidence of the lost continent of Atlantis is here for divers to see and form their own opinions - as is The Bimini Barge, which has been consistently rated by Skin Diver magazine as one of the Top Ten Wreck Dives in the Bahamas and Caribbean.
If you have the guts for a close encounter with sharks, a Scuba Dive at Bull Run is likely to get your pulse racing, in addition to being the home of Caribbean Reef and Nurse Sharks this Bimini dive site is a great place to see a sensational display of coral and other marine life. The coral grows on high mounds that create great opportunities for swim-throughs and otherworldly overhangs and outcroppings. Black Gropers, Grey Angel Fish and Yellow Tail Snappers also dart in and about the Bull Run Reef. For the more advanced or deep water diver there is the Wall at Nodules. The Wall starts at 70 feet and descends down to 120 feet so this dive is not for the novice, but there the experienced deep water diver can see sea fans and enormous sponges that only grow at such depths. For the Wreck Diver there are to very popular sites in Bimini - Turtle Wreck, a shallow dive only about15 feet so named for the population of loggerhead sea turtles that inhabit the wreck. Also sharing the "neighborhood" with the Turtles are Stingrays, Barracuda and Shark. The other popular wreck is the Sapona, an 18 foot Liberty Ship that is encrusted with a dazzling array of brightly colored coral and sponges. Lobster, Scorpion Fish and a variety of eels also make their home in the sand beneath the bullet-ridden hull of the sunken vessel. And divers have been known to find and take home a unique souvenir from the ship, 50 Caliber ammunition encrusted with coral left over from WWII target practice.
Legend has it that Bimini was once part of the Road to The Lost City of Atlantis, while that is something open for debate, for Scuba Divers Bimini is definitely "Paradise "Found"
