Nassau & New Providence

Nassau is the Bahamas’ easiest dive base, with daily boats to southwest New Providence walls, artificial wrecks and the Lost Blue Hole. The best-known shark product is a two-dive commercial programme: a reef dive near the feeding area followed by a provisioned Caribbean reef shark feed.

Best time
Nov–May
Certification
Open water
Budget
$–$$ · under $2,000 to $2,000–4,000
Trip length
2–7 days
Trip style
Land based, Day trip, Liveaboard
Access
Easy

The short version

Known forDaily-access walls along the Tongue of the Ocean.

Main tradeoffThe flagship shark encounter is a feed, not an unprovisioned reef dive.

Nassau & New Providence dive region

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Your outlook

Explore 4 dive sites

Browse the map and wildlife below, or add an optional preference to narrow Nassau & New Providence.

Most relevant wildlife

  • Caribbean reef sharkJan–Dec
  • Great barracudaJan–Dec
  • Hawksbill turtleJan–Dec
  • Nassau grouperJan–Dec

Plan the trip

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4 sites shown.

Conditions referenceSeason, water and visibilityBest Nov–May · Mild current · 23–31°C (coldest Jan, warmest Jul)
Best months Operating
Current
Mild
Water temperature
23–31°C (coldest Jan, warmest Jul)
Visibility
18–35m: Offshore walls are often clearer than nearshore wrecks.
Experience
Many reefs and shallow wreck exteriors suit Open Water divers.

01 · Marine life

What you may see

rareoccasionalcommonly seenpeak seasondestination closed

Sightings are never guaranteed. The bars show typical likelihood by month.

Caribbean reef sharkCarcharhinus perezi
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januarycommonly seen
Februarycommonly seen
Marchcommonly seen
Aprilcommonly seen
Maycommonly seen
Junecommonly seen
Julycommonly seen
Augustcommonly seen
Septembercommonly seen
Octobercommonly seen
Novembercommonly seen
Decembercommonly seen

Caribbean reef sharks are reliable at the provisioned Shark Arena programme; general reef encounters vary.

Great barracudaSphyraena barracuda
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januarycommonly seen
Februarycommonly seen
Marchcommonly seen
Aprilcommonly seen
Maycommonly seen
Junecommonly seen
Julycommonly seen
Augustcommonly seen
Septembercommonly seen
Octobercommonly seen
Novembercommonly seen
Decembercommonly seen

Great barracuda are resident around reefs and wrecks.

Hawksbill turtleEretmochelys imbricata
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Hawksbills may be encountered around coral and sponge habitat.

Nassau grouperEpinephelus striatus
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Nassau grouper occur on Bahamian reefs but are not assigned a visitor season here.

See all 8 species

02 · Dive sites

Dive sites worth knowing

A starting point, not a ranking. Conditions decide what works on the day.

See all 4 dive sites
03 · LogisticsGetting there and costsEasy. Fly to NAS. Typical trip $–$$.

Route overview

Easy

Day trips from a coastal base, about 0.5h from the airport.

Airport options

NAS

Lynden Pindling International Airport

Southwest-coast dive docks are generally 15–30 minutes by road; resort pickup routes can take longer

Typical trip cost

$–$$

under $2,000 to $2,000–4,000

Per person, excluding international flights.

  • Current published prices are about USD 184.
  • 80 for a standard two-tank trip and USD 242.
  • 40 for the two-tank shark programme, before full equipment rental and tips.

Sources & last checked

Checked September 2026

Research is source-backed, but conditions and fees should still be confirmed locally.

View 7 sources and checking notes

Note on the data: Prices and operating details are current operator listings. Government tourism supports site identity; exact coordinates, visibility and routing remain approximate. Water temperature: Rounded central-Bahamas surface-temperature bands, not dive-computer records from walls or blue holes. Access: NAS is on New Providence. The main southwest-coast docks are reachable by road without an inter-island transfer.