Shore Diving

There is no shore diving off the Berry Islands

Boat Diving

The Bahamas offers a huge array of different scuba diving experiences for all levels of diver, ranging from diving colourful coral reefs teeming with life, underwater caves, sunken ships, spectacular blue holes and exhilarating Shark Feeding Dives.

Fishes, Credit

Diving the Bahamas you are likely to see many different Shark species, Nurse, Black tip, Bull, Tiger, Great Hammerhead and Caribbean Reef sharks all inhibit the crystal blue waters.  They can best be found near the coasts near the “Tongue of the Ocean”.  Shark Feeds are a huge attraction as The Bahamas is one of the only places in the world to take part in this activity.  The opportunity to watch these fascinating creatures feeding at close range will be a thrilling underwater experience that any diver will remember for a long time.  Most areas will have Shark Feeding dives available and most liveaboards will do at least one in the week.

The diving around the Berry islands starts with shallow reefs but minutes from the dock the depth sharply drops off. Frequent sightings of pilot whales are reported around these islands.

Alone! Credit

The Bahamas is also home to a few strange wildlife events that happen at set times of the year.  These are the Grouper Spawning and the “March of the Spiny Lobster”. Groupers are among the larger fish well known to divers and seen throughout The Bahamas. Usually solitary creatures the exception is every year at the full moon in late January or early February. At this time they will gather into huge schools sometimes over 30,000 in size. This happens in many spots in the Bahamas.  The Berry Islands are one of those locations as well as Long Island, Cat Cay and Andros.

The other famous event of the Bahamas is “The March of the Spiny Lobster” which is a widespread Phenomenon occurring on the Great and Little Bahamas Banks near Abacos, Grand Bahama and Andros. The lobsters are usually found solitary on the reef like the groupers but again gather in huge numbers for this event.  The march is usually triggered by the first autumnal storms that arrive from the north and west in late October or early November. The lobsters agitated by the storms leave their ledges and overhangs and begin to march to deeper water. Chains of lobsters can then be seen marching in single file, each lobsters vulnerable parts protected by the lobster behind. This makes them become fearless and as a diver you can get very close and they will even march over you if you lie down in their way.

Manta Ray, Credit

Liveaboard Diving

Numerous liveaboards operate throughout the Bahamas. Most depart from the capital city, Nassau, sailing to a variety of dive sites over several days. These islands are also often visited by cruise ships on single day stopovers, with a few companies retaining exclusive rights to particular islands.

How to Get there

Located between Andros and the Abacos and still pretty close to Miami it can be reached by a flight to another main island in the Bahamas and then a ferry across to your island of choice. You can also get there by ferry from most of the other islands in the Bahamas. This is also a stop off point for many cruises.

Perfect holiday! Credit

Where to Eat & Drink

Throughout the entirety of the Berry Islands, there is only a permanent population of about 700 individuals. Most people and much off the development occurs around the Great Harbour Cay, in the northern section of the islands. This city is fairly low key, and has no significant tourist developments. Restaurants are generally run out of the lodges themselves, with a few local establishments open in town. Generally, you should plan to have nearly all of your meals, drinks and entertainment organized by the lodge you’re staying with. If you are keen to eat out, check out the options in Bullock’s harbour (“The Village”) where most restaurants exist.

Desserts, Credit

Other Activities

The largest attraction to the Berry Islands is the big game fishing. Species commonly found in these waters include tiger fish, yellowtail snapper, wahoo, grouper and king mackerel. There are seasonal fishing tournaments that draw huge numbers of tourists and anglers to the islands. Fishing off of Chub Cay is also popular, given that it is known as the “billfish capital of the Bahamas”.

Kayak Boats, Credit

Otherwise, the beaches are the largest attraction to these islands. There are 7 miles of uninterrupted pristine beach just outside of Great Harbour Cay, and a number of other remote beaches throughout the islands. Set against a backdrop of turquoise water, cliffs and caves, these beaches are among the most beautiful in the Caribbean. Sugar Beach offers up the best seclusion within the 7-mile stretch. There is some great snorkeling off the shore.

Tips

There are two hyperbaric chambers located in Nassau. There are none located on the Berry Ilsands directly, but Nassau is easily accessed by boat – especially if staying towards the southern half of the archipelago.

Call restaurants ahead of time since some require that you make reservations, while others will request that you pre-order your meal.

Coco Cay, Credit

Generally, the island attracts divers and fishermen, with limited tourist facilities outside of these industries. Prepare yourself for an experience that is either based out of a resort, or a very low-key and informal adventure!

A few of the islands in the chain, including Coco Cay and Great Stirrup Cay, are owned/leased by particular cruise lines who retain exclusive use of them.

When looking for a place to stay, consider renting a house rather than staying at an all-inclusive.