Scuba Diving – September 2019

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D NEED TO KNOW

When to Go

The Bahamas is a year-round

destination, though August

through October is typically

best for warmer and calmer

seas. Aggressor Adventures

runs trips in different parts of

the Bahamas through most

of the year, but the 2020 Jim

Church Photography Cruis-

es here are March 16-21 in

Grand Bahama and Tiger

Beach and September 9-19

in the Southern Exumas and

Conception Island.

Dive Conditions

Water temperatures can vary

from 78 to 84 degrees F in

the summer and drop to the

low 70s in winter months.

A 2 to 3 mm full wetsuit is

perfect for summer, with a

hooded vest recommend-

ed for night dives or windy

days. A 5 mm full suit is best

for winter, with another layer

for added warmth, such as

a thermal shirt and hooded

vest. Winter nighttime tem-

peratures can fall to the mid-

60s: a jacket for cool nights

is a must. Visibility is usually

50 to 100 feet year-round.

Operator

The MV Bahamas Aggressor

(aggressor.com) is a 100-

foot, 14-passenger yacht,

with one quad and five de-

luxe staterooms that are all

equipped with private heads

and showers, port windows,

individual climate control,

monitors with media play-

ers and hair dryers. There are

five staff members on board;

they offer up to five dives per

day, including a night dive. A

15-by-4-foot tender is used

to take guests for one to two

shore excursions during the

week. All diving is from the

yacht, which has easy-to-

exit ladders. Each guest gets

a reef-safe Stream2Sea ex-

plorer kit of sunscreen, sting

relief and other biodegrad-

able products.

Travelers Tip

Trips to the Exumas arrive

and depart out of Nassau. If

your return flight is later in

the day, book an island tour

before heading to the airport.

Flights from Fort Lauderdale

to Nassau are 55 minutes.

Price Tag

A seven-night charter cruis-

ing the Exumas in a deluxe

stateroom starts at $2,995.

Port fees for seven nights

are usually $110 per person;

transport to and from Nas-

sau International Airport is

included.

THE PERFECT CLASSROOM

The Bahamas’ varied underwater terrain

impresses with its shallow reefs, ledges,

deep walls and even coral bommies with

swim-throughs awaiting at every turn.

Because sharks are a protected re-

source here, we get plenty of chances to

see them. Sharks appear on most dives,

but the crew drops a “smell box” of chum

to bring the local population of Caribbean

reef sharks in close to the dive site called

Split Coral Rock or Shark City. Because

they aren’t being fed, the sharks are curi-

ous, but calm. Just about every diver re-

ceives multiple close passes, making for

terrific photo ops in the afternoon sun.

The Bahamas Aggressor’s modes t size

and draft allows for a close approach to

shallower dive sites. Jake’s Hole, just off

Eleuthera in 30 feet of water, is a truly

unique spot where a natural freshwater

outflow pours into the saline surround-

ings. This unusual confluence nurtures

an extraordinarily healthy and prolific

coral reef that is teeming with life. I’m

delightfully surprised by the number of

species this little haven supports. When

the crew offers a night dive on the same

site, I’m all in.

The parade of life continues after-

hours with corals spawning, a speck-

led hermit crab releasing its eggs, squid

and octopus putting on color-changing

shows and crustacean eyes glowing ev-

erywhere. Lettuce slugs and a rare bri-

dled pufferfish sighting is icing on the

cake. Back on board, a diligent crew with

warm towels and hot cocoa reminds me

why I love diving from liveaboards!

Things get a little deeper at Em-

press Pinnacles, a site with large

stands of black coral and deep-water

gorgonian fans punctuated by purple

and green sponge growth—creat-

ing a stunning backdrop for wide-angle

photography. Capt. Christy Weaver was