There is no better way to kick off a summer girls trip than a shark dive on the island of Bimini in the Bahamas. With gorgeous white sand beaches and crystal clear blue water for miles, you can’t go wrong. My longtime friend Genna and I decided to set our sights on this popular shark diving destination and it is a unique experience we’ll never forget.
As a certified diver, you have the opportunity to see some of the earths most stunning underwater landscapes that a majority of the population will never get to chance see first hand. Travel has always been a way for me escape the busy and chaotic day-to-day hustle and bustle. This much needed quiet time gives me a chance to recharge my creative mind and de-stress. It doesn’t get more quiet than being 30-60 feet underwater with only a handful of divers and and ocean that spans for what feels like an eternity.
Before this trip, I had only about 8 dives experience. I had seen coral reefs, hundreds of fish, and turtles galore but had only encountered one shark and that was in Maui Hawaii. There was something so peaceful about the shark just resting on the ocean floor. I wasn’t scared like I had always thought I would be, I was intrigued. Note: I loved this article on “5 Reasons Why You Should Stop Being Afraid of Shark Attacks“. It really is eye-opening the more you learn about the many different species of sharks and their behaviors. Worth a read if you’ve ever been a little too iffy on doing one of these adventures.
When Genna brought up the idea that we should do this last minute trip to the Bahamas for this shark dive, I didn’t hesitate to break out my laptop and start panning. We planned this 5-day girls trip just two weeks before we left for the island and thankfully April was a perfect time to book. The Hammerheads viewing season for diving which was the main goal of this adventure!
Shark Dive in Bimini Bahamas – Dive One
Reef & Nurse Sharks and the Sapona Wreck Shark Dive
Gen & I booked two days of diving through Neal Watson’s Bimini Scuba Center which included the hammerhead dive and a reef shark dive. The reef dive also had the SS Sapona wreck dive as part of the day’s scheduled dives! After the SS Sapona hit the reef during a hurricane in 1926, it began being used to store illegal rum during the prohibition. Swimming through a sunken ship that had so much history behind it was an unforgettable experience.
The water was nice and warm for our first reef shark & wreck dive. We had a little cloudiness left from a storm that had just passed through but even then it was an unbelievable beautiful experience. I highly recommend polarized sunglasses. I brought my Ray Ban glasses and they worked great.
We were surprised to find that within minutes of putting our anchor down, approximately 40 sharks were in the water to greet us.
Since the salt water tends to really mess up my hair I always make sure to pack a small travel size purple shampoo and Drybar Mudslide deep conditioner on all my beach trips. It really helps keep my hair soft and bright blond throughout the entire trip!
Shark Dive in Bimini Bahamas – Dive Two
Hammerhead Shark Dive
Our second dive day was the Hammerhead shark dive! For this dive, you are weighted down with much more weight than typical. I had a weight belt and additional weights in my BCD. Once you get down to the bottom ( only about 30ft ) you rest on the bottom of the ocean floor, resting on your knees behind a small pvc pole that the divemaster placed. This pole helps everyone stay in a line ( almost like a human fence ) down at the bottom so that the sharks can’t go in between divers but up to the wall and over.
This dive did get pretty cold towards the end since you are not really moving around to much. Divers only move places down the line every so often so that everyone can view the sharks from all of the angles.
I shot my underwater photos on the GoPro Hero 8. I did use a diving housing because of the depth to protect the camera against the pressure.
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We were able to see three stunning hammerheads this afternoon and one of the scuba instructors informed us that the largest one ( about 16ft in length ) was pregnant!
Looking back on my GoPro videos, I think it’s safe to say I never blinked while I was down there. Bimini was without a doubt one of the inspirational places I’ve had the opportunity to visit and I can’t wait to come back to the beautiful islands of the Bahamas again.
If you want to check out more about this Bimini trip, including where to stay in Bimini, unique places to visit on the island, and more, read that blog post.
Overview
- Booked 2-3 Weeks in advance with Neal Watson Bimini Scuba Center
- No matter the location, bring reef-safe sunscreen if you plan on applying any to your face for the day. Thankfully many places are starting to ban the use of coral-harming chemicals in most sunscreens. Avoid oxybenzone (benzophenone-3) and/or octinoxate ingredients in your sunscreens. Read more about how sunscreen is damaging our oceans here.
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