Bimini Barge (Wreck) - Abaco

The Bimini Barge is one of those wrecks that just hits right, particularly for us when we're in the mood for something a bit more chilled out than a deep penetration. Sitting upright in only 17 metres, it’s not going to challenge your deco limits, but it offers a solid 30-40 minutes of really engaging exploration. We love how the structure has become a high-rise apartment block for resident fish. You’ll find loads of grunts tucked into every shadowy corner, their stripes almost vibrating in the ambient light, and big schools of snapper just hanging out above the deck, often so thick they shimmer like a silver curtain when the sun catches them. Our favourite thing to do here is just slow down, maybe poke around the cargo holds – which are wide open and safe – looking for the resident green moray eel we almost always spot peeking out. It’s perfect for intermediate divers who appreciate a wreck that’s been thoroughly integrated into the reef ecosystem, rather than just a rusty hulk. The visibility here is often fantastic, 20 metres plus, so you get a great sense of the wreck's scale as you approach, its dark silhouette rising from the sandy bottom. Best dived on an incoming tide, we find, when the water is often at its clearest.

Location
Abaco, Bahamas, Caribbean
Coordinates
25.736100, -79.332800
Type
wreck
Maximum Depth
17m
Difficulty
Intermediate

Wreck History - Bimini Barge (Wreck)

Vessel Type
barge
Cause
unknown

The Bimini Barge is a fascinating piece of maritime history, believed to be one of the concrete ships built during the World Wars. Faced with steel shortages, the United States commissioned fleets of vessels built from reinforced concrete. While durable and cheap to produce, they were heavy and slow, and few saw active service. Many, like this barge, were later repurposed, often scuttled to serve as breakwaters or, in this case, an artificial reef.

Lying at a depth of 17 meters in the warm, turquoise waters of the Bahamas, the Bimini Barge has become a spectacular and popular dive site. Its large, flat deck and open holds provide a perfect habitat for a vast array of marine life. Divers are often greeted by resident sea turtles, southern stingrays gliding across the sand, and schools of horse-eye jacks that swirl around the superstructure. The wreck's simple, open structure makes it safe and easy to navigate, offering a world-class reef dive on a truly unique type of vessel.

Best Time to Dive in Abaco

The warmest water temperatures in Abaco occur in August, averaging 29.8°C (up to 31.9°C). The coolest conditions are in February at 24.0°C.

Monthly Water Temperatures

  • January: 24.4°C (air: 20.6°C)
  • February: 24.0°C (air: 22.7°C)
  • March: 24.3°C (air: 23.0°C)
  • April: 25.0°C (air: 24.5°C)
  • May: 25.9°C (air: 25.7°C)
  • June: 27.7°C (air: 27.3°C)
  • July: 29.0°C (air: 28.5°C)
  • August: 29.8°C (air: 28.8°C)
  • September: 29.4°C (air: 28.0°C)
  • October: 28.4°C (air: 26.9°C)
  • November: 26.9°C (air: 24.2°C)
  • December: 25.4°C (air: 21.9°C)

Nearby Dive Sites in Abaco

Nearest Dive Centres to Bimini Barge (Wreck)

Marine Life in Abaco

Home to 372 recorded species including 293 reef fish, 30 hard corals, 16 whales & dolphins, 7 sea snails & nudibranchs, 7 sharks & rays, 5 other.

Notable Species

Recommended Packing List for Bimini Barge (Wreck)

Based on average water temperature of 26.7°C, visibility 20 nmi, currents 4 cm/s.

  • Shorty or Rashguard - warm 27°C water needs minimal exposure protection
  • Mask - essential for every dive
  • Fins
  • BCD - buoyancy compensator
  • Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
  • Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
  • Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
  • Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
  • Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories