Sponge Gardens - Abaco
Sponge Gardens is a calm, shallow dive in Abaco, perfect for newer divers. We found the site a gentle introduction to Caribbean diving, with plenty of barrel sponges and tube sponges dotting the sandy bottom. Keep an eye out for queen conch grazing, and nurse sharks resting under ledges. It’s a solid, relaxed dive, ideal for getting comfortable in the water.
- Location
- Abaco, Bahamas, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 25.525100, -79.303000
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 20m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
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
- 777 - 20m
- Angel Grand
- Atlantis Road
- Ben s Blue Hole (cenote)
- Ben s Cavern (cave)
- Bimini - 10-30m (reef)
- Bimini Barge (Wreck) - 17m (wreck)
- Bimini Diving: Great Hammerheads, Bull Sharks and Wrecks (wreck)
- BIMITI - 12m (wreck)
- Blue Chromis - Bahamas - 22m
- Blue Heron Bridge at Phil Foster Park - 6m (muck)
- Boynton Beach Reef - 21m (reef)
- Breakers Reef - 20m (reef)
- Bull Run - 17m (drift)
- CAPTAIN ROBERTS - 6m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Sponge Gardens
- Brendals Dive Center
- Dive Guana
- Divers Direct
- Dixie Divers - ["PADI"]
- Force-E Scuba Centers - NAUI, SDI, TDI, SSI
- Hydrotherapy Dive Charters LLC
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
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- American eel (Anguilla rostrata) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) - Hard Corals
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Sheephead (Microspathodon chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Blainville's Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon densirostris) - Whales & Dolphins
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) - Reef Fish
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Yellowtail Parrotfish (Sparisoma rubripinne) - Reef Fish
- Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) - Whales & Dolphins
- Blueman (Scarus vetula) - Reef Fish
- Cuvier's Beaked Whale (Ziphius cavirostris) - Whales & Dolphins
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Cola (Ocyurus chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Hogfish (Bodianus rufus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Sponge Gardens
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