Smuggler’s Plane - Exuma Cays
Diving the Smuggler’s Plane in the Exuma Cays feels a bit like stepping into a movie scene. This shallow wreck, sitting at just 8 metres, is a perfect easy dive. We often find ourselves circling the Cessna, peering into the cockpit, imagining its last flight. Schools of snapper and grunts hang around the fuselage, and it’s a pretty reliable spot to find a nurse shark tucked under a wing. It’s a fantastic site for new divers getting comfortable with wrecks, or anyone looking for a relaxed, picturesque dive in the shallows.
- Location
- Exuma Cays, Bahamas, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 24.742600, -76.758600
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 8m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Marine Protected Area: Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park
Best Time to Dive in Exuma Cays
The warmest water temperatures in Exuma Cays occur in August, averaging 30.4°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 24.7°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 24.7°C
- February: 24.7°C
- March: 25.1°C
- April: 26.4°C
- May: 27.6°C
- June: 29.2°C
- July: 30.2°C
- August: 30.4°C
- September: 30.1°C
- October: 29.1°C
- November: 27.4°C
- December: 25.9°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Exuma Cays
- Amberjack Reef (reef)
- Austin Smith Wreck (wreck)
- BAHAMAS DRAKE - 9m (wreck)
- Blacktip Wall - 27m (wall)
- Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando (wreck)
- Dog Rocks
- Exuma Cays - 5-30m (reef)
- Exumas Diving: Great Diversity, Magical Scenery... and Pigs
- Highborn Kew Wall - 15-40m (wall)
- How to Dive the Exumas
- Jeep Reef - 5-15m (reef)
- Lobster No Lobster - 10m
- Normans Key Cut - 5-20m (channel)
- Pillar Wall - 25m (wall)
- The Austin Smith (Wreck) - 18m (wreck)
Marine Life in Exuma Cays
Home to 353 recorded species including 307 reef fish, 12 hard corals, 11 whales & dolphins, 6 sea snails & nudibranchs, 5 sharks & rays, 3 other.
Notable Species
- Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) - Hard Corals
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Finger Coral (Porites porites) - Hard Corals
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Common lionfish (Pterois volitans) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) - Hard Corals
- Cola (Ocyurus chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Sheephead (Microspathodon chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Boulder Brain Coral (Colpophyllia natans) - Hard Corals
- Fire coral (Millepora complanata) - Jellyfish
- Tripod Spiderfish (Bathypterois grallator) - Reef Fish
- Tiger Grouper (Mycteroperca tigris) - Reef Fish
- Fire coral (Millepora alcicornis) - Jellyfish
- lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) - Sharks & Rays
- Conklin's cardinalfish (Phaeoptyx conklini) - Reef Fish
- Rosy Blenny (Malacoctenus macropus) - Reef Fish
- Maze Coral (Meandrina meandrites) - Hard Corals
- Blushing Star Coral (Stephanocoenia intersepta) - Hard Corals
- Saddled Blenny (Malacoctenus triangulatus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Smuggler’s Plane
Based on average water temperature of 27.6°C, currents 8 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°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