HMS CONQUEROR - Long Island
The HMS Conqueror isn't your typical wreck dive. We’re talking about a mid-19th century British battleship, sunk in 1861, right off Rum Cay, near Long Island. Don’t expect a deep, intact hull here; this one's been battered by time and waves, sitting in a ridiculously shallow two metres of water. It's more of an archaeological treasure hunt than a penetration dive. What you get are huge, scattered pieces of history: enormous iron hull plates, cannon, and anchor chains spread across the sand. The sheer scale of some of the components still impresses, even after all these years of exposure. It’s perfect for snorkelers or very casual divers looking to spend a long surface interval exploring. Our favourite part? How the light plays on the metal, glinting off the dark encrustations, highlighting the resident parrotfish and angelfish nosing around the rust. It’s a gentle place, but full of stories. You can spend an hour just floating, tracing the lines of the wreck, imagining it in its prime.
- Location
- Long Island, Bahamas, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 23.641666, -74.800000
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 2m
Marine Protected Area: Conception Island National Park
Best Time to Dive in Long Island
The warmest water temperatures in Long Island occur in September, averaging 30.1°C. The coolest conditions are in January at 25.1°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 25.1°C
- February: 25.3°C
- March: 25.5°C
- April: 26.9°C
- May: 28.1°C
- June: 29.2°C
- July: 29.9°C
- August: 30.0°C
- September: 30.1°C
- October: 29.1°C
- November: 27.5°C
- December: 26.0°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Long Island
- Angelfish Blue Hole - 30-50m (cenote)
- Barracuda Shoals - 10m
- Black Forest - 10-25m (reef)
- CAPTAIN MOXEY - 2m (wreck)
- CARIBBEAN EXPRESS - 10m (wreck)
- Columbus Point
- COMMERCIAL DISPATCH - 5m (wreck)
- Connected dott - 10-20m (reef)
- Deans Blue Hole (cenote)
- Deep South Reef (reef)
- Dive Exuma
- Grandma s Secret Garden (reef)
- Great Cut
- Greenwood Reef (reef)
- Halloween Reef (reef)
Marine Life in Long Island
Home to 366 recorded species including 321 reef fish, 15 hard corals, 7 whales & dolphins, 6 sea snails & nudibranchs, 5 sharks & rays, 4 other.
Notable Species
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
- Bony-eared Assfish (Acanthonus armatus) - Reef Fish
- Saddled Blenny (Malacoctenus triangulatus) - Reef Fish
- Blackcheek Blenny (Starksia lepicoelia) - Reef Fish
- Conklin's cardinalfish (Phaeoptyx conklini) - Reef Fish
- Goldspot Goby (Gnatholepis thompsoni) - Reef Fish
- Yellowhead Wrasse (Halichoeres garnoti) - Reef Fish
- Spaghetti Eel (Moringua edwardsi) - Reef Fish
- Rosy Blenny (Malacoctenus macropus) - Reef Fish
- Rusty Goby (Priolepis hipoliti) - Reef Fish
- Blackfin Spiderfish (Bathypterois phenax) - Reef Fish
- Sharpnose Pufferfish (Canthigaster rostrata) - Reef Fish
- Fairy Basslet (Gramma loreto) - Reef Fish
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Tripod Spiderfish (Bathypterois grallator) - Reef Fish
- Slippery Dick (Halichoeres bivittatus) - Reef Fish
- Long-fin Smooth-head (Conocara macropterum) - Reef Fish
- Flamefish (Apogon maculatus) - Reef Fish
- Sand goby (Coryphopterus glaucofraenum) - Reef Fish
- Graysby (Cephalopholis cruentata) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for HMS CONQUEROR
Based on average water temperature of 27.7°C, currents 12 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