Abaco - Nassau & New Providence
Abaco, while a bit of a trek from Nassau proper, offers a rewarding experience for divers who appreciate robust reef systems. You’ll find impressive stands of star and elkhorn corals here, forming a strong backbone for the reef. The currents, particularly around areas like Fowl Cay and Pelican Cay, have sculpted some interesting formations, creating a dynamic environment that’s great for drift dives. It's a healthy system, and you’ll often spot a good variety of the usual Caribbean suspects, from parrotfish to snapper, without feeling like you're in an aquarium. We’d suggest this for divers who enjoy a natural, less-frequented reef dive and don’t mind a bit of a boat ride to get there.
- Location
- Nassau & New Providence, Bahamas, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 26.541700, -77.063900
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 5-20m
Marine Protected Area: Fowl Cays National Park
Best Time to Dive in Nassau & New Providence
The warmest water temperatures in Nassau & New Providence occur in August, averaging 30.4°C (up to 34.0°C). The coolest conditions are in February at 24.6°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 24.7°C (air: 21.2°C)
- February: 24.6°C (air: 23.5°C)
- March: 24.9°C (air: 23.8°C)
- April: 26.1°C (air: 25.4°C)
- May: 27.5°C (air: 26.5°C)
- June: 29.0°C (air: 28.2°C)
- July: 30.1°C (air: 29.3°C)
- August: 30.4°C (air: 29.6°C)
- September: 30.0°C (air: 29.0°C)
- October: 28.9°C (air: 27.5°C)
- November: 27.2°C (air: 25.5°C)
- December: 25.6°C (air: 22.8°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Nassau & New Providence
- ARIMAR - 6m (wreck)
- Bahamas Divers
- Current Cut - 10-25m (drift)
- Current Island - 10-25m (drift)
- Dean's Blue Hole (reef)
- Dean's Blue Hole (wall)
- De La Salle Wreck (wreck)
- DELIVERANCE (POSSIBLY) - 0m (wreck)
- Devil s Backbone
- Dog Rocks Reef - 25m (reef)
- Egg Reef (reef)
- FANTOME - 15m (wreck)
- Glass Window Bridge - 15-30m (wreck)
- Lost Blue Hole (cenote)
- Lost Blue Hole - Bahamas - 27m (cenote)
Nearest Dive Centres to Abaco
Marine Life in Nassau & New Providence
Home to 539 recorded species including 455 reef fish, 24 hard corals, 19 whales & dolphins, 11 sharks & rays, 9 sea snails & nudibranchs, 4 other.
Notable Species
- Blainville's Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon densirostris) - Whales & Dolphins
- Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) - Hard Corals
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima) - Whales & Dolphins
- Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Finger Coral (Porites porites) - Hard Corals
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Common lionfish (Pterois volitans) - Reef Fish
- Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) - Whales & Dolphins
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) - Hard Corals
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Abaco
Based on average water temperature of 27.4°C, currents 7 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