Periwinkle Reef - Nassau & New Providence
Periwinkle Reef, just off New Providence's east coast, sits at a comfortable 9 meters. It’s a great spot for newer divers or for a relaxed final dip of the day, particularly with its consistently good visibility. We've seen it thickly carpeted with those namesake violet corals, along with plenty of sea fans and sponges providing shelter. Look closely and you'll often find juvenile fish darting amongst the coral heads, and moray eels peeking out from their hideaways. The current is usually mild, making for an easy drift.
- Location
- Nassau & New Providence, Bahamas, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 25.022700, -77.258600
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 9m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Marine Protected Area: Bonefish Pond 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
- Abaco - 5-20m (reef)
- 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)
Nearest Dive Centres to Periwinkle Reef
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 Periwinkle Reef
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