Sea Dragon Dive Sites in the Exuma Cays

Captains Dan and Sue have mapped out dozens and dozens of dive sites throughout the southeast Bahamas. This set of descriptions goes over those on the Exuma Cays trip. The trips to Conception Island (et al.) cover an entirely different set of dive sites.

First, a map that shows the extent of the dive sites:

The Sea Dragon dive itinerary includes a number of different dive types (listed here with abbreviations used in the table below):

Symbol Type Description
W Wall Similar to wall dives around the world, these dives start in 50-90' of water and almost always sport a nearly vertical wall that leads, in steps, down to 7000' or more of water. Expect to see large ocean-going fish (pelagics) like sharks, eagle rays, barracuda, along with standard reef fish and invertebrates (though in lower numbers than on a shallow reef). Black coral and other coral types are found on wall dives.
S Shallow reef Many people love the shallow (10'-50') reef dives for their huge variety of sea life, including dozens of species of reef fish, often in schools, corals of all colors and varieties. These dives are colorful, varied, and best of all -- long, since they are not so deep. One hour or longer dives are common on these reefs.
D Drift The currents in the Exumas follow the inexorable daily pull of the moon. Most diving is done in protected areas or when the tide is calm. Drift dives, on the other hand, explloit the high currents. Divers enter the water at one end of a "cut" (area between two cays) and are whisked along with the water at speeds up to 8 knots (9 mph, 15 kph) over the terrain below. Because they cover such a distance (3-6 miles), the diving varies quickly and it is sometimes possible to see species that normally swim away when divers approach (e.g., turtles). The exhilerating feeling of weightless flying is unparalled.
R Deeper reef Deeper reef dives are similar to shallow reef dives above but usually have a shorter duration due to their depth. Sometimes different creaturs are found but generally they are very similar cousins to the shallow reef dives.
T Tunnels and swim throughs These dives, a specialty of the Sea Dragon offer an entire new way of enjoying the underwater experience. The dives take place on "spur and groove" formations, where large expanses of coral heads and reef are interrupted by "grooves" that almost resemble roads or pathways. Often, these grooves are overgrown by a canopy of coral that makes them into "swimthroughs" or even "tunnels". Their length can range up to several hundred feet! Fish that avoid light are found in these swimthroughs (e.g., silversides). Swimthroughs often exit on walls where pelagics are waiting to be spied.
B Blue hole Blue holes are found when the ceiling of a cave collapses. Ongoing tectonic plate movement forces land up and down; some land in the Bahamas was hundreds of feet higher in the past than it is now. When these cave comes collapse, they leave a round cylinder often hundreds of feet high. From above, the collapse appears as a "blue hole". Various fish congregate around an in the hole.

Here are descriptions of some of the sites the Sea Dragon visits on its north Exuma itinerary:

Site Type Name Depth Description
1 B Lost Ocean Hole Blue hole 30-45' (top) Rays & sharks; 200' deep collapsed cave passage
2 S Jawfish Reef 25-30' Reef fish
3 T Ocean Cay Wall 40-130' Pelagics
4 T+W Valley of the Walls 60-130' Fascinating topography, coral, and pelagics
5 T+W Ewok Village 60-130' A fascinating topography coupled with reef fish and a wall dive all-in-one
6 T Canyonlands 60-130' Rolling valleys, interesting topography, pelagics
7 S+T Eric's Reef 30-40' A series of coralheads cut through with dozens of swimthroughs; teeming with life, a fabulous day or night dive
8 S Lobster/No Lobster Reef 25' A standard shallow reef dive: attractive corals and dozens of species of reef fish and invertebrates
9 S Crab Mountain 45-60' Standard reef dive but with a few more crabs
10 W Crab Mountain Wall 60-130' Pelagics
11 T+W Spur Tours 60-130' Among the best examples of a spur-and-groove dive on a wall. Fascinating tunnels and swimthroughs that exit onto a beautiful wall
Descriptions below this line follow along the lines of those above; only special, exciting features are reported in order to avoid boring repetition
12 S Barracuda Reef 30'
13 S Flat Rock Reef 20'
14 S Allen's Cay Reef 25'
15 G+W Jewfish Wall 60-130'
16 W Highbourne Cay Wall 60-130'
17 S+W Herman's Reef 50-130'
18 S North House Reef 25'
19 S Basketstar Reef 30'
20 S Filefish Reef 25'
21 W Black-tip Wall 60-130'
22 S,D Hammerhead Gulch 25'
23 W Whale Shark Wall 70-130'
24 S/T Cracked Coral Head 50-70'
25 W Eagle's Aerie 70-130'
26 S Fire Coral Reef 20-40'
27 D Wax Cay Cut 25-50' 35 minute drift dive; one of the finest dives of its kind on earth. The dive evokes the image of flying like superman at speeds of over 7 knots over a wide variety of reef features.
28 S Wax Cay Reef 20-30'
29 S Lobster Hotel 20'
30 S Lobster Motel 20'
31 S Lunch Reef 20'
32 S Hawksbill Reef 30'
33 S Lobster Mountain 5-30' single coralhead
34 R Shark Reef 50-80' Reef leading to ledge, leads to interesting "wall" that isn't so deep.
35 R Amber Jack Reef 70' Deep reef
36 R Danger Reef 50-60' Medium deep reef with "friendly" sharks and groupers. Inside the preserve, these animals are curious and unshy.
37 S Parrotfish Reef 25'
38 D Coral Cut 30' 45 minute drift dive
39 S Three Fingers 30'
40 S Four Fingers 30'
41 B Sea Dragon Blue Hole 20-60'
42 W+S Walled City 80'-130'
43 S Boilerhead Reef 30'
44 S Sanctuary Reef 25' Features old airplane on bottom
45 S Pillar Coral Reef 0-30'
46 R Pinnacle Wall 80'-130' Deep reef
47 S Little Osprey Island 0-5' One of the world's two best 3' dives (Stingray City can be shallow). Juveniles of all sorts along with bristleworms, mantis shrimp, and a beach full of conchs.

Barracuda

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Symbol	Type	Description
W	Wall	Similar to wall dives around the world, these dives start in 50-90' of water and almost always sport a nearly vertical wall that leads, in steps, down to 7000' or more of water. Expect to see large ocean-going fish (pelagics) like sharks, eagle rays, barracuda, along with standard reef fish and invertebrates (though in lower numbers than on a shallow reef). Black coral and other coral types are found on wall dives.
S	Shallow reef	Many people love the shallow (10'-50') reef dives for their huge variety of sea life, including dozens of species of reef fish, often in schools, corals of all colors and varieties. These dives are colorful, varied, and best of all -- long, since they are not so deep. One hour or longer dives are common on these reefs.
D	Drift	The currents in the Exumas follow the inexorable daily pull of the moon. Most diving is done in protected areas or when the tide is calm. Drift dives, on the other hand, explloit the high currents. Divers enter the water at one end of a "cut" (area between two cays) and are whisked along with the water at speeds up to 8 knots (9 mph, 15 kph) over the terrain below. Because they cover such a distance (3-6 miles), the diving varies quickly and it is sometimes possible to see species that normally swim away when divers approach (e.g., turtles). The exhilerating feeling of weightless flying is unparalled.
R	Deeper reef	Deeper reef dives are similar to shallow reef dives above but usually have a shorter duration due to their depth. Sometimes different creaturs are found but generally they are very similar cousins to the shallow reef dives.
T	Tunnels and swim throughs	These dives, a specialty of the Sea Dragon offer an entire new way of enjoying the underwater experience. The dives take place on "spur and groove" formations, where large expanses of coral heads and reef are interrupted by "grooves" that almost resemble roads or pathways. Often, these grooves are overgrown by a canopy of coral that makes them into "swimthroughs" or even "tunnels". Their length can range up to several hundred feet! Fish that avoid light are found in these swimthroughs (e.g., silversides). Swimthroughs often exit on walls where pelagics are waiting to be spied.
B	Blue hole	Blue holes are found when the ceiling of a cave collapses. Ongoing tectonic plate movement forces land up and down; some land in the Bahamas was hundreds of feet higher in the past than it is now. When these cave comes collapse, they leave a round cylinder often hundreds of feet high. From above, the collapse appears as a "blue hole". Various fish congregate around an in the hole.

Site	Type	Name	Depth	Description
1	B	Lost Ocean Hole Blue hole	30-45' (top)	Rays & sharks; 200' deep collapsed cave passage
2	S	Jawfish Reef	25-30'	Reef fish
3	T	Ocean Cay Wall	40-130'	Pelagics
4	T+W	Valley of the Walls	60-130'	Fascinating topography, coral, and pelagics
5	T+W	Ewok Village	60-130'	A fascinating topography coupled with reef fish and a wall dive all-in-one
6	T	Canyonlands	60-130'	Rolling valleys, interesting topography, pelagics
7	S+T	Eric's Reef	30-40'	A series of coralheads cut through with dozens of swimthroughs; teeming with life, a fabulous day or night dive
8	S	Lobster/No Lobster Reef	25'	A standard shallow reef dive: attractive corals and dozens of species of reef fish and invertebrates
9	S	Crab Mountain	45-60'	Standard reef dive but with a few more crabs
10	W	Crab Mountain Wall	60-130'	Pelagics
11	T+W	Spur Tours	60-130'	Among the best examples of a spur-and-groove dive on a wall. Fascinating tunnels and swimthroughs that exit onto a beautiful wall
Descriptions below this line follow along the lines of those above; only special, exciting features are reported in order to avoid boring repetition
12	S	Barracuda Reef	30'
13	S	Flat Rock Reef	20'
14	S	Allen's Cay Reef	25'
15	G+W	Jewfish Wall	60-130'
16	W	Highbourne Cay Wall	60-130'
17	S+W	Herman's Reef	50-130'
18	S	North House Reef	25'
19	S	Basketstar Reef	30'
20	S	Filefish Reef	25'
21	W	Black-tip Wall	60-130'
22	S,D	Hammerhead Gulch	25'
23	W	Whale Shark Wall	70-130'
24	S/T	Cracked Coral Head	50-70'
25	W	Eagle's Aerie	70-130'
26	S	Fire Coral Reef	20-40'
27	D	Wax Cay Cut	25-50'	35 minute drift dive; one of the finest dives of its kind on earth. The dive evokes the image of flying like superman at speeds of over 7 knots over a wide variety of reef features.
28	S	Wax Cay Reef	20-30'
29	S	Lobster Hotel	20'
30	S	Lobster Motel	20'
31	S	Lunch Reef	20'
32	S	Hawksbill Reef	30'
33	S	Lobster Mountain	5-30'	single coralhead
34	R	Shark Reef	50-80'	Reef leading to ledge, leads to interesting "wall" that isn't so deep.
35	R	Amber Jack Reef	70'	Deep reef
36	R	Danger Reef	50-60'	Medium deep reef with "friendly" sharks and groupers. Inside the preserve, these animals are curious and unshy.
37	S	Parrotfish Reef	25'
38	D	Coral Cut	30'	45 minute drift dive
39	S	Three Fingers	30'
40	S	Four Fingers	30'
41	B	Sea Dragon Blue Hole	20-60'
42	W+S	Walled City	80'-130'
43	S	Boilerhead Reef	30'
44	S	Sanctuary Reef	25'	Features old airplane on bottom
45	S	Pillar Coral Reef	0-30'
46	R	Pinnacle Wall	80'-130'	Deep reef
47	S	Little Osprey Island	0-5'	One of the world's two best 3' dives (Stingray City can be shallow). Juveniles of all sorts along with bristleworms, mantis shrimp, and a beach full of conchs.