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Ocean Blue HolesAll the main islands of the Bahamas have blue holes, but those of Andros are the best known. Andros has 178 on land with at least 50 in the sea. Blue holes can best be described as entrances to the intricate cave systems which run underneath the island and sea floor. Because the ocean blue holes are connected to those inland and even to those blue holes on the west side of the island, they are affected by the tides. The ocean blue holes will "blow" and "suck" making it necessary to dive them at certain times. The "blow" usually pumps out cold subterranean water which may be milky with hydrogen sulfide and algae or, during the "suck," the water will be gin clear as it sucks in the surrounding sea water. These different conditions create very different ways for us to enjoy the blue holes while diving. Click on any of the graphics while exploring this section in order to see an enlarged version. From there, we will travel through one of the fault lines in the blue hole at 90 feet maximum depth and end up to the top of the blue hole where the cold water again meets the warm water. This mixing zone creates an unforgettable visual experience You will not see anything else like this on earth!  Blue Hole 2nd LevelOne or two people running time: 20 minutes maximum depth: 140 feet in water time: 20-60 minutes multi-level profile The Blue Hole 2nd Level dive starts at 45 feet deep. We will swim over to the edge of the collapse and drop down in between the collapse and the ocean floor to 100 feet. Here, we will drop through a hole in the breakdown and come into a huge tunnel, where the bottom is 320 feet deep. We will traverse along the ceiling at 140 feet. After a short swim, the ceiling breaks away where you will see these incredible shafts of light coming through. A little further on you will come into the largest cavern in the Bahamas which resembles a lunar landscape. Looking up and out you can see a large variety of fish silhouetted above you. We will swim up through the cavern to the upper most lip and then circumnavigate the entire blue hole, seeing ancient river beds and waterfalls that were created during the ice age. The depth around the rim ranges from 60-70 feet. When we circle back around to the anchor line, we will pull the anchor and drift. Awesome!  Blue Hole 3rd Level (short version)One or two people running time: 20 minutes maximum depth: 190 feet in water time: 25-30 minutes, multi-level profile From the boat we will swim down the anchor line then over into the blue hole to a huge fault line. This fault line will lead us into an enormous cavern at 190 feet. As we explore the massive geological rock structures of this beautiful cavern we will gradually start our ascent. The view looking up from this depth is an incredible site with shafts of deep blue light filtering down into the cavern. To exit the blue hole we will follow a tunnel which opens up into the floor of the blue hole near our entrance at 110 feet. Fantastic!  Bob's Blue HoleOne person running time: 40 minutes maximum depth: 140 feet in water time: 30-50 minutes multi-level profile Bob's Blue Hole starts in 30 feet of water with a squeeze into the mouth of the cave. Once in, you will drop down a 4 foot wide dog leg to 84 feet where it will open up into a huge fault line. We will swim along the north line to a maximum depth of 140 feet deep and about 400 feet in. This cave has spectacular large rooms that are hard to imagine located under the ocean floor. There are many big lobsters, crabs, squirrel fish, and sometimes blind Bahamian cave fish. Once out of the caver there are hundreds of fish around the entrance to enjoy. You will be wearing fully redundant cave equipment designed for cave diving and will be thoroughly briefed on how to use it. A real adrenaline rush!  Bach's Blue HoleOne person running time: 60 minutes maximum depth: 90 feet in water time: 30-50 minutes multi-level profile Bach's Blue Hole is located in a patch reef in only 10 feet of water inside the barrier reef. A permanent line runs from the entrance down a 3 foot high rift to 60 feet deep where it opens up into a large cave that runs north for another 500 feet in. Along the way, you will see the rare blind Bahamian cave fish, spotted measel cowries and lots of shrimp. You will be wearing fully redundant cave equipment designed for cave diving and will be thoroughly briefed on how to use it. Enjoy the thrill of being in the earth's arteries!  Conch SoundOne person running time: 60 minutes maximum depth: 90 feet in water time: 30 minutes Conch Sound Blue Hole, located off the beach in the northern settlement of Conch Sound, has been a place where underwater explorers from around the world have challenged their own limitations to make cave diving history. In 1982, British underwater cave explorer Martin Farr set the world's record for the longest distance explored in an ocean cave at 3,700 feet penetration at Conch Sound Blue Hole. He had a support team of six divers to help him stage the 14 tanks necessary to complete the dive. In 1994, this record was broken by local American cave diver Brian Kakuk who completed the dive, alone, with only four tanks that he carried with him. He brought out Farr's British flag after replacing it with his own American flag 100 feet farther in the cave. The long horizontal tunnel formation of this cave is truly unique, making it very enticing to go farther and farther in. This dive starts out by passing an old sunken fishing boat which supposedly was sucked down by the strong in-flowing current. We will dive this blue hole on the out flow making it a bit more physically taxing than some of our other blue holes. The entrance is large and filled with grunt fish and snappers. The walls of the cave are loaded with sponges and invertebrates like lobsters and crabs. It is an exciting and beautiful dive for those craving the real thrill of adventure. Additional transportation fees required The Open Ocean | Coral Caverns | Incredible Walls |
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