Pre-Christmas Scuba Diving - Sharks: Bimini, Bahamas and Jupiter, Florida

[ChrisC]

I added two bucket list items to my dive resume, and both were shark-focused: Bimini and Jupiter. The sharks don't appear/migrate until December, and they leave in March. Each site has different shark species to see. (I have seen sharks - lots of Nurse and Reef Sharks, and a few Bull Sharks on Keys wrecks, but not the below).

Bimini, Bahamas - Great Hammerheads
A ferry -Balearia Caribbean (Spanish company)- runs from Ft. Lauderdale/Port Everglades to Bimini in the morning (9-11 am) and returns in the evening (4-6 pm). We stayed overnight for one PM dive, and one AM dive the following day. The advantage of a ferry is you can dive on a same-day basis versus a plane.

I had never been to Bimini before, but it's only 60 miles off the coast of Florida. Most Florida boaters will travel there in the summer (calm seas, lobster season, fishing), but winter is when the Great Hammerheads show up. Upon arrival, we rented a golf cart and headed to Bimini Big Game Club/Neal Watson's Bimini Scuba Center. North Bimini is a small island - about 11 km (7 mi) long and 200 m (700 ft) wide. Great Hammerhead Dive was scheduled for 1:30-6 pm. The dive is in about 20 ft of water; the divemaster goes down and (unfortunately) chums for the Great Hammerheads. They are almost trained to come to a spot on the island's north side for an easy dinner. Ethics aside, once a few show-up, the divers go down and hang out for 1 hr+, get another tank, and spend another 1 hr+.

We had about 5 Great Hammerheads visit in/out - sometimes circling us. It was a little unnerving when one was in front and one was in back - so I sat back-to-back with my partner to watch them. Generally, Hammerheads are not considered too aggressive to humans but exercise caution.

The sharks were impressive and majestic - about 15-18 feet long. A few Bull Sharks also showed up, but they stayed away, differing from the much larger Great Hammerheads. Everyone had underwater cameras but us. I like to just be present in my dives and screw around with expensive equipment. I was not going to test the limits of the new iPhone. I am not sure about the ethics of chumming for sharks, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see something so large in the wild. Water was still relatively warm at 76-78f, but a full wetsuit was required.

The next morning's dive was more typical Caribbean - a wall south of the island (Victory Reef) and a shallow wreck, The Sapona. Overall, the reef was very healthy - with great corals and many fish, lobsters, and crabs.

In the afternoon there was some time to tour the island - it takes just an hour to get around. There was beautiful blue water. The beaches were OK/good. We stopped at a few local Conch Shacks for conch chowder, conch salad, conch fritters, and cracked conch. Most of our US conch comes from the Bahamas.

Overall, I highly recommend diving Bimini for maybe 2 days.


Some Bimini photos.

Morning Ferry from Ft Lauderdale to Bimini

Beach - the South end of North Bimini island

Great Local Conch Shack - Im obsessed

Resorts World Manmade Beach

Southern Stingray in the Water

Another Conch Shack - Stuarts

Bimini Big Game Club docks

Nice Catamaran

Best Public Beach - Southern end of N Bimini

Great Water Colors -big cruise ship coming in

Sunset on the Ferry home: Bimini to Ft. Lauderdale

Jupiter, Florida - Lemon Sharks - Migration Season

I always knew Jupiter has the most sharks of any dive location in Florida since it sits close to the Gulfstream, but I had never been. I usually dive wrecks in Key Largo, the untouched beauty of Biscayne Bay National Park, or just off the coast of Fort Lauderdale.

In the Winter Months, the Lemon Sharks appear from December to March (not sure where they are at during the summer months)

Quick AI description:
Lemon sharks migrate south and into deeper waters in Florida during the winter months and then north in the spring. This predictable behavior makes them vulnerable to overfishing, and Florida has limited harvesting of lemon sharks in its waters.
Here are some places in Florida where you can see lemon sharks migrating:

Jupiter
From December to late March, the waters off Jupiter are home to a large aggregation of lemon sharks. The sharks follow the nutrient-rich Gulf Stream, and divers can see up to 60 sharks on a dive.

Lemon Drop
A favorite site for scuba divers, Lemon Drop, sees an influx of lemon sharks in the early months of the year.
Lemon sharks are tropical sharks with a pale lemon-brown hue to their skin. They can grow to over 13 feet long and are known for their second dorsal fin, which is almost as large as their first. They are one of the few shark species that can pump their gills to breathe and can often be found resting in the sand along the reef.


We saw about 15 Lemon sharks at two dive locations and a few Goliath Grouper. (Goliath Grouper season is typically August to October, so that was a bonus). The Lemons are about 10 feet long, making the Reef sharks look small. Supposedly, they are not a threat to humans but are still menacing looking, especially in large numbers.

After the Great Hammerheads (and Bull Sharks), the Lemon Sharks were not quite as awe-inducing, but still pretty impressive.

I highly recommend it if you dive in South Florida during the Winter. It's better than its reefs or the Keys.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Liz and I did blackwater night diving off Riviera Beach (close to Jupiter) in July 2020. Luminescent creatures come up to shallow water if it's calm enough. The water was calm but Hurricane Isaias was headed that way in a couple of days and perhaps the sea life knew something because we did not see much. We had two day dives from the same marina in May 2021. Coral was beat up but fish life including few reef sharks were abundant. I have seen lots of lemon sharks in French Polynesia. The tend to stay down near the sand. I have never seen hammerheads diving.

 

[ChrisC]

People ask if I should dive in Florida - especially in Winter? My answer is no. (My parents have been in South Florida since 1994, so I am quite familiar with the area).

Winter can be cold and/or windy, preventing dive boats from going out for days. Also, the quality of diving is below average. Most of the reefs are trashed (except Biscayne Bay NP and Lower Keys - Loee Key Preserve), fish & lobster life is surprisingly good (although there are too many Lionfish), and the Keys are quite expensive - more $ than some Caribbean Islands. And the Keys have no beaches.

One can do better and cheaper going to Cozumel, Bonaire, or Roatan - and winter cold fronts do not impact those islands to such an extent.

However, it's a fun local activity if you are in the South Florida area for any other reason.

Again, the best of South Florida & the Keys:

• Deep wrecks in the Keys. (Key Largo to Key West - about 10 significant ones). All are in 80-100 ft and require Advanced Open Water Certification. But you can often penetrate the wreck, and lots more significant sea life can be found on them: Goliath Groupers, Reef Sharks, maybe a Bull Shark, maybe a Tiger Shark, Spotted Eagle Rays....if you are fortunate, a Manta Ray (SoFL is actually a juvenile nursery for Mantas just offshore)...
• Reefs in the Keys. Molasses Reef is the only untrashed reef in Key Largo. Otherwise, you must go to the Lower Keys (Big Pine or Key West). Biscayne Bay NP is also good since only one concessionaire is allowed, not the public without a permit.
• Jupiter FL for sharks and/or goliath groupers.
• Blue Heron Bridge in Riviera Beach. During slack high tide, it has great macro life diving at shallow depths of 20 ft max.

Liz and I did blackwater night diving off Riviera Beach (close to Jupiter) in July 2020

Did you dive the Blue Heron Bridge while you were there? You can even snorkel it and have a decent experience. I have never night-dived there because if you rent tanks, you must return them when scuba shops are open again.

Location: Blue Heron Bridge: Phil Foster Park, Riviera Beach
Depth Range: 5-20'
Skill Level: Open Water or Snorkeler
Tide Table: Blue Heron Bridge 2024 High Tide Tables

One of the premiere shore diving locations in all of Florida, the Blue Heron Bridge. It is located on the Intracoastal Waterway just inside of the Lake Worth Inlet often rated in the top 10 shore dives world!! This site is located inside Phil Foster Park and is just past the Force-E Riviera location. Our staff dives the bridge daily, and our Blue Heron Bridge map is printed up for you to grab for free from the store. Divers should be aware of the tide table to dive this site. The best time to dive the bridge is between an hour before and after high tide. Depths at this site range from about 5 to 20 feet, which makes it ideal for new divers, photographers, and snorkelers.

Rated the #1 Shore Dive in America​

Diving the Blue Heron Bridge is a macro photographer’s dream! There are seahorses, octopus, pipefish, frogfish, batfish, nudibranchs and other rare and exotic species of sea life you won’t find out on the reef. With the intercoastal's delicate ecosystem, it is ideal for these species.

But don’t rule out the rare sightings of manatees, spotted eagle rays, manta rays, nurse sharks, green sea turtles, or Goliath Grouper that locals have encountered at the Blue Heron Bridge. These encounters are frequent, so you're pretty much guaranteed to see something amazing. It should be noted that divers and snorkelers should NOT touch or disrupt the marine life. This can be dangerous to the diver as well as the wildlife.

 

[ChrisC]

Places where you dive with Hammerheads.

Hammerhead Sharks – The Best Places for Diving with Dinosaurs

Ready for adventure? Here are the seven best destinations for diving with hammerhead sharks. Get ready to find your next scuba trip.

blog.padi.com

Bimini specifically has the larger Great Hammeheads.

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7. Socorro Island, Mexico​

Just getting to Socorro Island is an adventure in and of itself, so you know the diving will be off the charts. Located about 250 miles (400 km) southwest of the Baja peninsula in Mexico, Socorro is part of the Revillagigedo Islands archipelago.

The islands are perfect for large marine encounters, and currents here can be quite strong, so this is a spot best suited for experienced divers.

Hammerhead sharks are a common sight, as well as whale sharks and whitetip reef sharks. You can even see humpback whales visiting the area in the winter months. And the manta rays and dolphins in Socorro tend to be quite curious. Don’t be surprised if they join you for a dive or two.

The archipelago is only reachable via liveaboards that depart from Cabo San Lucas from November to the end of May when the sea conditions are calmest. And although hammerheads can be seen year-round, the best months to spot them are from April to May.

FIND A LIVEABOARD IN SOCORRO

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6. Malpelo Island, Colombia​

Another liveaboard destination that is perfect for shark lovers is Malpelo Island. This remote island is located about 300 miles (500 km) off Colombia’s Pacific coast and is one of the best places to view schooling scalloped hammerhead sharks. The waters here are cold and deep, making it an ideal spot for large fish encounters.

What makes Malpelo Island so special is that it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site protected by the Colombian government. This means that diving is regulated, and liveaboard trips are limited to one boat at a time to ensure the waters stay pristine and the endangered species are protected.

It’s not just hammerheads that you’ll find in these waters. You can also spot mantas, whale sharks, and other species of shark, such as schools of silkies. You can dive Malpelo all through the year, but January to May is considered the dry season and the best time to see the hammerheads.

FIND A LIVEABOARD IN MALPELO

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Image courtesy of Craig O’Connell

5. Florida Keys, Florida​

Accessible and world-renowned, the Florida Keys are an excellent jumping-off point for diving with hammerhead sharks. There are several species of hammerheads in the warm waters that surround the keys, some of which can reach 1,000 pounds (450 kg). In addition to the many hammerheads that patrol the shallows, there are bull sharks, tiger sharks, lemon sharks, mako sharks, black tip sharks, and reef sharks.

The hammerheads often feed on stingrays and fish, and you may even get lucky enough to watch them stalking their prey. Occasionally, these fantastic sharks throng in the hundreds, making for an unforgettable and impressive display.

Did we mention that the Florida Keys are home to the third-largest barrier coral reef in the entire world? This area boasts 40 living coral species and 650 varieties of fish. Beyond sharks, you’ll also find spur-and-groove coral formations, boulder corals, caves, lobsters, turtles, and rays.

Find a Dive Center in Florida

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4. Lahaina, Hawaii​

Scalloped hammerheads prowl the waters around Lahaina, a town on the shores of Maui. The channels that run between the islands of Maui, Lanai, and Moloka’i are ideal feeding grounds for hammerheads and other large marine life.

The two dive sites that are particularly popular are Fish Rain and Fish Bowl. Fish Rain is a drift dive with a moderately strong current and ranges in depth from 70-130 ft (20-40m). While idling through the water, you have a great chance of seeing dolphins, ahi tuna, and other large sharks.

Fish Bowl is slightly shallower, ranging from 50-90 ft (15-27m). Though it is also a drift dive, your dive operators may choose to drop anchor alongside the bowl. Looking out over the edge, you can spot plenty of reef sharks, octopuses, and hammerheads galore.

It’s important to note that Hawaii’s volcanic origins and isolated geographical location make for a whirlwind of scuba diving options beyond just shark diving. Hawaii really does have it all. The marine life is well protected here, so you can always expect it in abundance.

Find a Dive Center in Hawaii

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3. Darwin Island, Galapagos​

Paired with the splendid array of marine life, the excellent visibility makes diving in the Galapagos exceptional. There are dives on many of the islands, though several islands stand out as particularly excellent places to take the plunge, one of which is Darwin Island.

As if floating through a dream world, Darwin Island is a unique dive site where you can go diving with hammerhead sharks. Found in the northwest corner of the Galapagos archipelago, Darwin Island is the remnants of an ancient volcano and is located 563 mi (906 km) off the western shore of Ecuador. Although hammerheads may travel solo near the surface, you’re more likely to see massive schools in deeper water.

Visit from January to May for your best chance to see both hammerheads and massive manta rays. June to November gives you the greatest opportunity to swim with whale sharks, so it may be in your best interest to enjoy an extended vacation on these magical islands.

Although there are dive resorts on the islands, there’s a lot to see and dive offshore. That’s why many divers prefer a liveaboard here, and you’ll only be able to reach Darwin Island on one of these boats.

Find a Liveaboard in the Galapagos

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2. Bimini, Bahamas​

Not far off the eastern shore of Miami, Florida, the Bahamian island of Bimini is home to one of the best hammerhead shark dives in the world. Colorful coral reefs, sheer walls, shallow wrecks, and caverns produce a variety of dive types. You can go on night dives, drift dives, easy reef dives, and tec dives. But this area is most famous for its shark encounters.

Certain dive shops offer expeditions to dive with hammerheads, who swim by the islands every February. Massive sharks arrive by the dozens, and although these fish are usually shy and apprehensive, many individuals in the area are content around divers.

Although sharks are given a bad reputation, your experience in the Bahamas will turn around any anxieties you may have about getting in the water with these fascinating animals. Tiger sharks, bull sharks, reef sharks, and black-nose sharks may also make an appearance on your dive.

FInd a Dive Resort in the Bahamas

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1. Cocos Island, Costa Rica​

Cocos Island is widely appreciated as the best place to dive with the mighty hammerhead. Found 342 mi (550 km) from the mainland of Costa Rica, Cocos Island is completely uninhabited, except for a national park ranger station. Diving is the activity of choice on this primordial island, whose rocks jut high out of the Pacific, the waves crashing on its stony shores. The best sites for hammerhead sightings are Bajo Alcyone and Punta Maria.

Schools of sharks swarm around the island, whose perimeter is surrounded by deep crevasses and outcroppings. Be aware strong currents flow past the rocky formation, making for difficult yet rewarding diving. Because of the cold currents, only highly experienced divers are recommended to take the plunge.

The only way to see Cocos Island is on a diving liveaboard vessel. These depart from the port city of Puntarenas in Costa Rica. Liveaboard trips usually last for at least 8 to 10 days, taking up to 36 hours to reach Cocos Island.