The islands offer some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in the world, with 2500 miles (4023km) of ocean wall drop-offs, underwater caverns and blue holes - fathomless water-filled sinkholes that open to submarine caves. Every island is rimmed by coral reefs, and the waters offer exceptional visibility and year-round temperatures that make wetsuits unnecessary. Under the surface you'll see a dazzling display of colorful sealife, ranging from the exotic to the eerie: moray eels, grunts, barracudas, stingrays, turtles, queen triggerfish, sand tigers, parrotfish and angelfish flashing their neons, and an impressive array of hard and soft coral formations totaling an estimated 5% of the world's coral reefs. There are plentiful ship and plane wrecks to explore - even a train off Eleuthera. Some islanders believe that part of the 'lost' city of Atlantis lies just off the Biminis. Above all, the Bahamas is renowned for wall dives along the sheer-faced trenches at the edges of the Bahama Banks.
New Providence offers superb diving and snorkeling close to shore, including such noted sites as the Clifton Wall, off the southwestern coast; Balmoral Island, off the northern coast; and Razorback, named for the arcing ridge of coral-covered limestone that rises from the sand-bottom before plummeting into the Tongue of the Ocean to the southwest. Elbow Cay, just off Abaco, has excellent reefs on the Atlantic side. The calmer waters near Hope Town and the northern tip of the cay offer staghorn, elkhorn and brain corals that are easily reached by swimming from shore.
The islands are replete with every kind of beach and water activity, including parasailing, water-skiing and windsurfing. Most resort hotels either include watersports in their rates or offer them as extras. Most or all of these can be done on New Providence, Grand Bahama and Harbour Island. Freeport (on Grand Bahama) hosts the national Windsurfing Championship each January. The Bahamas is ideal for sailing. Favored areas are the protected waters of the Sea of Abaco (between Great Abaco and the Abaco cays) and Exuma Sound. Both are good for beginners, as the waters are shallow and sheltered and always within sight of land.
The gin-clear waters of the sandbanks that shelve the perimeters of most islands seem to be made for bonefishing. The large-eyed, fork-tailed bonefish spook easily and are hard to hook, which makes finding the fish half the fun - or frustration. They can be caught year-round, though April and May - spawning time - are the most productive months. The archipelago's ocean waters are also a playpen for schools of blue and white marlin, dolphin fish, wahoo, and tuna, making sport fishing a big attraction.
If you're feeling waterlogged, consider the drier pastime of bird watching. More than two dozen reserves protect more than 230 species. Great Inagua is best for bird watching, and Inagua National Park protects the Western Hemisphere's largest flock of West Indian flamingo. Other key locales include Abaco National Park; Man-O-War Cay (in the Abaco Islands); the area around Love Hill on the northeastern coast of North Andros; and Armbrister Creek, just north of New Bight on Cat Island.
