5 blue holes · down to 82 m (269 ft) · 1 suitable for an intro team
Blue holes of Exuma
- Blue holes5
- Max depth82 m (269 ft)
- For intro teams1
- Dive centres1
Diving and fills
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Why come here
The Exumas are a long chain of limestone islands, with layers over three hundred metres thick and full of blue holes: most are entrances to submerged fracture cracks, and many pump massive amounts of water in and out with the tides. From George Town it is a few minutes by boat to Stocking Island, where Angelfish Blue Hole in an enclosed bay is a guided cavern dive, with schools of fish at the entrance.
Beyond that, the caves of the Exumas are known mainly from scientific expeditions in search of cave animals found nowhere else: deep fracture caves such as Norman's Pond Blue Hole and the mangrove blue holes near Mosstown. These are listed as information; you dive with Dive Exuma.
Don't miss
- Angelfish Blue Hole (Stocking Island): a blue hole in an enclosed bay off Stocking Island, with horse-eye jacks at the entrance and large blue parrotfish.
On a rest day
- Moriah Harbour Cay National Park: A Bahamas National Trust park with dunes, blue holes, coral reefs and mangrove creeks; the trails on the eastern end of Stocking Island are among the things to do there.
- Tropic of Cancer Beach: Pelican Beach on Little Exuma, crossed by the Tropic of Cancer; Little Exuma is linked to Great Exuma by a small bridge.
- Thunderball Grotto: A limestone cavern off Staniel Cay, further north in the Exuma Cays, that you swim into underwater or at low tide; light falls through a vaulted ceiling. Setting of the Bond film Thunderball (1965).
All 5 blue holes
4 closed not shown ·
| Site | Max depth | Type | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angelfish Blue Hole (Stocking Island)Entry or dive feeBackmount · Cavern | 28 m (92 ft) | Backmount | Cavern |
Certification requirements, configurations and trimix depths are estimates for planning. Always check them locally and dive within your training.
Map
Dive centres and fill stations
1 dive centres, fill stations and instructors
Dive Exuma (George Town)
George Town, Exuma
Guided dives: Angelfish Blue Hole (Stocking Island)
Rental: All rental gear on a private charter; otherwise ask
Dive centre in George Town with boat dives on a 36 ft catamaran for at most 8 divers, to reefs, the wreck of The Tug and Angelfish Blue Hole, and with PADI courses. A two-tank dive includes tanks and weights; a private charter includes all rental gear. Also snorkel tours, with a stop at the entrance of Mystery Cave. Nitrox, trimix or technical diving are not on its website: ask.
Order: partners first, clearly marked as partner; then dive centres by distance from George Town and independent instructors by name. Not a recommendation: check what they offer yourself.
On this list, or should you be? Get a free partner card →Practical info: rules, fills and emergency numbers
Emergencies
- 911 or 919; ambulance also +1 242 323 2586; BASRA +1 242 325 8864; air ambulance AAS Life-flight +1 242 377 1606. Nearest hyperbaric chamber: Bahamas Hyperbaric Centre, Western Road, Lyford Cay, Nassau — +1 242 362 5765 / 422 2434. DAN America +1-919-684-9111.
Access and rules
- Operator: Dive Exuma (George Town; +1 242 357 0313, info@dive-exuma.com): boat dives on a 36 ft catamaran for at most 8 divers; two tanks $170.50 including tanks, weights and 10% VAT (Nov 2026); private charters including all rental gear. Stocking Island lies ~1.6 km from George Town's Government Dock, across the harbour (Wikipedia).
- Rules: all blue holes and caves in the Bahamas fall under the Antiquities, Monuments and Museum Corporation (AMMC): research needs a Bahamian research permit plus AMMC approval. Never touch bones or fossils. Moriah Harbour Cay National Park (Bahamas National Trust, 22,833 acres with dunes, blue holes, coral reefs and mangrove creeks) borders Rolle Town, Hartswell, The Ferry, The Cottage and Forbes Hill; the park's rules apply since 13 February 2024.
Gas and fills
- Gas: Dive Exuma lists no nitrox, trimix or fills for visiting divers: ask.
Water and season
- Tides: many of the Exumas' blue holes pump massive amounts of water in and out with the tides (Advanced Diver Magazine): plan around the tide with your guide.
Safety
- Accidents: blue holes and caves are overhead environments. On Abaco three divers without cavern or cave certification drowned in Big Boil Blue Hole in April 1994, on Grand Bahama two divers without cave certification drowned in a blue hole in May 1994, and in January 2003 two divers went missing in King Kong's Cavern on Andros. Go only with cave training and a local guide.
Getting around
- Getting there: Exuma International Airport is on Great Exuma; a small bridge links Great Exuma with Little Exuma (Wikipedia).
Rest day
- Rest day: the trails on the eastern end of Stocking Island (Bahamas National Trust); Pelican Beach on Little Exuma, crossed by the Tropic of Cancer and also called Tropic of Cancer Beach (Wikipedia); or snorkelling in Thunderball Grotto off Staniel Cay, further north in the Exuma Cays (Wikipedia).
Good to know
- Read this first: on Exuma one blue hole is a regular dive with a dive centre: Angelfish Blue Hole off Stocking Island, with Dive Exuma from George Town. The other blue holes and caves here are known from scientific expeditions (Advanced Diver Magazine with Dr. Thomas Iliffe); they are listed as information. Bahamas Underground (Abaco) also lists trips to Great Exuma.
News
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Searched automatically, last on 5 Nov 2026.
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