Cave diving on Grand Bahama

• Lucayan National Park (Bahamas National Trust): Ben's Cave and Burial Mound Cave. Cave diving only for qualified divers with BNT permission and with an authorised instructor arranged in advance (bahamas.com); since 2015 the whole cave system lies inside the park, not only the entrances. Park open Sat–Sun 9:00–16:00, day pass $15 (adults). Migratory bats raise their young in the caves in summer. No sunscreen or lotion before a cave dive: the freshwater lens is the island's drinking water. • Operators: Calabash Eco Adventures (+1 242 829 7400, reservations@calabashecoadventures.com): guided dives Ben's Cave ($180; $160 pp for 2+), Owl's Hole ($200/$160), Mermaid's Lair ($220/$200 + $15 park fee), Crabbing Bay and Rocky Creek blue holes ($220/$180); open-water level accepted; tank and weights included, other rental $10 per item. UNEXSO (Port Lucaya) ran cavern and cave dives (including Mermaid's Lair, Scuba Diving 2023), but by its own listing now only offers snorkel and glass-bottom-boat trips and will 'soon' relaunch diving — ask. Cristina Zenato (People of the Water; NSS-CDS/TDI): cavern course 3 days/4 dives $1,275; full cave 5 days/8 dives $2,050 (100 logged dives, advanced nitrox/deco, 18+), sidemount only, pickup in the Freeport area; O₂ and nitrox fills extra. • Water: fresh water on top, halocline at ~8–10 m in Ben's Cave, warmer salt water below; bring 5–7 mm with a hood (Scuba Diving 2022). Mangrove caves (Pirates Mew, Anaconda Swamp, Citrus Farm) have tannic water, H₂S and poor visibility (POW). • Ocean blue holes and tides: the Chimney sucks water in twice a day and blows out twice, with ~20 min of slack; Cemetery Hole near McLean's Town is only dived on calm days, in daylight, at slack before the reversal (POW). • Hurricane Dorian (September 2019) stalled over Grand Bahama for about a day with a 3.7–5.5 m storm surge. POW reports a ceiling collapse in the Mermaid cavern (Old Freetown), a Pirates Mew entrance blocked by rubble and heavy damage around the Zodiac caves (Sweeting's Cay). • Getting there: Grand Bahama International Airport (FPO), flights from the US (e.g. American Airlines and Bahamasair from Miami/Fort Lauderdale) and Canada; Baleària fast ferry between Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) and Freeport; Bahamasair or Western Air to other islands; Pinder's Ferry McLean's Town ↔ Crown Haven (Abaco): from McLean's Town 8:30 and 16:00, back 7:00 and 14:30. • Emergency: 911 or 919; police Eight Mile Rock +1 242 348 6444, West End +1 242 346 6444; fire Freeport +1 242 352 8888; BASRA +1 242 322 3877 / 325 8864. Hyperbaric chamber in Nassau: Bahamas Hyperbaric Centre, Western Road, Lyford Cay — +1 242 362 5765 / 422 2434. DAN America +1-919-684-9111. • Rest day: snorkel or jump at Owl's Hole (metal ladder; owlets in April–May; beware of poisonwood along the trail) or visit the viewing platforms at Ben's Cave. • 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.