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Owl's Hole (Old Freetown system)

Grand Bahama · about 19 km from Lucaya (Port Lucaya)

Owl's Hole (Old Freetown system)

  • CertificationCavern
  • SpecialRopework
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Diving and fills

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What it looks like

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Videos and posts

From other divers, via YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. They only load when you click; after that, Google's or Meta's privacy rules apply.

Videos shown with permission from the channel @czunderwater ↗

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Other people's footage, not advice: how someone else dives here says nothing about what suits your team. Dive within your training.

The dive

Owl's Hole has the largest daylight zone of Grand Bahama's caves, with light effects in the halocline. Owls nest in the hole (owlets in April–May), and swimmers also jump in.

Part of Old Freetown system. Also in this system: Mermaid's Lair (Old Freetown system)

Cavern and cave: Calabash guides only in the cavern, in recreational gear. Going further into the cave of the Old Freetown system needs a cave certification, sidemount and a cave guide (Cristina Zenato). Never without a local guide.
Source: Cristina Zenato, sign-up and e-mail November 2026 ↗
Profile and sections

Owl's Hole has the largest daylight zone of Grand Bahama's caves, with light effects in the halocline. Owls nest in the hole (owlets in April–May), and swimmers also jump in. Together with Mermaid's Lair it is an entrance to the Old Freetown system.

Practical: poisonwood grows along the trail, so don't touch it. Calabash charges $200 (1 diver) or $160 pp (2+).

Depth and profile
Sinkhole ~9 m across · fresh water over salt water with a clear halocline · three horizontal passages · Old Freetown system ~6.6–7.1 km · dive depth not published
Configuration
Recreational gear on the guided dive (tank and weights included); everything has to go down the ladder.
DPV: Not DPV-suitable (estimate)
Ladder entry and a short guided cavern dive
Who can dive where
  • CaveAt least Cavern
  • Whole caveConfigurations: Backmount / twinset / Sidemount / CCR / Small cylinders / no-mount (speleo sumps)
  • Whole caveRopework (SRT) needed
RopeworkEntry or dive feeThrough a dive centre or guide

This is how the planner decides who in your team may dive this cave. Rules your own trip adds (organizer, a mail, the AI) show with your trip.

How to get there

Dirt road (small sign along the road out of Freeport) to a clearing, then a metal ladder down to the water: ~7.5 m according to Uncommon Caribbean (2021), 12 m according to bahamasnet (2006) — depends on rainfall. Always with a local guide: in the cavern Calabash Eco Adventures or Cristina Zenato; the cave beyond it (the Old Freetown system) only with a cave certification, in sidemount and with a cave guide (Cristina Zenato).

Plan your route ↗

Around Owl's Hole (Old Freetown system)

FillsNo fill station known nearby
Where to sleepAround Lucaya (Port Lucaya) on Booking.com ↗

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Caves nearby1 within 7 km

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Sources, sharing and disclaimer

Sources

Current conditions

Visibility, flow and water levels change quickly. Right before your dive, check what other divers report:

  • People of the Water ↗
    website

    Reports on the exploration and resurvey of Grand Bahama's caves, including the damage from Hurricane Dorian.

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Certification requirements, configurations and trimix depths are estimates for planning. Always check them locally and dive within your training. Compiled from web research (Bahamas National Trust, showcaves.com, bahamas.com, Calabash Eco Adventures, Scuba Diving 2022–2025, People of the Water, Cristina Zenato, bahamasnet dive guides 2006/2011, Uncommon Caribbean, geocaching.com, National Geographic 2010, InDepth 2026, Wikipedia, Royal Bahamas Police Force, Get Ready Bahamas, Abaco Sun; Sept 2026). Pins: Ben's Cave from showcaves.com (checked against Wikipedia), Owl's Hole from a travel blog; the others unknown. ~ = estimate. Rules and access change — check locally.