Tiger Sharks Help Researchers Uncover Seagrass Ecosystem
Their groundbreaking study, published in 2022, marks a significant milestone in understanding and preserving vital marine ecosystems that are crucial for mitigating climate change.
Bahamas
Groundbreaking project maps shipwrecks of The Bahamas
Hidden beneath the serene waters of The Bahamas lay the remnants of approximately 5,000 shipwrecks, entombed for centuries. These relics are finally seeing the light of day, thanks to an innovative project called The Bahamas Lost Ships Project, kickstarted in 2023 by Allen Exploration and In Search of Shipwrecks (ISOS).
176 shipwrecks traced
The project has shed light on the maritime heritage of The Bahamas, particularly along the eastern flank of the Straits of Florida, a maritime corridor frequented since the 15th century.
Tiger sharks that interact with tourists are larger, study shows
That feeding or attracting wildlife with food to enable better viewing opportunities by ecotourists (i.e. provisioning tourism) has the potential to alter the natural behaviour and physiology of animals has long been well established.
But how the physiological state of wildlife might be related to the nature and magnitude of these effects remains poorly understood.
350-Year-Old Spanish Shipwreck yields massive treasure
The Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas (Our Lady of Wonders) sank with a cargo of gold, silver, and gems on the western side of the Little Bahama Bank in 1656. The Spanish galleon was part of a fleet sailing to Spain from Havana with royal and privately-consigned treasures from the Americas. Failing to navigate shallow waters, however, it collided with the flagship of the fleet and hit a reef. Of the 650 people on board, only 45 survived.
Master Liveaboards Bahamas Master Open for Business
Bahamas Master and tender
On top of this, the first weekly direct flight from the UK with British Airways touched down in Nassau on the 31st May. All signs are good that other EU countries will soon follow.
This means that The Bahamas is open for business and the Bahamas Master’s fully vaccinated crew are waiting for you. Master Liveaboards are celebrating this with some amazing offers to kick off their Shark Season. You can save between 20% and 30% on a variety of itineraries in September and October of this year if you book in June.
Grand Bahama Island Bounces Back as a Popular Destination for Divers
Ian Rolle, Acting Chairman of the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board (GBITB), reports that the island and its reefs fared well during Hurricane Dorian. “Three weeks after the hurricane, a crew from UNEXSO, our leading underwater experts, went on an exploratory dive of the reefs stretching along the south shore of the island, from the Grand Lucayan Water Way all the way to Silver Point Reef. At that time, it was discovered that all the reef structures were in standing positions and the wrecks were in the same location and status as before the storm,” noted Rolle.
Haunting image of plastic-wrapped turtle carcass wins top prize
Anita had been leading a dive in the Bahamas at a site called the 'Sea Garden', when she discovered the carcass of a green sea turtle with a hook protruding from its decomposing tongue.
Images like this can become warnings for the future. Shane Gross
The animal had obviously been trapped in situ for a significant period of time, and had drowned.
Bahamas Diving Association Member Update after Hurricane Dorian
All 32 members of the association offer our condolences to the families of those lives lost during the storm.
We have in fact heard from all our operators, and the only adversely affected areas are sadly the Abacos and portions of Grand Bahama Island. All the rest of the country’s 32 resorts, dive operators and liveaboards are up and running on their normal dive schedules.
The Bahamas' Tiger Beach
Images
Matthew Meier
A pregnant tiger shark is redirected by the feeder, while two more tiger sharks swim in the background, Tiger Beach, Bahamas. Photo by Matthew Meier.
Standing on the swim step, trying to time my entry with a gap in the dozen or more lemon sharks circling directly below me was a bit daunting the first go around. Of course, the sharks knew this routine well and skillfully avoided my clumsy splash into the water. The reward waiting beneath the surface was an assemblage of sharks that cannot be collectively encountered anywhere else in the world.
The Bahamas’ Tiger Beach: Petting Zoo or the Real Deal?
Images
Divemaster strokes a tiger shark near the bait box behind him, Tiger Beach, Bahamas.
Tiger Beach in the Bahamas is firmly established as one of those global dive destinations of which almost everybody has heard. Its fame is largely derived from the many published images of its most celebrated visitor—Galeocerdo cuvier, the tiger shark.