You may have heard that The Bahamas is the shark capital of the world, and if you thought that this was just some marketing slogan, then think again! In 2011, the archipelago established itself as one of only four ‘shark sanctuaries’ in the world, which means that all sharks in The Bahamas are now protected by law.
Over the years, this protection has allowed marine life to thrive and has caused a dramatic impact on the overall number of sharks in the Bahamas. As a result, the waters surrounding the archipelago have developed many incredible dive sites including; Bimini, Cat Island and Tiger Beach. The Bahamas has become the most reliable and consistent place to photograph and swim with sharks on earth.
Although dolphins, groupers and a myriad of schooling fish can readily be seen, the undoubted attraction for photographers and divers are the charismatic sharks of the Bahamas. Here are the iconic shark species you could look forward to sharing the water with in The Bahamas:
Tiger Shark
Tiger Sharks are the main draw for those passionate about shark diving in The Bahamas, offering unparalleled experiences in shark observation. Such frequent and remarkable encounters occur here that a specific location has been aptly named Tiger Beach.
The distinct name of the tiger shark comes from the dark vertical stripes marking the sides of juveniles, which gradually fade and may virtually disappear as they age.
As the dominant predators in tropical waters, adult tiger sharks can grow up to 5.5 meters (18 feet) long and weigh over 900 kilograms (2000 pounds). They are recognized by their large, blunt noses and robust bodies, moving through the water with notable confidence and an imposing demeanor.
Given their formidable size and the perception of being dangerous to humans, ranking just behind Great White Sharks in the number of attacks, approaching tiger sharks demands caution and respect.
In The Bahamas, tiger sharks sit atop the food chain, known for their eclectic diet that can include fish, birds, dolphins, sea turtles, rays, and even other sharks. Their stomachs often reveal a bizarre array of ingested items, from metal and plastic objects to burlap sacks, indicating their indiscriminate feeding habits.
The optimal period for diving with tiger sharks at Tiger Beach spans from October to January. Research utilizing satellite tagging has mapped out their consistent migration patterns within The Bahamas: during spring and summer, these sharks venture into the open Atlantic to mate and track the loggerhead turtle migration, returning to The Bahamas for gestation and birthing periods. Consequently, the tiger sharks at Tiger Beach are predominantly female, many of which are pregnant.
READ NEXT: GET TO KNOW THE TIGER SHARK
Caribbean Reef Shark
In the waters of the Bahamas, Caribbean Reef Sharks are among the most frequently encountered shark species.
These sharks, significantly smaller than their striped kin, typically reach lengths of 2 to 2.5 meters (6.5 to 8 feet). They feature dusky fins with minimal markings against their dark-grey bodies and contrasting white undersides. With their broad, rounded snouts and prominent eyes, Caribbean reef sharks exhibit a robust, streamlined build that can easily lead to them being confused with similar species, like the blacktip reef shark.
A distinguishing feature is an additional rear tip on their second dorsal fin, along with a slightly angled or curved first dorsal fin and longer-than-average gill slits
Their diet consists mainly of fish and sizable marine invertebrates such as rays and large crabs, captured with rapid lateral jaw movements, thanks to their acute senses and ability to detect electric fields.
Despite their abundance in Bahamian waters, global populations of Caribbean reef sharks have suffered due to extensive fishing, pushing them to the brink of being classified as ‘near threatened’ by the IUCN Red List. These sharks are hunted for their meat, leather, liver oil (used in cosmetics), and as a source of fishmeal.
Found throughout the tropical western Atlantic and Caribbean, from Florida and the Bahamas to Brazil, Caribbean reef sharks are typically reserved around humans but may approach divers out of curiosity, particularly near feeding sites. Tiger Beach and its vicinity are prime locations for diving with these sharks in the Bahamas.
Great Hammerhead Shark
Great hammerhead sharks are large, apex predators, found in coastal waters around the world. Unlike smaller hammerhead shark species, they are live solitary lives and follow long migratory routes, sometimes in excess of 1,200 kilometres (750 miles).
Their iconic hammer-shaped heads are equipped with highly-sensitive electrical receptors that allow them to sense potential prey, even when hidden under sand. The Great hammerhead’s diet is primarily made up of marine animals that live along the seafloor, such as stingrays, cephalopods (octopus and squid), crustaceans and smaller shark species.
They have been observed pinning their prey items down with the sides of their heads, while tearing them apart with their long, serrated teeth. They generally do not hunt prey larger than stingrays. On average the species reaches a length of 4 metres (13.1 feet) with the largest great hammerhead ever recorded exceeding 6.1 metres (20 feet).
Great hammerheads give birth to live young and litters are usually anywhere from 6 to 42 pups, with birthing occuring once every two years. These offspring can potentially go on to live 40 years or more.
With no natural predators, great hammerheads are only threatened by human overfishing. This comes in the form of both accidentally being caught in fishing nets, as well as specific targeting by some fisheries for their fins. Due to the size of their fins, great hammerheads are usually a favoured target.
The best place to dive with great hammerhead sharks in The Bahamas is Bimini, however during the the winter months, they can occasionally be seen at Tiger Beach and epic photographic opportunities often arise, with multiple species coming together.
Bull Shark
Among the most intimidating species in the shark family, the bull shark stands out for its unique ability to inhabit both saltwater coastal areas and freshwater environments like rivers and lakes.
Their unusual migratory habits allow them to venture far inland from the sea, increasing their encounters with humans due to their preference for shallow waters. As a result, they have been implicated in more human fatalities than any other shark species, though such incidents remain exceedingly rare.
In the rare event of a bull shark bite, it typically involves a solitary, investigative nip, after which the shark often realizes the human is not its usual prey and retreats. Nonetheless, due to the size of bull sharks, even a cautionary bite can result in serious injury or death, similar to encounters with Great Whites and Tiger Sharks.
Bull sharks are formidable predators, reaching up to 3.5 meters (11 feet) in length and weighing over 300 kilograms (700 pounds). They consume a varied diet that includes fish, birds, and marine mammals, showing little discrimination and occasionally preying on dolphins, sea turtles, and other sharks. The species is named for its blunt snout and aggressive nature, often butting prey with their heads before attacking. They have a robust, heavy-set build with long pectoral fins that may feature dark tips in younger sharks. Their underbellies are typically white, contrasting with their darker grey dorsal coloration.
Adult bull sharks have no natural predators and only reach full maturity after 15 to 20 years. Currently, they are not targeted by fisheries, but they face threats from accidental capture, especially in freshwater, and from shark culling programs designed to protect swimmers in tropical coastal areas.
For those interested in diving with bull sharks, Bimini Island in the Bahamas is a prime location, though they are sometimes spotted around the sandy areas of Tiger Beach as well. Like all sharks, bull sharks should be respected and observed from a distance, without attempting to interact or provoke them.
Lemon Shark
Recognizable for the distinct yellow-brown hue of its skin, the lemon shark is found in coral keys and mangrove forests along parts of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. They tend to favour shallow waters within naturally protected areas like river mouths, bays, reefs and mangroves. One of the world’s larger shark species, lemon sharks grow to over 3 metres (10 ft) when fully mature.
Their yellow skin colour, which inspired their name, provides the lemon shark with perfect camouflage in the shallow, sandy areas where it forages for food. This, along with a stocky build, flattened head and short snout, makes the lemon shark a highly skilful predator, preying on bony fish, crustaceans and stingrays. They have also on occasion been seen feeding on seabirds and smaller sharks.
The lemon shark’s retina is equipped with a specialised “visual streak,” which allows them to see fine details and colour. Even though they can be found venturing out into the open ocean at times, for the most part lemon sharks stick to a defined home range and congregate in groups, sometimes upwards of 20 individuals, who feed together at dawn and dusk.
During daytime hours, lemon sharks are usually found “resting” on the sea floor, allowing small fish to clean parasites off from their body. Funnily enough, these rest periods actually take up more energy than swimming as the shark must continually pump water over its gills in order to breathe.
Lemon shark’s are viviparous, which means they give birth to live young rather than lay eggs. Embryos develop inside the mother over a period of up to 12 months. Females then seek shelter in shallow ‘nurseries’ during spring or summer in order to give birth to a litter, which can be as large as 17 babies. Pups remain in the nursery for several years. Here they are sheltered from larger predators and are able to feed on nutrients provided by nearby mangroves.
The mangrove swamps of the North Bimini Lagoon gained global fame when years of research revealed that female lemon sharks born here, return to the same nursery site to deliver their own pups 15 years later.
Due to its size, the lemon shark is targeted by commercial and recreational fisheries for their fins, meat and leather and is listed as ‘Near Threatened’ on the IUCN Red List. The shark’s fins and meat are highly sought after to be sold on international markets.
Lemon sharks are extremely common in the Bahamas, especially at Tiger Beach and across Bimini.
Nurse Shark
The Nurse Shark is one of the most commonly found shark species on coral and rocky reefs throughout the eastern Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean.
They are very easy to identity thanks to their yellowish-brown colour, characteristically round heads and barbels – which they use to search for prey – similar to that of a catfish. Another trait shared with catfish, nurse sharks are one of the only shark species able to lie still for extended periods of time, and they spend the majority of the daylight hours resting in caves or under rocks, sometimes in groups.
During dusk, dawn and overnight, nurse sharks become active and seek out prey items which range from fish and rays to invertebrates. They feed through suction and swallow their prey whole.
Nurse sharks are considered a medium species which can grow to around 3 metres (10ft)
Thanks to their relative inactivity during the day, nurse sharks are not targeted by commercial fisheries and are extremely common around reefs. It’s advised to not pet nurse sharks around the mouth or to pull on their tails as some individuals have been known to bite divers or swimmers when startled them.
The best place to swim with nurse sharks in the bahamas is the Exumas. A small chain of islands with sapphire-blue waters and footprint-free beaches. The waters of Compass Cay hold a large number of sharks that islanders consider welcome guests.
Compass Cay is a private island in the Outer Exumas, where the sharks are known to to have very stable temperaments and are even said to be docile and friendly with divers.
Oceanic Whitetip Shark
The Oceanic Whitetip Shark is a wide ranging species, found throughout warm latitudes across all oceans. They are a pelagic species, living in the high seas and hunting in the open ocean.
Their name is derived from the white end-tips of their dorsal, pectoral, and tail fins. The dorsal and pectoral fins are distinctly rounded rather than pointed like with most other shark species. They are considered a medium sized shark species and generally grow to around 3 metres (10ft) and an average of 160 kilograms (350lbs).
The oceanic whitetip shark’s diet is made up of a variety of pelagic bony fish like – skipjack tuna, common dolphinfish – and squid. Though they have also been known to take sea turtles, various seabirds and marine mammals.
They play a primary role in shark feeding frenzies, which are caused when mixed groups of predatory species come together to feed, and are known to have attacked survivors of plane and shipwrecks, floating out at sea.
Oceanic whitetips are constantly on the move as they cannot pump water through their gills in the way that nurse sharks can, and so they need to be endlessly moving forward with their mouths slightly open, allowing water flow and oxygen intake from the water.
As with most larger shark species, they reproduce via internal fertilization and give birth to fully developed, live young.
Unfortunately, Oceanic whitetip fins are among the most sought after for shark fin soup and they are highly targeted by commercial fishing operations. Due to this, population numbers have decreased dramatically and still continue on a downward trend. Scientists now believe this shark is vulnerable to extinction.
Cat Island is arguably the best place on earth to dive with oceanic whitetip sharks due to strict anti-shark fishing laws in the Bahamas.
Silky Sharks
Silky sharks the largest members of the ‘ground sharks’ family and depending on geographical location, can sometimes also be known as the Grey Reef Shark, Olive, Whaler, or even Blackspot.
They are generally found in tropical, coastal and warm oceanic waters. The species has been recorded at depths of up to 500 metres, and even as shallow as 18 meters.
They are a slender-built and medium-sized species, reaching a maximum of up to 346 kilograms (750lbs) and 3.5 metres (11ft) in length. However they tend to be slightly smaller on average with females ranging between 2.1 to 2.3 metres (7.5ft) in length, and males 1.8 to 2.1 metres (6-7ft).
Named ‘Silky’ due to their smooth, soft skin, silky sharks also boast another distinctive feature, their teeth are finely serrated, unlike those of other sharks which are concave in shape.
In tropical waters, Silky Sharks breed every two years and typically give birth to between 2 and 14 live offspring per litter.
Silky sharks are known for their fast reactions and aggressive behaviour and can sometimes be observed displaying threatening body language – by raising their head, arching their back, and lowering their tail. They are a carnivorous species and typically feed on fish, squid, and pelagic crabs.
They are, unfortunately, one of the three most traded shark species in the global fin trade, and among the most common by-catch species in the tuna fishing industry. They are also one of the most commonly used species for cleaned and dried shark jaws which are sold to tourists visiting tropical countries.
Despite being the world’s most abundant shark species, the silky shark has a current global status of Vulnerable on the IUCN Redlist.
The best place to spot silky sharks in The Bahamas is the Lost Blue Hole in Nassau but they can also be seen around Andros Island all-year-round.