Scuba Season
Underwater reef at Exuma Cays
Declining

Exuma Cays

Bahamas · Atlantic Ocean

The Exuma Cays are a 200km chain of Bahamian islands with clear water, swimming pigs (yes), Thunderball Grotto (Bond movie cave), and the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park's no take reefs.

How this reef is doing

ⓘ How we measure this

Reef state

Declining

Total reef fish biomass inside this fully protected reserve runs about seven times higher than on fished reefs nearby, concentrated in large predators (Lamb and Johnson 2010); the state shown reflects coral cover lost to recent heat, not the fish that protection keeps abundant.

Coral cover

22%
LowHealthy
Moderate

Fish life

Not surveyed

Heat

SafeBleaching

Warmer than usual right now, but not hot enough to bleach.

Warming

Fishing

QuietBusy

Some fishing is allowed here, in marked zones.

Limited

Sources · MERMAID and partner coral surveys · NOAA Coral Reef Watch · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity

Fish abundance

Fish seen per survey

Across 29 years of REEF volunteer surveys around The Exuma Islands, divers have recorded a steady amount of fish per survey. This tracks fish life, standardised for survey effort, so we keep it separate from the coral read above.

Fish abundance over time

411996199920022005200820112014201720212026
29 survey years, 1996 to 2026
REEF · The Exuma Islands · 3,137 surveys

What you will see

12 species across the dive sites here

Dive sites

What divers say

The Exumas are the Bahamas postcards come to life. Diving is the bonus.
— Repeat visitor

Good to know

Park rules

Strict no take in the marine park. Fines for non compliance.

Gear & getting wet

  • Basic kit

    • Mask and fins
    • BCD and regulator
    • 3mm full wetsuit · warm water
    • Dive computer

  • For specific sites

    • Dive light · Thunderball Grotto
    • Dark-color gloves · Danger Reef