Planning a trip?
Hotels, dive operators, gear, and how to get here are on the Tiger Beach location page.
Overview
From December to March, great hammerheads up to 4 m long patrol a shallow white sand flat on the lee side of South Bimini, the most reliable encounter with this species anywhere in the Atlantic. Divers kneel on the bottom at around 6 m while a baited handler draws the sharks in to glide past at arm's length, scalloped heads sweeping the sand. Nurse sharks and wintering bull sharks crowd the same flat, and the Gulf Stream runs along the deep edge just offshore. Visibility stays high over the pale sand, making this one of the great wide angle shark photography dives.
Briefing note
Baited, guided shark dive run by Bimini operators; the great hammerhead season runs roughly November to April and peaks January to March. Expect a long, shallow dive kneeling on sand while sharks are drawn in with bait. Nurse and bull sharks share the site, and a Gulf Stream current runs along the nearby drop. This is a pelagic encounter dive, not a reef or coral site.
What you'll see
4 species curated- seasonalGreat hammerheadPeak: Dec · Jan · Feb · Mar
- year-roundNurse shark
- seasonalBull sharkPeak: Dec · Jan · Feb
- year-roundCaribbean reef shark
Reef data for this area
Jurisdiction-level snapshotsBenthic snapshot — AGRRA
The Bahamas (AGRRA)
Current mean coral cover
14.2%in 2019
Earlier survey
17%in 2013
↓ -2.8 pts
AGRRA Caribbean benthic transects across multiple Bahamian banks. Wide variance across the Bahamian banks; the AGRRA composite trends down through the 2010s.
Reported at the jurisdictionscale, not the dive site — the published surveys don’t resolve a single reef. AGRRA Bahamas country report →
Conditions
| Month | Water | Visibility | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23–25 °C | 12–25 m | mild |
| Feb | 23–25 °C | 12–25 m | mild |
| Mar | 24–26 °C | 15–25 m | mild |
| Apr | 25–27 °C | 15–30 m | mild |
| May | 26–28 °C | 15–30 m | mild |
| Jun | 28–29 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Jul | 29–30 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Aug | 29–31 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Sep | 28–30 °C | 18–28 m | mild |
| Oct | 27–29 °C | 15–25 m | mild |
| Nov | 25–27 °C | 12–25 m | mild |
| Dec | 24–26 °C | 12–25 m | mild |
Season calendar
Peak season highlighted · current month outlined
Gear for this site
Beyond the basic kit- 5mm wetsuit — Divers kneel still on the sand for the whole dive; winter water near 23C chills you without the extra neoprene.
- Wide angle camera — Four metre hammerheads pass within arm's reach over bright sand, the classic close focus wide angle shot.
Next step
Book your trip to Tiger Beach
Hotels, liveaboards, dive operators, gear recommendations, and travel logistics for the whole region.
Plan your trip →Some links earn us a commission. Learn more