Grotduiken in The Bahamas

The Bahamas is a low limestone archipelago riddled with blue holes: water-filled sinkholes and cave entrances, both inland and on the sea floor, that formed when sea level was far lower during ice ages. National Geographic's 2010 expedition report estimated more than 1,000 blue holes in the country, with under a fifth of them explored. This edition documents cave and blue-hole diving on Abaco, Grand Bahama, Andros and Long Island; the caves hold scientifically important fossils, archaeological remains and rare cave-adapted animals.

Hoe toegang werkt

No single national permit system for recreational cave diving was found in the sources consulted; access depends on who controls each site. Caves inside national parks fall under the Bahamas National Trust, and Ben's Cave in Lucayan National Park is dived only with an authorised guide arranged in advance. Cave diving in the South Abaco Blue Holes Conservation Area on Abaco has been reported as guide-only, and Sawmill Sink needs a special permit because of its fossil and archaeological finds. Inland caves on private land need the landowner's permission, and scientific collecting requires a government research permit.

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