Tiger Beach

The name describes it exactly: a shallow pale sandbank where tiger sharks come to you. Divers settle in a line on the bottom in six or seven meters of water while crates of bait scent the current, and within minutes the first broad, striped shape materializes out of the haze. Lemon sharks pile up by the dozen, snuffling at the sand, and tigers of three and four meters make slow, confident passes close enough to count the gill slits. There is no reef to speak of and no need for one; the theater is the point, and bottom times often stretch past an hour in the warm shallows.

The moment you come for: Multiple tiger sharks at touching distance, lemon shark packs, hour-plus shallow bottom times

Topography: Flat white sand with scattered seagrass and small patch reefs

Current: Tidal flow across the bank is usually gentle but can pick up.

Entry: Reached by day boat from West End or by Florida-based liveaboards anchoring over the bank.

Hazards: Baited encounter with large predatory sharks; follow crew protocols exactly, wear dark gloves and hood, keep hands close, and never linger on the surface.

Conservation: The Bahamas has been a legally designated shark sanctuary since 2011; commercial shark fishing is banned throughout its waters.