The Continental Shelf

Max Depth: 130 ft.
Dive Type: Drift
Location: North Bimini

Beginning on Bimini's western shoreline there is a gradual tapering of depth, through the 3 reef lines, until you get to approximately 80 ft. At that point, the bottom becomes a sandy and primarily barren plateau until you get to about 120 ft. Between 120 ft and 145 ft the drop off becomes much more drastic until at 145 ft it drops off sheer and vertical to between 2000 and 3000 ft. This drop off is Bimini's Continental Shelf and is also where the Great Bahama Bank meets the Gulfstream.

If you check your Grammar School geography you'll find that the narrowest passage through which the Gulf Stream passes between 2 land masses is between Bimini and Miami FL. That's why, 9 out of 10 days the Gulf Stream current is literally flying past Bimini's Continental Shelf.

This is a group dive where you are buddied up with the divemaster, the tethered drift line, and the dive boat following above. The Bimini Undersea dive team uses a precisely measured and weighted line with a large float attached to the top. The Captain places the boat and the drift line precisely over the point where the shelf drops from 145 ft to 2000 ft. The dive group then descends down to the bottom of the line and takes a wild ride.

Divers dangle on the end of the line as the bottom drifts by. Directly underneath you and off to your left is the deep indigo blue of the Gulf Stream Abyss. To the right and just below you is the underwater cliff side known as the Continental Shelf. Because of the depth it is a relatively short no-deco dive so you never know what you might see. It is however not uncommon to see Sharks, Tuna, Bonita, Amberjack, Horse Eyed Jacks, and Goliath Groupers. Although nowhere near as common, divers have seen Sailfish, Saw-toothed File Fish, and on one occasion, a Whale Shark.

This dive was originated by Guinness Book World SCUBA Depth Record holder Neal Watson back in the late 1970s when he first founded Bimini Undersea Adventures. The dive was passed on to Nowdla and Bill when they took over as owners of Bimini Undersea in 1987. Originally the dive profile was 140 ft for 10 minutes. The Keefe's have refined and modified the dive to conform with today's dive standards.

This is a novelty type dive that might not be everyone's cup of tea. Needless to say though, over the years it has been one of the most popular dives on our repertoire. Under the worst of conditions it is a good dive. Under the best of conditions it may very well turn out to be one of the most thrilling dives of your life.