Andros Barrier Reef snorkel and dive trip

Off the east coast of Andros, a barrier reef runs for about 140 miles, a mile or two from shore, and just beyond it the sea floor drops away into the Tongue of the Ocean, a trench some 2,000 metres deep. Boats from the settlements along this shore reach the reef in a few minutes, which is why dive days here are short hops rather than long rides.

Inside the reef, staghorn and elkhorn coral grow in water 3 to 6 metres deep, easy snorkelling over sand, seagrass and patch reefs. Divers go further out to The Wall, where the reef top sits at around 21 to 37 metres and then plunges straight down, or to The Flat, where coral heads rise from the bottom and break the surface at low tide. Blue holes, caverns, wrecks and a shark observation dive round out the menu, so a week of diving rarely repeats a site. Bring your certification card, and expect to show you can clear a mask and regulator on the first dive.

Two stretches, the North and South Marine Parks, are no-take zones with a warden, protecting grouper, snapper, spiny lobster and queen conch.