Showing posts with label Bahamas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bahamas. Show all posts

Beaches on Harbour Island, Bahamas


At a mere 3 miles in length and about 1.5 miles wide, Harbour Island -- called "Briland" by the locals -- is one of the Bahamas most-visited out islands. The eastern side is home to a wide, pink-sand beach, which extends nearly the entire length of the island, and is considered one of the world's best beaches, according to Travel Channel.

About Harbour Island

  • While Harbour Island is small compared to its sister islands, it once was the capital of the Bahamas. At the time of publication, its one and only primary town, Dunmore Town, has a population of around 2,000. It features several restaurants, hotels and resorts that range from casual to elegant to fit the needs of all visitors. The island's exceptional weather ranges between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, year-round. Harbour Island can be reached by air or ferry from its neighboring island, Eleuthera, which is 2 miles to the east.

Pink Sands Beach

  • Located on the Atlantic Ocean side, Pinks Sands Beach is the largest beach on Harbour Island. This beach is almost 100 feet wide in some areas, and stretches along the length of the island. Pink Sands Beach was named one of the world's top 10 beaches by Travel Channel in 2005 for its laid-back, small-town atmosphere, beautiful pink sands and posh resorts. It has calmer waters because of a protective barrier reef that sits just offshore -- the third-longest reef in the world -- making it a prime beach location for water-sports enthusiasts.

Other Beach Areas

  • Harbour Island's western shore is more developed, and therefore has less open beach area. Other than Pink Sands Beach, the island has three small, sandy beaches -- Girls Bank and Round Head on the western coast, and North Beach, a small patch of sand on the southeastern side. Girls Bank, located on the northwestern shore, is famous for its "Lone Tree," a singular tree that washed onto the beach in 1992 during Hurricane Andrew. Round Head is on the west side, about a mile south of the Romora Bay Resort and Marina. North Beach is on the eastern shore, about 1/4 mile north of the southern tip of the island.

Beachfront Resorts

  • Pink Sands Resort is one of the top resorts in all of the Bahamas, named third-best by "Travel + Leisure." This resort encompasses 20 acres and is the oldest on Harbour Island. It features 25 private villas with views of Pink Sands Beach and the Atlantic Ocean, a palm garden, a free-form pool and three tennis courts. Other recommended beachfront resorts include the Dunmore Beach Club, a 10-acre property with an oceanfront pool and an open-air fitness center; the Coral Sands, a plantation-style resort that sits atop a cliff overlooking the ocean; and the Runaway Hill Club, an antiquated mansion turned into an 11-room inn on 13 lush acres.

Beach Activities

  • Pink Sands Beach offers a number of relaxing and fun activities along its 3-mile beachfront. Visitors may book horseback riding tours through Coral Gardens or Dunmore Beach Club resorts. When walking along the beach, keep an eye out for villas in the sand dunes. Popular water sports around Harbour Island include snorkeling, diving, swimming, skimboarding and surf fishing. The beach is so nice and wide, and virtually uncrowded even during the high-tourism season, visitors have plenty of room for a game a volleyball, football or Frisbee. Do not forget to take in the spectacular Caribbean sunsets that gleam orange, red, pink and purple hues, over the island's turquoise waters, as they bring out the sand's pink color even more.

Pink Sand Beaches in the Bahamas


The Bahamas archipelago includes more than 700 islands and cays, the majority of them uninhabited, and miles of beaches that regularly feature in “Best of …” lists for the Caribbean and beyond. An additional facet is the scattering of pink sand beaches, which not only add a romantic flourish to the vacation experience for many visitors, but also draw beachgoers to some of the more secluded islands of the Bahamas. Chances are these beaches already are familiar to the seasoned traveler. The eponymous Pink Sands Beach on Harbour Island is, according to MSN Travel, one of the most photographed beaches in the world.

Origins

  • When coral, shells and calcium carbonate from marine crustaceans break down into their finest particles, and the mixture includes the microscopic single-cell Foraminifera, the result is a pink sand beach. “Foram” lives underneath coral, and of the 4,000 or so species, a handful carry a bright-red shell that adds a rosy hue to the bone-white talcum found throughout the Bahamas. Common around reefs throughout the Bahamas Out Islands, Foram only turns a beach pink when sufficient numbers are directed by the right currents to a final resting place of powdery sand.

Pink Sands Beach

  • Possibly the best-known salmon-tinted beach in the world, Pink Sands Beach on the east coast of Harbour Island has 3 miles of blushing, fine, powdery sand. This stunning stretch of shoreline, as wide as 100 feet in places, made "The Telegraph’s" top 10 beaches in the Caribbean list, and has garnered praise from numerous other sources. Harbour island is reached by ferry from the northern coast of Eleuthera island, which has direct air links to Florida and Nassau. There are only a few resorts on the island, but exclusive boltholes such as the 20-acre Pink Sands Resort provide the chance to enjoy the beach from dawn to sundown.

Eleuthera

  • The mother island of Eleuthera has its own pink sand beaches, which decorate the long strips of coastline on both the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea sides. Wave-riding haven Surfer Beach on the northern tip of the island, 2 miles from Gregory Town, and Lighthouse Beach, named after the striking lighthouse that stands on a limestone outcrop overlooking the waves, on the southern tip both carry a rosy hue. Alternatively, French Leave Beach is on the fringes of Governor’s Harbour, near the airport, and is home to the new French Leave Resort on this otherwise deserted strip.

Cat Island

  • East of Nassau, Cat Island measures only 48 miles in length, but claims the highest point in the Bahamas at just 206 feet. At Port Howe on the island’s southeast tip, the Greenwood Beach Resort gives its name to an 8-mile stretch of pink sand ideal for sunbathing and snorkeling during the day, and is the scene for crab hunting after dark. Elsewhere, the island is renowned for its ivory-white powdery beaches, bonefish flats, and shallow yachting anchorages.

Things to Do in Port Lucaya, Grand Bahama Island


For many, the glamour and fame of Nassau are what comes to mind when you mention a trip to the Bahamas. However, Grand Bahama Island and the many things to do in places like Port Lucaya have made this an increasingly popular destination for those seeking a more budget-friendly alternative. At just 55 miles from Florida, the picturesque beaches, duty-free shopping, lively entertainment and world-class diving in crystal clear Caribbean waters make Port Lucaya and the surrounding area Grand Bahama's favorite vacation destination.

Beaches

  • Port Lucaya has two beaches nearby, Lucaya Beach and Taino Beach. The former is on the edge of the sprawling property of the Grand Luycan Resort, formerly the Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort. Besides the gorgeous water and fine white sand, this beach's main attractions are the many bars, restaurants and rental agencies for water sports equipment like jet skis. Fodor's calls Taino Beach "arguably the most marvelous beach on the island." Part of the reason for that is the fact that it is slightly further away from the main part of Lucaya and thus attracts fewer tourists. The beach itself is made up of fluffy white sand and lacks the rocky protrusions that detract from the appeal of Lucaya Beach.

Shopping

  • Port Lucaya Marketplace is what makes Grand Bahama a favorite port of call for the cruise lines that frequent the island. Tourists can find duty-free items of every sort, including fragrances and clothing. If your hotel does not have Internet access, you will likely appreciate the Internet cafe at the marketplace. Traditional items like silver-top woven hats and baskets are also in abundance in Port Lucaya Marketplace shops. If you happen to buy something from an establishment outside of the marketplace, check for the official "authentically Bahamian" label issued by the Ministry of Tourism to avoid scams and fakes.

Entertainment

  • Visit the Grand Lucayan Resort's 24-hour casino to play on of the 30 table games or 400 slot machines or to enjoy a show at the cabaret lounge. Arrange a tee time on the par-72 championship Lucayan golf course at the resort, which was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. Increase the difficulty with a round at the nearby Reef course, where 13 of the 18 holes have water hazards making every shot count. Other public courses outside of Port Lucaya include the Sandals Emerald Reef Golf Club in Great Exuma and the Fortune Hills Golf & Country Club in Freeport. Return to the Port Lucaya Marketplace after dark to enjoy one of its nightly live shows featuring Bahamian dance tunes, gospel and karaoke. The entertainment here is split between three bars and two nightclubs. These include island staples like Joker's Wild, a Bahamian music hot spot, and Sparky's, which mixes hip-hop, house and techno to keep the crowds pumped all night long.

Water Sports

  • World-class diving is one of the Bahamas' biggest draws, and Port Lucaya does not disappoint. The Underwater Explorer Society (UNEXSO) diving center offers a variety of tours and diving programs suited to every experience level. One of the most popular tours is the Dolphin Experience, which allows visitors to interact with bottle nose dolphins in a protected environment. Board the 59-foot glass-bottomed boat Ocean Wonder to see the island's rich marine ecosystem without getting wet. Sharks, coral reefs and wide range of exotic fish await just below the surface. Charter a boat from Reef Tours for a chance to experience the excitement of deep sea fishing for marlin, tuna and mahi mahi.

Cruises to the Bahamas From South Carolina


While the Bahamas is one of the most popular stops on the Caribbean circuit, given the archipelago’s proximity to Florida, the vast majority of cruise lines leave from Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral, with the East Coast ports of New York and Baltimore also featuring as departure ports for longer cruises. That leaves only one cruise line operating out of Charleston in South Carolina. However, the lack of choice does not translate into lack of quality, and the short cruise offers a refreshing fix of tropical fun.

Carnival Fantasy

  • The only Bahamas cruise departing from Charleston is operated by Carnival Cruise Lines, whose 855-foot Carnival Fantasy home ports in South Carolina year round. At more than 20 years old, the Fantasy is comparatively old stock, but a recent refurbishment more than caters to the needs of its passenger capacity of just over 2,000. The Fantasy is the only cruise ship sailing round trip to Charleston and packs in a water park, comedy club curated by George Lopez and poolside Guy Fieri Burger Joint.

Cruise Itinerary

  • Carnival runs two cruise itineraries, a five-day cruise uniquely to the Bahamas, and a seven-day Eastern Caribbean trip which also visits Grand Turk, and stops off at Half Moon Cay. The five-day Charleston to Bahamas cruise incorporates two “Fun days at sea” between South Carolina and the Bahamas and heads directly to Nassau and Freeport, making it ideal for those who want to treat themselves to a perfunctory blast of winter sun without straying too far afield. These short cruises are also among the more economical -- it is quite possible to subsist entirely on complimentary dining and entertainment, without the cost of onshore excursions.

Bahamas Basics

  • Although the Bahamas stretches across some 700 islands and more than 2,000 cays, cruise activity is focused around two areas only: Freeport in Grand Bahama, which is less than a hundred miles from the Florida coast; and Nassau on New Providence Island, home of Paradise Island and Atlantis. Both islands offer outstanding opportunities for snorkeling, diving, shopping and dining; however, Freeport distinguishes itself through its casinos while Nassau is famed for its straw market and waterpark at Atlantis, an oasis of water slides, artificial rivers and pools.

Private Islands

  • As well as the frenetic delights and full-on activity of Freeport and Nassau, Carnival also maintains a private island in the Bahamas where passengers can relax at a steadier pace, if not exactly escape the crowds. One hundred miles from Nassau, Half Moon Cay is a natural bird sanctuary, but otherwise home to a 2.5-mile crescent beach served by bars, restaurants and activities. Passengers can enjoy free buffet dining on shore and the use of beach loungers, but typically pay for extras including excursions, alcohol and souvenir purchases. These can be charged to the onboard account, however.

Things to Do in High Rock, the Bahamas


High Rock, a picturesque village on the East End of Grand Bahama Island, got its name from a 20-foot rocky bluff between the coast road and the ocean. While the old-time settlement's sign calls it the "Home of Hospitality," the village has been little touched by tourism. However, beautiful scenery, national parks, coral reefs and Bahamian cuisine provide much for the visitor to experience in the High Rock area.

Explore Quaint Villages

  • Villages in the High Rock area make interesting places to walk. High Rock itself is dominated by a red and white striped miniature lighthouse built by a local churchman. The lighthouse stands in a small park across the road from a chapel. A short walk down the beach leads to a small cemetery. Pelican Point, 15 minutes east of High Rock on the Grand Bahama Highway, has a pretty beach with several cottages and another seaside cemetery.

Dive or Snorkel Peterson Cay

  • Peterson Cay National Park, 30 minutes southwest of High Rock, is a 1.5-acre park 1 mile from shore. The park is made up of Peterson Cay and the surrounding quarter-mile of marine environment. Peterson Cay's reef offers opportunities for snorkeling and diving. The waters are home to manta rays, barracudas and a variety of tropical fish. The cay's sandy beaches are also a good place to picnic.

Visit Lucayan National Park

  • Lucayan National Park, named after the natives who originally inhabited the area, is home to one of the world's largest underwater cave systems. Two caves are open to the public, but a special permit is required to dive in them. Boardwalks lead through the park to various ecosystems, including a secluded dune-covered beach. An offshore coral reef provides a beautiful place to snorkel if you bring your own equipment. Lucayan bones and artifacts are often found in the area.

Taste Local Flavors

  • The restaurant at Bishop's Resort, directly on the beach in High Rock, serves homemade Bahamian favorites such as cracked conch, broiled lobster and grouper accompanied with the traditional dish of peas and rice. The restaurant claims to have the best conch in the world. Another place to sample Bahamian cuisine is Billy Joe's on the Beach, 15 miles west in Freeport. Billy Joe calls himself "The Conch Man," and serves up local specialties that include conch salad, sauteed lobster and fresh snapper. Meals are often accompanied by a bonfire, musical entertainment and a limbo contest.

What to Do in Nassau, Bahamas Without Paying for Shore Excursions


Almost a million cruise ship passengers are disgorged onto the streets of Nassau each year, making this port on the tip of New Providence island one of the busiest on a Caribbean cruise. While the policemen in pith helmets and horse-drawn carriages hark from a bygone era, Nassau is a modern, bustling and tourist-friendly spot. The flip side is that it can be crowded. A short flight from the U.S. mainland, and an early stop on the short Caribbean circuit, Nassau lures the majority of its visitors swiftly to awaiting excursions. However, those who want to avoid the high prices of the Atlantis Resort, or tour at their own pace, will find plenty of alternatives to the scheduled excursion.

Idyllic Beaches

  • With year-round sunshine and temperatures in the mid-80s Fahrenheit, the simplest option of all is to head for the beach. Cruise Critic counts 52 of them around Nassau, both man-made and natural. In the shadow of some busy resorts, Junkanoo is the nearest to the cruise terminal. Farther afield, a short ride from downtown in a No. 10 jitney (bus), you'll find Cable Beach in the hotel district, a four-mile stretch of powder sand fringed by giant resorts, casinos and restaurants. Cabbage Beach on the northern side of Paradise Island has three miles of sand backed by casuarina trees, with excellent water sports and snorkeling. Pedestrians can cross from Nassau onto Paradise Island via the free bridge.

Famous Landmarks

  • Independent visitors can comfortably cover downtown Nassau on foot and explore some historic landmarks from the colonial era. Marking the entrance to downtown is Gregory Arch on Market Street, built in the 1850s in honor of the then-governor. Equally impressive, but with the added kudos of being Nassau’s most visited tourist attraction, Queen’s Staircase rises to Fort Fincastle via 65 steps hewn from the limestone by 600 slaves, a feat which took 16 years to accomplish. The staircase is a shortcut to Bennet’s Hill, the highest point in Nassau, with great views. The 18th century Fort Charlotte is another prominent city bastion, concealing a network of underground passageways and dungeons. Admission is free.

Food and Shopping

  • Cracked conch, a true delicacy not to be missed, is the Bahamian specialty. Devotees worship at Arawak Cay, a man-made island known locally as The Fish Fry, where local stands also dish out shrimp, lobster and fresh fish. The spot is busy on weekend evenings. Alternatively, investigate the seafood shacks of Potter’s Cay beneath the Paradise Island Bridge. The port’s busiest thoroughfare, Bay Street, is a haven of duty-free shopping and boutiques. One of its more charming offshoots is the Straw Market, where around 450 vendors hawk traditional Bahamian crafts, straw hats, conch shell jewelry and Junkanoo crafts.

Historical Nassau

  • Culture vultures will find Nassau one of the more historically interesting stops on a Caribbean tour, characterized by Old Nassau’s distinctive pink buildings. Parliament Square is an ideal point of departure, home of the government buildings including the Senate, House of Assembly and Supreme Court, overlooked by the imperious gaze of Queen Victoria, enshrined in a marble statue. Government House was built in 1737 and remains one of the best examples of Colonial Georgian architecture. Today, the building is home to the Bahamas’ governor. For further exploration of Bahamian culture, the Junkanoo Museum celebrates the islands’ annual carnival celebration, while the Bahamas Historical Museum packs in 500 years of Bahamian culture. It is, however, closed in July and August.

Top 5 Things to Do on Atlantis Island in the Bahamas


You could spend your entire vacation zipping from the Bahamas’ tropical beaches to shopping districts on ragged roads before heading to waterfront restaurants that feature evening dolphin sightings, and leave more tired than when you arrived. Or, you could stay at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island and find everything you need in one spot included in the price of your hotel room. In addition to the restaurants, night clubs and shopping found on the property, there are a few stand-out attractions on the island.

Swim with Dolphins

  • At Dolphin Cay, you can swim with dolphins, or be a trainer for the day. The 14-acre marine habitat is home to sea lions and more than 30 dolphins, some of which were replaced from Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, or born to them since joining the facility. Wade into waist-deep waters to interact with the friendly bottlenose dolphins, or swim and snorkel alongside the gentle creatures in deeper waters. You’ll be equipped with hand-held water scooters or swim fins.

Play the Slots

  • Set alongside the resort’s lagoons, the massive casino is the largest in the Caribbean with 750 slot machines, three bars, two restaurants and 80 table games of all varieties. Try your luck at a blackjack, baccarat, poker, craps or roulette table, or at one of the many tournaments held at the casino. Head over to The Cove, a more adults-only section of the resort, to place a bet on a sporting event, or indulge in some poolside gaming. Designed to appear underwater, Gamer’s Reef is where kids can try their hand at arcade games themed around Star Wars, karate or driving.

Snorkel and Swim the Day Away

  • Where else can you snorkel through the ruins of a fictional lost city? In the Ruins Lagoon, you can swim alongside exotic tropical fish. The resort organizes two and a half-hour snorkel excursions that will allow you to explore coral reefs and learn about the local marine wildlife from a trained expert. Those with SCUBA certification can take a half-day trip to explore close-by wrecks and reefs. For a lower-key day, stay closer to the resort at one of its 11 pools or more than 20 swimming areas. Each spot is different, such as the Paradise Lagoon, a five-story Mayan temple replica with water slides. Head to the relatively-secluded stretch of beach in Dolphin Cay, and you’ll be sharing the beach with fewer tourists and guests. You may even be greeted by a dolphin if you venture into the water.

Go on The Dig

  • Explore the ancient streets of the lost city of Atlantis, which is divided up into separate exhibits, each presenting a different species of exotic marine wildlife. In all, there are 100 venomous lionfish, 500 piranhas and nine species of groupers, including the goliath grouper which can weigh more than 800 pounds at maturity. There’s even a touch tank where guests can interact with horseshoe crabs, sea urchins and starfish. The moray eel exhibit features green eels that get their color because a yellow mucous layer covers the dark blue skin of the fish.

Have an Aquaventure

  • More than 20 million gallons of water flow through the resort’s 63 acres of water attractions that are collectively known as Aquaventure. The “labyrinth of meandering streams and waterfalls,” as Frommer’s calls it, is free for hotel guests as most resort attractions are. Float down the mile-long river ride that is punctuated with wave surges, tunnels and rapids, or race down one of the high-speed water slides. Kids can play and frolic in their own fort-themed area or choose one of 12 climbing surfaces in the Climber’s Rush climbing facility.

Can You Find Seashells in the Bahamas?


Blue skies. Waving palm trees. Pink-sand beaches. Queen conch shells. The Bahamas. Scuba divers and snorkelers know it very well. The surface of the clear, turquoise-blue water surrounding the islands is like a portal into another world. But don't sell short the beaches those waters splash onto. Hunting for shells on the beaches of the Bahamas is nothing short of fantastic: A treasure trove of colorful and exotic seashells awaits both the casual and serious collector.

Those Far Out Islands

  • The beaches of the Out Islands -- or in the waters just beyond them -- are where the most shells are to be found. Among these islands, which can be reached by either boat or plane, are the Abacos, a 120-mile-long chain of small islands separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a string of barrier islands. The water sandwiched between these two lines of islands is a shallow, turquoise-blue snorkeler’s paradise called the Sea of Abaco. In terms of shelling to be enjoyed on other Out Islands, Andros Island is adjacent to the planet’s third biggest barrier reef. Crooked Island has miles of undisturbed sandy beaches, coral gardens, limestone caves and even the remains of a British fort built to defend the island from pirates. And Eleuthera is a pencil thin island with miles of both pink- and white-sand beaches to scour.

The Old Shell Game

  • Hundreds of marine species produce exquisite shells found in the shallow waters or lying on the high water lines of the Out Island beaches. Sand dollars are common. The shells of the large queen conch (pronounced “conk”), which are the only conch eaten in the islands, are found just about everywhere. More exotic shells, like king, queen or emperor helmet shells are also found around the Out Islands, as are West Indies clank, pink conch and roller conch shells. You might also find a relatively rare rooster conch shell around Crooked Island, small bleeding tooth nerite snail shells just about everywhere and even a few bivalve shells such as the pen shell or the sunrise tellin.

A Sunset of Shells

  • A whole plethora of shells will be found on the beaches at low tide, particularly near the high tide mark. Somerset Creek Beach on Andros Island, in fact, got its name from the fact that millions of shells of varying colors are deposited in bands as the tides recede until the mile-long stretch of shoreline begins to look like the graduating colors of the setting sun. On Eleuthera, meanwhile, heaps of queen conch, netted olive, true tulip shells and others pile up in mounds on the beaches, particularly after hurricanes. It wasn't a mistake, after all, that Eleuthera was named one of the top shelling beaches on the east coast by Coastal Living magazine.

What Treasures Lie Below

  • Another way to look for shells is with a mask and snorkel in the clear, calm, shallow waters off the Out Islands, which abound with living shells. Conch feed by the hundreds in the thick seaweed. Rooster conch, not an easy shell to find, have been found among the rocky reefs off Crooked Island. And snorkelers might even find Triton’s trumpet shells as big as 18 inches long in the shallows. There are no restrictions on collecting and taking empty shells home, but shellers admiring live mollusks should leave them and their shells in the sea to ensure the species' future.

Diving Sites in Nassau, Bahamas


With clear water, vibrant coral reefs, shipwrecks and big-time marine life, Nassau, in the Bahamas, is a place scuba divers flock to for underwater adventure in the Caribbean. The city, on the small island of New Providence, sports a plethora of dive sites within a short boat ride of its coasts, offering experiences for divers of all skill levels and certifications.

In The Shallows

  • Shallow reefs make the waters off of Nassau some of the best diving in the region. Spots like 5 Dollar Reef, known for its colorful coral -- plus frequent sightings of stingrays and sea turtles -- are set in just 35 feet of water. One of the island's most popular dive sites, Southwest Reef, is famous for its colonies of elkhorn and star coral, as well as an abundance of Nassau grouper, spiny lobsters and, of course, reef sharks -- a common sight around most of Nassau's waters.

Shipwrecked

  • Shipwrecks abound in the waters around Nassau. Two of the most popular are famous for their use in James Bond films -- the Tears of Allah, a former tugboat, appeared in "Never Say Never Again," and the Vulcan Bomber was an underwater set in "Thunderball." Both lie in about 50 feet of water, accessible by any certified diver. Other area wrecks include a 130-foot freighter, the Willaurie, that sunk in 55 feet of water, and the David Tucker II, a former patrol boat. Numerous sharks are usually found around the Tucker, since dive operators do shark feedings nearby.

Against The Wall

  • Coral reef cliffs, known as "walls" to divers, are also plentiful around Nassau. Razorback Wall starts at a depth of about 35 feet, home to an array of sponges, sea fans and schools of spadefish. Coral-lined tunnels lead to the dropoff, which sinks well beyond visible range. Lyford Cay Wall is another popular spot, also in 35 feet of water -- before the drop. Southwest Wall, at the edge of Southwest Reef, presents a coral canyon that goes on for miles and is often topped with sponges; it's also another spot known for having a lot of sharks swimming around.

Shark Frenzy

  • Divers who want to get up close and personal with the ocean's top predators can head to the Runway and Shark Arena. Several dive operators bring divers here for an unforgettable experience -- starting a feeding frenzy. Divers kneel on the sand while divemasters ring the dinner bell and chum the waters. Dozens of Caribbean reef sharks swarm in to take the bait. The sharks generally leave the humans alone, but divers are clad in chainmail, just in case. The truly adventurous can even try hand-feeding the passing sharks.