Bimini · Bahamas · Wall · Reef
Rainbow Valley
Sloping Victory Reef wall with swim-throughs out of the current
Area photo: mattk1979 · CC BY-SA 2.0
Rainbow Valley is part of the Victory Reef system south of Bimini, a long stretch of sloping wall running from 11 m down to 23 m. Gulf Stream current runs across this strip, but the reef is cut with many swim-throughs that offer shelter. Turtles and reef sharks live along the strip, and hammerheads, wahoo, mahi mahi and bluefin tuna migrate through it from March to May.
Where it is and how deep
25.5508° N, 79.2866° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The site is a long section of the same sloping wall that carries Victory Reef, starting at 11 metres on the reef top and running down to 23 on the lower slope. That range lets the dive be shaped to the conditions: deep along the wall when it is calm, or shallow along the top when the Gulf Stream is pushing hard across the strip.
Current is what this area is known for, and the reef has many swim-throughs where divers can drop out of the flow, look around, and rejoin it further along. The strip is home to turtles and reef sharks, and from March to May hammerheads, wahoo, mahi mahi and bluefin tuna move through on migration, so time spent watching the blue water off the wall is rarely wasted.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Reef sharks
- Hammerheads
- Tuna
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good |
Season follows Bimini: Great hammerheads are most consistent December–March; September–October bring peak hurricane risk to the northern Bahamas.
Know before you go
- Gulf Stream current runs across the whole strip; use the swim-throughs and the reef structure for shelter rather than swimming against the flow.
Sources
- Rainbow Valley — Scubago
- Diving sites Bahamas Bimini — Dive The World
More dive sites in Bimini
Reef
Coral heads standing 8 m off the sand, full of swim-throughs
Wreck
A 60 m barge upright on sand at the Gulf Stream's edge
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Rows of beachrock slabs in 6 m, argued over since 1968
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Resident female reef sharks over a maze of coral heads
Sand slope
Great hammerheads on open sand at roughly 6 m
Reef
Coral patches worked as a mild north-bound drift
Wreck
A shallow seagrass wreck with resident loggerhead turtles
Reef
Research cables and old anchors scattered over white sand
Similar dives elsewhere
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