Bimini · Bahamas · Reef · Pelagic & blue water
Victory Reef
Sponge bank from 15 m to 35 m with pelagics off the edge
Area photo: mattk1979 · CC BY-SA 2.0
A sloped bank of sponges and corals on Bimini's offshore fringe, running from 15 m down to 35 m before it breaks at a step and slopes away again. This is a depth dive rather than a coral-garden dive, and much of the interest is on the blue side: turtles and reef sharks on the slope, hammerheads crossing it, and wahoo, mahi mahi and bluefin tuna out in the open water.
Where it is and how deep
25.4712° N, 79.2602° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Drop in over the top of the bank and settle around 15 m, where the sponges and corals start and the ground begins to tilt. Follow the slope obliquely rather than straight down, with the bank on one shoulder and open water on the other, letting the gradient take you deeper in stages. At 35 m the bank breaks at a step and slopes away again beyond any recreational plan, which makes that step the sensible place to turn.
Watch the blue as much as the reef. Reef sharks work the area and hammerheads pass through, turtles sit among the sponges, and further out the water carries wahoo, mahi mahi and bluefin tuna, which migrate through from March to May. The profile ends the way it started, slowly back up the bank with a long stop over the shallow top, and the depth usually makes this a single deep dive rather than one you repeat.
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.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Victory Reef?+
The bank of sponges and corals slopes from 15 m to 35 m, then steps down into a further slope. Most dives turn at 35 m, which puts the site firmly in Advanced Open Water territory and usually makes it a single deep dive.
Sources
- Diving sites Bahamas Bimini — Dive The World
- OpenStreetMap: Victory Reef — OpenStreetMap
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