Nassau & New Providence · Bahamas · Wreck · Artificial reef
Ray of Hope
A 60 m freighter sunk upright in 2003, bow at 12 m
Area photo: Rüdiger Stehn · CC BY-SA 2.0
A 200 ft (60 m) cargo ship, built in Germany and working out of Haiti, deliberately sunk upright on 7 July 2003 on sand at the edge of the Tongue of the Ocean wall. The bow rests at 40 ft (12 m) and the stern at 60 ft (18 m), which puts the whole hull inside Open Water depths, and sharks and pelagic fish patrol the water over the deck.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Nassau & New Providence and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
The ship sits upright directly behind the Bahama Mama, bow at 40 ft (12 m) and stern at 60 ft (18 m), so the deck line slopes gently along the 200 ft (60 m) hull. Most dives drop onto the shallow end and work aft, which keeps the profile inside Open Water limits for the whole swim and leaves the deepest part of the dive for the middle of the tank rather than the end.
The wreck lies on sand at the edge of the Tongue of the Ocean wall, and sharks and pelagic fish work the water over the deck, which is as much of a draw as the ship itself. A slow lap of the hull, aft along the deck, around the stern at 18 m and back up the far side, fills most of a tank at this depth, and finishing over the bow at 12 m leaves plenty of gas for a long safety stop. The holds, cabins and passageways are open to divers with the training for them.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Ray of Hope
- Type
- Cargo ship
- Length
- 60 m (197 ft)
- Sunk
- 2003
- Cause
- Deliberately sunk on 7 July 2003
- Lies
- Upright on sand at the edge of the Tongue of the Ocean wall, bow at 12 m and stern at 18 m
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Nassau & New Providence: Diving is year-round; Nov–May is calmest and clearest, and Aug–Oct hurricane season brings the most cancelled days.
Dive videos
Ray Of Hope Wreck. Nassau Bahamas · Jim Ryan on YouTube
Sources
- Nassau/New Providence Dive Sites — Dive The World
In The Logbook
- Ships sunk on purpose, and where to dive themWrecks · 14 min read
- Your first wreck dive: what to expect and whereFirst dives · 6 min read
More dive sites in Nassau & New Providence
Wreck
A film-prop Cessna 310 at 18 m beside the Clifton Wall
Blue hole
A 30 m-wide hole rimmed with coral at 12 m, dropping to 60 m
Artificial reef
A 60-ton, five-metre sculpture standing in five metres of water
Reef
Sea fans and sponge-covered coral heads in 8 m of water
Reef
Dozens of Caribbean reef sharks at 12 m, on a baited feed
Artificial reef
Connery's escape freighter, 30 m of hull in 12 m of water
Artificial reef
A Thunderball film prop under coral and sponges at 12 m
Similar dives elsewhere
Three sunk ships and a retired underwater habitat in one bay
A sunken fuel barge lying right alongside Malmok reef
A retired Coast Guard cutter turning into reef in a fish sanctuary
A 1940 Navy fuel barge under a mesh kraken, in 17 m