San Salvador · Bahamas · Wall
Shark Alley
Sharks seen off the deep wall or over the 24 m (80 ft) plateau
Area photo: James St. John · CC BY 2.0
Shark Alley is a stepped wall offshore of Longbay, twelve minutes by boat from the Riding Rock marina. The drop runs from 14 m (45 ft) to a plateau at 24 m (80 ft) and again to 37 m (120 ft), a coral ridge with tunnels runs beside it, and sharks are often seen in the deep water.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows San Salvador and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
The boat moors in 14 m (45 ft), and the wall lies behind it, running away from shore at an angle. It drops in steps, from 14 to 24 m (45 to 80 ft) and again to 37 m (120 ft). Large coral heads rising to 18 m (60 ft) stand about 15 m (50 ft) off the wall and form a ridge running some 60 m (200 ft) to the northeast, pierced by coral tunnels that lead out over the wall.
The route crosses the reef, goes over the wall to the first big coral head on the right, and follows the outside of the ridge for about 60 m (200 ft) while watching the blue. It doubles back along the wall edge and, with air to spare, continues southwest along the edge before returning to the boat. Sharks are often seen in the deep water or over the 24 m (80 ft) plateau; reef fish crowd the wall top and rare hamlets live in the deeper area.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good |
Season follows San Salvador: Hammerheads are seen in the cooler winter months; June to November is the Bahamas hurricane season, when rain storms are expected.
Questions divers ask
Are sharks seen at Shark Alley on San Salvador?+
Sharks are frequently seen off in the deep water at Shark Alley or over the plateau at 24 m (80 ft).
How deep is Shark Alley?+
The boat moors in 14 m (45 ft); the wall drops to a plateau at 24 m (80 ft) and then again to 37 m (120 ft).
Sources
- Shark Alley | Riding Rock Resort & Marina — Riding Rock Resort & Marina
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Three crevices and a lone coral head shaped like a claw
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A keyhole tunnel through a split-off ridge, marked by hanging rope sponges
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A crevice over 60 m (200 ft) long, branching into caves and tunnels
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A chimney-like vertical cave dropping into a crevice out over the wall
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A straight cliff to 30 m (100 ft) two minutes from the marina
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Hammerheads occasionally swim parallel to the wall above the deep ledge
Approachable schools of grunts and squirrelfish on a shallow photo reef
Similar dives elsewhere
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A coral wall to 42 m with turtles and sharks