Compass Cay Exuma is a gem in the crown that is the Bahamas, but it’s also one that not every traveler to the country gets to see. While islands like New Providence, Freeport, and Bimini attract crowds of tourists, the Exumas remain comparatively quiet.
Although this is understandable since the Exumas are less accessible than other areas in the Bahamas, getting to the region is something you’ll want to do. From crystal-clear water visible from space to stunning beaches and unique wildlife like the Compass Cay sharks, no trip to the Bahamas is complete without spending some time exploring the Exumas. Luckily, with air travel, it’s now easier than ever to see the Exuma sharks and other sites in the area.
Learn more about Compass Cay Exuma here.
If you’re wondering how you can participate in a Bahamas swim with sharks experience, you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to break down everything you need to know about the Compass Cay sharks and the region, in general.
Read on to learn more!
The Compass Cay Marina services everything from tiny sailboats to massive yachts.
Compass Cay Exuma: What Can You See?
The Exumas 101
Compass Cay is one of 365 islands in the Exumas, a region found to the south of Nassau. While the country’s capital and some of the surrounding islands are full of tourists arriving on cruise ships and through the international airport, the Exumas are comparatively quiet. You’ll find life there to be more laid-back and less hectic – even around famous sites, like the Compass Cay Marina.
But besides being more peaceful, the Exumas also offer some of the prettiest sites in the world. As mentioned, the water is so vividly blue that you can see Compass Cay Exuma and the entire region from space. It’s impossible to appreciate how beautiful it is until you experience it in person!
Compass Cay Exuma and the surrounding islands have some of the brightest water in the world.
The region also houses some of the most unique attractions in the country. You can see the Compass Cay sharks and even embark on a swim with nurse sharks Bahamas experience. Likewise, you can also see the famous Exuma Pigs on the nearby Pig Island (Big Major Cay).
Those sorts of sites make the Exumas a can’t-miss destination on any Bahamas vacation.
Getting to the Exumas
You won’t find cruise ships that pass through the Exumas, nor will you find international airports that allow you to reach the islands from other countries. However, there is a convenient way to reach the islands that more and more people are taking advantage of: air travel!
Most people looking to see the Bahamas sharks at the Compass Cay Marina take the ferry from Nassau to the Exumas. However, this ends up wasting hours’ worth of time, especially when you factor in things like check-in. In contrast, flights from Nassau to Staniel Cay can have you landed and ready to explore the Exumas in around a half-hour.
Compass Cay has beaches, sharks, luxury yachts, and more.
When you sign up for Bahamas day trips by plane from Nassau or Miami, you get to save time, ensuring that you have more time to appreciate the local sites. You also get to travel in comfort and style, as well as beat the crowds of people that plague the ferry. It’s the best way to reach Compass Cay Exuma!
Compass Cay: Home of the Bahamas Sharks
Like many of the islands in the Bahamas, Compass Cay isn’t large — it’s just a couple of square miles. However, those few miles contain a menagerie of sites that make it one of the highlights in the country.
While there’s no such thing as an ugly island in the Bahamas, Compass Cay Exuma is especially beautiful. On it, you’ll find pristine white sand beaches lined with palm trees and bordered by bright-blue water. It’s a place where you’ll want to pinch yourself to make sure you’re not dreaming!
Crescent Beach on Compass Cay Exuma is the quintessential Bahamas beach.
However, although they’re beautiful, it’s not the beaches that make Compass Cay famous. It’s the Compass Cay sharks!
The owner of the Compass Cay Marina is a huge fan of sharks, and in the past, he managed to more or less tame a school of them. They’ve stuck around the waters by the marina ever since, multiplying over the years. Today, the site is one of the best places in the world to get up close and personal with nurse sharks.
Nurse sharks can get large, but they’re rarely aggressive towards humans.
Swim With Nurse Sharks Bahamas: Making the Dream a Reality
If you’re more comfortable watching the Exuma sharks from the pier, you can do that. You’ll still get a great view of all of them swimming around in the water. However, if you are looking for a swim with nurse sharks Bahamas experience, the Compass Cay marina is the place to do it.
When the water is high enough, tour guides and staff at the marina will prepare food for the Exuma sharks on a pier that extends out into the water. From there, you’ll find several stepladders that you can use to hop in the water along with them.
Once you’re in, you can watch the sharks swim around you as they eat, and of course, have your picture taken with them. The staff and tour guides will encourage you not to make any aggressive or sudden movements towards the sharks, but the Bahamas swim with sharks experience remains a thrilling one nonetheless.
Nurse Sharks Bahamas: Are They Dangerous?
If you don’t know much about sharks, the idea of hopping in the water to swim with them might sound crazy. After all, most people have seen movies like Jaws and know that shark attacks happen. Thankfully, you don’t have anything to worry about the sharks at Compass Cay Exuma.
As mentioned, the Exuma sharks are nurse sharks – comparatively docile fish that prefer to eat creatures from the seafloor. The number of recorded nurse shark attacks is incredibly low, with most “attacks” constituting little more than a nip. Plus, nurse sharks Bahamas are used to tourists and people, ensuring that the experience is a safe one.
You can think of the Exuma sharks as pets. They even have names!
Before you get in the water, the marina staff will advise you on what to do and what not to do. One recommendation that people often ignore is not sticking their hands around the sharks’ mouths or gills. This can lead to problems, as nurse sharks’ eyes are behind their mouths. Their instinct is to bite small, fast-moving objects that appear right in front of them!
Provided you follow the directions from the staff, however, you can rest assured that the experience will be a fun and safe one. So get your camera and your sense of adventure ready!
Compass Cay Is Just the Beginning
Many people traveling through the Bahamas end up surprised at the beauty of Compass Cay Exuma. But besides being beautiful, the island also offers the swim with sharks Bahamas experience: one of the highlights of any Bahamas vacation.
While the island is great, however, the truth is that it’s only one of many amazing sites that you can experience in the Exumas. Fly from Nassau to Exuma or from Miami to Exuma for the ultimate Shark Experience Bahamas Day Trip!
When you travel on Bahamas day trips with Bahamas Air Tours, you’ll also get to enjoy:
- The quaint island of Staniel Cay
- The famous Exuma pigs at Pig Beach
- Endangered iguanas at Bitter Guana Cay
- Pristine sand bars at Pipe Creek
- An underwater plane wreck
- Thunderball Grotto (a filming site from the James Bond film, Thunderball)
- And so much more!
Sign up for a tour today to enjoy Compass Cay Exuma and so much more!
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