Compass Cay is a small idyllic island in the Exuma Cays, home to the Compass Cay Marina where the popular swimming with nurse sharks is in the Bahamas. Aside from the full service marina at Compass Cay Marina, there are many Compass Cay accommodations that consist of rentals, private villas and houses. Making this a top choice for a spectacular vacation in the Bahamas Exuma Cays.
The Compass Cay marina is one of the most popular places to visit in the Bahamas, because of their famous Compass Cay Sharks. Visitors flock to the Exuma Cays to for swimming with Nurse Sharks. Nurse Sharks are a type of shark indigenous to the Bahamas Waters and for the most part harmless to humans. Tourists swim with Nurse Sharks Bahamas top things to do with photos floating in the turquoise waters as the compass cay sharks swim beneath!
Visit the Compass Cay Marina with Bahamas Air Tours on a day trip excursion from Miami or Nassau. The popular Nassau to Exuma Day Trip which brings guests on the Swimming with Nurse Sharks experiences is a 5-star rated tour on Trip Advisor.
Swimming with Nurse Sharks at Compass Cay Marina
The Swimming with Nurse Sharks experience is one of the top rated things to do in Bahamas. Visitors come from all around the world to go swimming with sharks Bahamas. The Nurse Sharks at Compass Cay Marina are actually pet sharks, they live in the Marina and are well looked after by the owners of Compass Cay Marina. With years of experience safely interacting with humans, the Compass Cay Sharks are in the most part totally harmless to people.
The Jetty at Compass Cay Marina for Swimming with Nurse Sharks
Tour guides and staff at Compass Cay Marina will prepare food for the nurse sharks on the chopping board on the Compass Cay jetty. The jetty is the best place to interact with the Sharks, except at low tide when the jetty will be fully raised above the low water level. There are numerous stepladders to access the shark infested waters, therefore this activity is not suitable for persons with restricted mobility.
It is important to carefully follow the clear instructions from your tour guides or owners of Compass Cay marina to ensure your own personal safety when interacting with the Compass Cay Sharks. Do not try to insert your fingers or hands anywhere near the mouths of the Nurse Sharks, because their natural instinct is to grab a bite since their eyes are situated behind their mouths. There have been a very small number of instances of injuries to visitors fingers and hands because they did not follow these important instructions they were given. It is made very clear to all visitors that swimming at Compass Cay Marina comes with some degree of risk and they do so completely at their own risk!
Swimming with Sharks at the Compass Cay Marina in Exuma Bahamas
About the Compass Cay Sharks
According to National Geographic Nurse sharks are slow-moving bottom-dwellers, for the most part, harmless to humans. They have strong jaws that are filled with thousands of tiny serrated teeth and they will bite defensively if their bothered unduly.
Found in the warm shallow waters of the western Atlantic (Caribbean and Bahamas), Nurse Sharks can grow to upto 14 feet in length. Their scientific names is Ginglymostoma cirratum and they are officialy a type of Fish that has a carnivore diet. They can live upto 25 years and their average size is between 7 and 9 feet long weighing 200 to 300 pounds.
Where is Compass Cay Bahamas?
Compass Cay Marina is located on the small island of Compass Cay – which is in the Exuma Cays and archipelago of 365 islands that make up the overall Bahamas Out Islands (700 islands in total). Situated in the middle of the Exuma Cays the nearest populated island is Staniel Cay which also has the closest airport to Compass Cay.
Crescent Beach on Compass Cay Island
Compass Cay island has thirteen white sand beaches. With some of the best beaches in the Bahamas, the Compass Cay beaches are quiet and secluded, you’ll find yourself the sole visitor – enjoy the whole beach to yourself. The largest and most picturesque beach is Compass Cay Crescent Beach (Pictured above)
Compass Cay Marina Map
A Map of Compass Cay Marina and Island
Facilities at the Compass Cay Marina
As well as being home to the Compass Cay Sharks, the Compass Cay Marina is a full service marina ideally located in the Bahamas most popular sailing and fishing area – the Exuma Cays. Uniquely located in a fully protected natural harbours in Exuma, the Compass Cay Marina attracts boats and ships of all sizes including 180 ft super yachts. Services offered include, 30, 50 & 100 amp eclectic, reserves osmosis water, laundry, showe4r facilities, and a marina store. The marina store has ice, beer, soda, bottled water, limited food items and clothing. There is no fuel available at Compass Cay Marina. The closest fuel can be found on nearby Staniel Cay at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club Marina (5 miles south).
How to get to Compass Cay
The best way to experience swimming with nurse sharks at Compass Cay Marina is to book onto a Bahamas Day Tour with Bahamas Air Tours. The Miami to Bahamas Day Trip (from Miami Florida) and the Nassau to Exuma Day Trip are full day excursions by plane. They fly guests into nearby Staniel Cay airport before embarking onto a speed boat tour of the Exuma Cays. Their boat tours stop at the famous Swimming Pigs at Pig Beach before visiting the Compass Cay Sharks. A full day trip includes your flights, boat tour and visit to all the popular things to do in Exuma.
For visitors wanting to stay on Compass Cay accommodations for their vacation and looking for transportation to Compass Cay, the best way is to take a scheduled flight from Miami or Nassau to Staniel Cay. Bahamas Air tours offers scheduled and private Bahamas Air Charter flights to Staniel Cay Exuma.
Compass Cay Marina in Exuma Bahamas is where you can go Swimming with Sharks
Things to do in Exuma and nearby Compass Cay
To the South:
- Staniel Cay: the largest island in the vicinity with an airport landing strip, multiple shops and restaurants, and tourist information for the area.
- Staniel Cay Yacht Club: the most popular place in Staniel Cay and one of the most famous yachting harbors in the Bahamas.
- Pipe Creek Sand Bar
- Thunderball Grotto Cave: seen in the James Bond movie, Thunderball.
- Swimming Pigs at Pig Beach: Exuma pigs on Pig Island (Big Major Cay), see pigs swimming in the sea.
- Bitter Guana Cay (Bahamas Rock Iguanas) — try to spot the endangered species which only exists in the Bahamas.
To the North:
- Rocky Dundas: premiere snorkeling point of illuminated stalagmites just off the shore of Compass Cay.
- Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park — a sanctuary for marine life cared for by the Ministry of Tourism in the Bahamas. Excellent spot for scuba diving.
Swim with Nurse Sharks Bahamas at Compass Cay
Be sure to plan your itinerary with a visit to the Compass Cay Marina to go swimming with sharks! Discover more about the Exuma Cays with our Destination Guides and the Free to download Bahamas Guide Book.
Bahamas Air Tours offers Day trips and excursions to the Compass Cay sharks from Nassau and Miami. Enjoy a full day tour, by plane in comfort and luxury, to the spectacular Exuma Cays islands in the Bahamas.
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