Tiger Beach

Tiger Beach, off the West End of Grand Bahama Island, is the most famous tiger-shark dive in the world — a shallow sand flat in crystal-clear Bahamian water where multiple tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) reliably gather for baited encounters with divers. The combination of excellent visibility, shallow depth (5-7 meters), and the Bahamas' protected shark-fishing laws has made the site the undisputed global standard for observing tiger sharks up close in a controlled environment. The site is a flat sand plateau at 5-7 meters, kneeling depth for controlled shark interactions. During the dive, divers form a semicircle on the sand while expert shark handlers provide bait and manage the tiger sharks as they approach. The tigers cruise among the divers at arm's length, often pausing to investigate cameras and hover over individual divers — behavior unique to this population, which has been visited by researchers and filmmakers for decades. Individual tigers are identifiable by their scars and markings, and several are effectively resident. Beyond tigers, the site routinely hosts lemon sharks in numbers that can reach twenty on a single dive, along with Caribbean reef sharks, nurse sharks, and the occasional great hammerhead in winter months (January-March). Schools of jacks and snappers patrol the plateau, and remora and cobia are constant companions to the sharks. The dive is open to Open Water divers and novices — the shallow depth, excellent visibility (routinely 25-40 meters), and presence of professional shark handlers make this one of the most accessible shark dives in the world despite its spectacular animal cast. Reached by boat from West End (10-15 minutes) on dedicated shark-expedition liveaboards and day charters. Water temperatures 24-27°C. Tiger shark activity peaks November through April, with the winter months also bringing great hammerhead sharks to the area.