A Personal Guide to Bahamas Caves

I didn't even know about all the fascinating Bahamas Caves until a couple of years ago. I'm not an avid spelunker by any means, although I have toured the caverns in Carlsbad, New Mexico and in Natural Bridge, Virginia.

I am slightly clausterphobic, but I couldn't let that keep me from exploring my first caves in the Bahamas, The Hatchet Bay Caves. Here are some photos from that adventure... Charlie, our dog, isn't sure about this hole in the ground. It is the entrance to the Hatchet Bay Caves.

bahamas cave

Once inside, down the dark tunnel we go...

bahamas caves

Awesome sights await...

bahamas caves

We are unescorted, because Brian has been in the caves before. It is best to get a local guide so you don't get lost. We followed broken bits of string to find our way out. I was more than a little nervous! Here, at the other end, we found a rope ladder...

and emerged into an inconspicuous looking field...

Who would guess those beautiful cavern lie beneath this land?

Eleuthera has caves that you can only access by water as well...

I waited in the boat while Brian and Charlie checked this colorful cave out...

We love finding new caves, you never know... there might just be pirate loot hidden in one of them, so we always make sure to really explore every nook and cranny of these amazing Bahamas Caves!

Again, I'm waiting in the boat. Next time, I'll do the exploring...

How Do You Find Out If There Are Any Caves On the Bahamas Island You're Planning to Visit?

That's easy. Ask a local. We've found caves on Eleuthera, Long Island, and a few of the smaller uninhabited cays. Here are some of the Long Island Caves. The locals say that the Lucayan Indians used to inhabit them...

Brian and our friends explore an especially large section of this cave...

Another shot of these Bahamas caves on Long Island...

This is an especially beautiful grotto on Long Island, our dog Charlie liked it, too...

There are many species of bats that live inside these caves, there they are, hanging from the ceiling by their toes, sleeping till dusk...

bahamas bats

Another really interesting cave in Long Island is the "Shrimp Grotto"...

bahamas caves

This place is really cool, there are tiny red-orange shrimp that live in the water...

Perhaps the most famous cave is Thunderball Grotto at Staniel Cay where parts of the 1965 James Bond movie, Thunderball, were filmed. This is an especially fun cave to visit because you must swim in. You swim under the water and come up inside the most beautiful grotto! There are lots of fish and gorgeous corals to see on the way. You don't have to be underwater for that long, so a mask and snorkel is all you need.

"Oh, James!"

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