Diving in Grand Bahama

We took our semi-annual dive trip with the Winters to the Bahamas.  We stayed on the island of Grand Bahamas in Freeport, and had one of the coolest cave/freshwater dives we’ve ever done.  

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March 21st Wednesday  – We flew into Nassau, then to Freeport and set up shop at the Airbnb.  We went to the market and came back to prepare some dinner.
 
March 22nd Thursday – We went to the Sunn Odyssey dive shop and did a pair of reef dives.  The first was like a slot canyon maze, the second was full of massive eels and porcupine fish.  We had dinner that night at the marketplace.
 
March 23rd Friday – The weather was poor,  so we opted to do a freshwater cave dive instead.  It was turned out to be an awesome dive, with a distinct thermocline between the cooler freshwater and the warmer seawater.  The temperature difference, and the blurry water barrier was delightful to play around in.  The cave itself was enormous and there was defined coral outcrops sitting amongst the stalagtites and stalagmites.  After the dive, we walked along the Gold Rock beach at the Lucaya National park, rumoured to be one of the most beautiful beaches on the island.  We were indeed impressed.  We had dinner later that night at the Port Lucaya marketplace with the missionaries present.
 
March 24th Saturday – The weather was too crummy to dive, so we explored the old city of Freeport and drove out the eastern end of the island.  We also found a beach to play on, Xanadu beach and swam with the locals.
 
March 25th Sunday – We flew back home

Highlights:
Cave dive – The bad weather day which cancelled our reef dives turned into a great weather day inside the cave where we decided to dive instead.  We drove to the Lucayan National park, which boasts one of the longest charted underwater cave systems in the world.  The dive water was crystal clear, warmer freshwater at the top layer, and cooer saltwater beneath.  Diving through the thermocline fresh/salt water layer was magical.  There was a shimmering blurry section one could find to look through, and it literally seemed like you were at the surface of the water entirely, with how the light bounced off the layers.  The temperature difference was entirely noticeable, and one could swim up and down like a sine wave to feel cooler and warmer.  There was coral clinging on stalactites and stalagmites, which is something one doesn’t see every day.  And a bonus was the awesome Gold Rock beach that we walked after the dive, one of Grand Bahamas more beautiful and pristine places to see.

Lowlights:
Poor weather - It's a bummer to fly to the Bahamas to go diving, and not be able to dive because of poor weather.