The diving conditions this month remain stellar. The air and water temperatures begin to slightly cool, but wet suits are still not needed. Average water temperatures are still in the mid 80s and the air temperatures rarely exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Mild southeasterly breezes remain the norm for October, creating calm and cool diving weather. Afternoon showers seem to be more frequent this year, so many of the shallower dive sites, or sites on the banks, such as the wrecks of the Sapona or Hesperes, are much better done on incoming and high tides. The reason is to avoid any run-off caused by excess rains.
As far as wildlife goes, October yields a myriad of options. The bull sharks have begun to show up again, not in huge numbers, but sites like the Bimini Trader near the cut almost always yield one or two in the morning. The black tip and Caribbean reef sharks often disappear to mate for one to two weeks either late September or October, so this is about the only month of the year they are not a 100% guarantee. Massive schools of eagle rays swarm the warm waters of Bimini this month, and the occasional manta is not unlikely. Big loggerhead turtles, and often smaller green turtles, are a staple of the mid-shallow reefs such as Piquet, Turtle, and Tuna Alley this month.
We try to keep as many dive sites buoyed with mooring balls as possible, and prefer all you scuba enthusiasts running over from Florida use them instead of anchoring on our beautiful reefs, but the ocean can be fickle mistress and many get sunk or broken. We would like to help you in choosing your sites by letting you know each month which sites are currently buoyed, so here we go. As of early October the following sites listed from north to south have moorings on them: Three Sisters, Little Canyons, Moray Alley, Rockwell Reef, The Strip, The Kinks, The Bimini Barge, North Turtle Rocks, Middle Turtle Rocks, Tuna Alley (two moorings), Crotch Rock, Nodules, Victory Reef, Big Mac (or Pig Reef), and Bull Run.
Go out and dive them all, if you need numbers email me and I’d be happy to send them to you.