[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ebruary is the “peak” season for our now world-famous great hammerhead migration in the Bimini Islands, and this year looks like it won’t disappoint. We were averaging four-to-six sharks per day as of mid-January, and hope numbers will pick up this month. With water temperatures falling, usually reaching 72-to-74° F by the end of the month, expect lots of sharks to be around. This goes for not only the hammerheads, but Caribbean reef sharks at Triangle Rocks, tiger sharks on the banks, bull sharks in the harbor, and nurse sharks just about everywhere.
With the falling water temperatures, wahoo are also in full swing around here. We get lucky and catch some glimpses of these pelagic beauties on our safety stops and drift dives. It’s more likely to see some big groupers move up over the wall, and into some more “manageable” diving and spearfishing depths. It is really important to keep in mind how sharky it is in the winter when spearfishing, and to remember that Nassau grouper is still closed to harvest until March 1st.
The only real downside to February, besides the icy water temps, are northwest winds. They can roll in hard and fast, and blow us out for two-to-three days at a time. So if you’re planning a trip, keep an eye on the weather, and have a backup plan. If you’re brave and hearty enough to try out Bimini this month you will most definitely be rewarded with some true undersea adventures.