Great Hammerhead and Tiger Shark Diving Safari 2026 Trip Report
For hundreds of years, the azure waters of The Bahamas have beckoned all manner of adventurer. Some came to search for sunken Spanish gold, others for big game trophy fishing, but for underwater photographers, the prize is images of large sharks. Hence why Big Fish Expeditions revisited this underwater wonderland in a combination trip to Bimini for Great Hammerheads and Tiger Beach for Tiger Sharks.
Our journey began at the fabled Bimini Big Game Club, located on Bimini Island. Once our guests were aboard we quickly left our berth in search of sheltered waters close to the Hammerhead Shark dive site. After dinner we received a dive briefing and last minute camera checks and tips. Everyone made sure batteries were charged and memory cards inserted before drifting off to sleep.
First Dives with Hammerheads
The next day started with a hearty breakfast and another quick dive recap before we headed to the dive site only about 15-20 minutes away. From the surface we could already see numerous Nurse Sharks, but no Hammers…not yet. Everyone quickly got suited up and entered the water. As the last diver touched down on the sand, a Great Hammerhead appeared! The visibility was not great today, but despite this, the Hammerhead continuously circled at the edge of visibility, allowing for clear-views of the animal, but none of the coveted close passes. After approximately 20-30 minutes, this individual departed, but another Great Hammerhead showed up about 15 minutes later. It too circled the divers at the periphery, seemingly curious enough to stay and see what was going on, but not bold enough to make a deliberate entrance. Shortly thereafter a third individual showed up and now there were two Great Hammerheads keeping a constant vigil from a respectable distance. The two animals were only around, together, for a short while, but would then alternate, one-at-a-time, watching the divers. Surprisingly, a juvenile Caribbean Reef Shark also showed up at the Hammerhead site too. Typically, Caribbean Reef Sharks stay separate, but this little one was bold enough to venture where bigger fish play and would weave its way between the divers.
After spending the morning and most of the afternoon being introduced to Great Hammerheads, the boat moved locations to a dive site called Triangle Rocks, populated by Caribbean Reef Sharks. At the conclusion of this dive, the boat once again returned to our sheltered location where we spent the night.
More Hammerheads
Day two started in a similar manner from the first, except the visibility had markedly improved and the thermocline was now just above the seafloor, so if you stood up, you weren’t as affected by the cold. After a brief wait the first Great Hammerhead showed up. Divers on the periphery were treated with several close passes, as it seemed interested in divers, just not the main group.
Once that individual vanished, we waited until a second shark arrived and continued a similar pattern of behavior. This trend of one-shark-at-a-time persisted throughout the day.
Oceanic Blacktip Sharks and Southern Stingrays
Great Hammerhead Encounters!
The third day was also going to be our final day in Bimini, so everyone was ready to take advantage of whatever water-time they were allowed. A Hammerhead was already on location when we arrived, but it disappeared when our divemaster and bait crate entered the water. Hammerheads are notorious for being easily spooked as appeared the case with this one. We waited topside for about 30-45 minutes, until another Great Hammerhead appeared and as divers entered the water, it remained. This one was also much more bold and came straight into the fray, making very close passes to divers and the bait, and at one point even weaving between a set of divers, who now were eagerly pointing their cameras at this photogenic individual. This solo hammerhead stayed for about 20 minutes, giving lots of footage to happy divers.
More hammerheads!
Tiger Time!
Our group couldn’t have asked for a better start to our Tiger Beach residency. Immediately after breakfast and once light came over the horizon we could see numerous Caribbean Reef and Lemon Sharks, but down at the bottom…two Tiger Sharks were already waiting! We quickly donned our scuba gear and got into the water. Sure enough two Tiger Sharks quickly escalated to five! Visibility was excellent and limited suspended particulate, and even the cloudy overcast skies added a bit of mood to this predator-laden dive. Thankfully the Tigers were all very well behaved, weaving in between our divers and coming close enough that even the widest angle camera still wouldn’t capture the full image. In addition to the Tiger Sharks, we had a surprise Bull Shark who would cruise in the periphery and occasionally come in for a quick look. Dive two was more of the same, except this time we topped out at four Tigers at one time and our Bull Shark hung around for more. After two dives and a delicious lunch, we swam over the reef at “Fish Tales” a local dive site, in the company of many Caribbean Reef Sharks and the occasional Tiger as well. We also spotted several Southern Stingrays partially buried in the sand, no doubt hoping not to attract any unnecessary attention from their larger brethren. As the sun began to drop, it was time to exit the water and recharge both divers and cameras.
More Tiger Sharks after a blow
After a windy night at a protected sandbar, conditions were a bit too rough for an early morning dive, but thankfully the seas were laying down quickly so we were able to pick up again around 10:30am. Our first dive was on a sand bed adjacent to a large outcropping of reef and immediately there were two Tigers, and within minutes it had escalated to five. Conditions weren’t ideal for photography as the winds had stirred up the sand, but it made for an exciting dive with Tigers and sediment. After the conclusion of the dive, we headed back to the boat for lunch. Thankfully, just as the seas dived down, so did the sand, and our second dive was arguably the best of the trip thus far. We quickly had five Tigers once again, and there was almost no suspended particulate and the light was clearer than previously as the cold front also moved the clouds. Throughout the entire dive it was almost non-stop interaction with five Tigers. Eventually everyone started making their way to the surface, but not before taking advantage of every last cubic foot of air within safe parameters.
Amazing Tiger Shark Dives!
Our third day at Tiger Beach was also Friday the 13th, but you wouldn’t have known it based on the conditions we had. Near-glass seas and clear blue skies greeted us as we awoke and given it was near high-tide early we opted to skip breakfast and immediately hit the water. We were greeted by three tigers on arrival and that quickly escalated to five, well-behaved, Tiger Sharks, circling our divers.
Bold Bull
After a quick breakfast we regrouped for dive two and it was more of the same, except visibility further improved. Our five Tiger-friends were joined by a curious Bull Shark who was even bold enough to try and make a play for the bait crate. However, the Bull quickly realized it was outmatched and fell back to the periphery as the Tigers once again took center stage. At the conclusion of our second dive we regrouped for lunch and then took a longer break to try and catch a late afternoon dive, with the golden rays of the waning sun. On our final dive we opted to start on the sand and then move to a nearby reef for a different perspective. This dive quickly escalated to six tigers, all at once, and our Bull Shark once again on the outskirts. The move to the reef was challenging due to a strong current, but divers were rewarded with videos and photos of sharks moving over gorgonians, sponges and other corals.
Last Day at Tiger Beach
After a vote the night before, the group decided to turn-and-burn on our final day and knock out three dives before returning to shore. That meant everyone (who wanted) in the water by 7:30am. Unfortunately the Tigers didn’t get the memo and were late to the party. We waited for about 10 minutes before the first one showed up. Thankfully dives at Tiger Beach are relatively shallow, so 10 minutes isn’t much in terms of air-time. However, after that first one showed up, she must have texted her friends because it went from one Tiger to six, at once, in a short period of time. Two of the Tigers exhibited horrific injuries as a result of fishing, including one who was still dragging a steel leader and lure. Both injuries must have occurred fairly recently, as the Tigers were a bit cautious and despite our best efforts we weren’t able to remove the fishing gear. After a very quick breakfast we were quickly back in the water and dive two picked up where dive one left off. We descended into four Tigers and almost immediately after, the two missing sisters showed up and we were back up to six, including our two injured ones. Again we tried to help them, but they were just too wary when we tried to approach.
The final dive
As air ran low, we returned to the boat for a quick lunch and then back at it for our final dive of the day and the trip. We were positioned along a reef wall which made an interesting contrast to the earlier dives which were on seagrass or along small reef outcroppings. Unfortunately some of our Tigers departed and we were down to two at a time, but the reef wall provided an interesting perspective as the Tigers would often come over the top and down the edge to where we were situated. Other times they came straight-on through the sand and the unpredictability kept everyone on their toes and gave unique photo and video opportunities. All good things must come to an end and as the gauges gradually moved lower, we all made our way back to the boat for the unenviable task of cleaning gear, packing and returning to the real world.
In early February 2027, we will return to Bimini and Tiger Beach aboard the Dolphin Dream. Join us on our next Bahamas Shark Diving Safari!
