Page 100 - The British Big Four

uring the early 1950s, Groves, in partnership with British finan- world’s first and best shark encounters. In roughly 40 feet of water,
D cier Sir Charles Hayward, negotiated with the Government of
the Bahamas for 50,000 acres of land to create a “port area,” giving
birth to the City of Freeport. About 50,000 people live on Grand
Bahama Islands, though most were born on other islands through-
out the Bahamas. The population is comprised predominately of
the descendents of West Africans brought to the Bahamas to work
as slaves on the island’s cotton plantations and decedents of the
early English settlers who established those early plantations in the
Bahamas. Britain abolished slavery in 1834, a turning point for the
economy of the island. The plantation lifestyle gave way to indi-
vidual endeavors for sponging, agriculture and fishing, igniting the
entrepreneurial spirit that is evident in the Bahamas today.
C aribbean Reef Sharks are a common sight and there are fan-
tastic shark feeding dive available if you would like to get up
close. You will experience the exhilaration of sharks swimming slow
circles right in front of you, while being hand fed by a diver in chain
mail. If you are really lucky, the shark feeder will find a cooperative
shark to demonstrate the state of tonic immobility. This is a natural
paralysis in animals, induced in these sharks by placing one’s hands
on its snout. Grand Bahama is home to Shark Junction, one of the
divers will swim among 10-25 Caribbean reef sharks varying in size
from 4-10 feet long, as they cruise by at arm’s length. Shark diving
is something UNEXSO, Xanadu Undersea Adventures and the other
dive operations in Freeport have learned to do very well.
T he Dolphin Experience - UNEXSO is one of the world’s best.
Sixteen bottlenose dolphins are maintained in a spacious en-
closure at Sanctuary Bay, 10 of which have been born in captivity.
The famed White Sand Ridge north of West End, Grand Bahama, is
one of the world’s great spots for wild dolphin encounters. Here
bottlenose dolphins are commonly seen rooting around in the shal-
low sand bank for crustaceans, and a resident pod of spotted dol-
phins is quite accessible. UNEXSO also schedules a variety of dol-
phin experiences. Their popular Dolphin Swim lets you interact with
trained dolphins in an enclosed lagoon. More advanced options are
the Open Water Dolphin Swim, Dolphin Encounter or the Assistant
Trainer program. Open Water Dolphin Swims take place about one
mile off shore, providing the unforgettable experience of interact-
ing with dolphins in their natural habitat.