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History of Scuba Diving in the Bahamas
Grand Bahama Island is perhaps one of the most historic places in the rated TV show that taught us to appreciate the fragile ocean and encourage
world of scuba diving. Many divers born after 1980 would not have viewers to protect the eco systems of life that existed on this planet. While it
heard of Al Tillman the founder of the world’s first dive resort – The Interna- may appear that diving was for only for Lloyd Bridges or Jacques Cousteau
tional Underwater Explorers Society – UNEXSO located in Freeport. When an elite group of“diving”engineers, enthusiasts and adventure seekers were
UNEXSO was first conceived in 1965 man had barely made his way into out- well on their way to developing the standards for scuba diving certification
er space yet here was a young man with a genuine sense of adventure who and developing the equipment necessary to enjoy the sport safely and to
was looking for a way to explore inner space – the living seas – in a safe and have fun doing it. Al Tillman wrote the fist manual on diver safety and certi-
practical manner. The 1960’s was a decade of profound change in America fication and only a handful of the original publications exist today.
and the world. The USA sought to be the first country to reach outer space
but the Russians beat them to the race. There was civil unrest and the hip- T he world’s fourth largest barrier reef system runs almost 100
pie movement was taking shape as they protested against the Vietnam War miles from Walker’s Cay (the “top” of The Abacos) to Gilligan
or anything that did not promote love and peace. The world underwater horizontal about 20 miles south of Elbow Cay. As a matter of fact,
and life that existed below the surface of the planet’s oceans was far from about 5% of the world’s coral reefs are located in the Bahamas. In
the minds of the free loving hippies, the protestors of the war in Vietnam, mid January ot February shoals of groupers gather as they spawn
nuclear engineers and scientists, status quo politicians or John Q. Public. around Andros, Long Island, Cat Island and the Berry Islands. In No-
vember is the ‘March of the Lobsters’ as they swarm like cavalry
Many baby boomer divers may remember the TV Show Sea Hunt during across the sandy sea beds. Marine walls abound in For those who
the 1950’ and 60’s. It was a popular show well ahead of it’s time and come Bahamas diving looking for adventures, some of the most
thanks to Lloyd Bridges the world of scuba diving was opening up to indi- challenging caves and wrecks are waiting to be explored
viduals who had only dreamed about viewing sea life underwater. And later
in the 1960’s and 70’s the Undersea World ofJacques Cousteau was a highly
