Acting as a barrier, the Gulf Stream protects the Bahamas from Florida's rain and river run-off, and together with vast oceanic trenches that allow sediment to settle into deep water, it ensures spectacular visibility. The Bahama Banks act as a breeding and feeding ground for a prolific variety of marine life; they are particularly favored mating grounds for bottlenose and spotted dolphins.
In addition to world-class reefs, blue holes and wrecks, the Bahamas are famous for encounters with stingrays, dolphins and sharks.
The dive sites around Harbour Island range from a high-speed drift-dive at the famous "Current Cut" to a relaxing meander through the coral canyons at "The Plateau" (a site so special it featured in "National Geographic" magazine). The Plateau reef system is one of the most spectacular in the Bahamas. Large coral fingers running perpendicular to the coast of Eleuthera rise up to fifty feet from the sand floor, creating impressive canyons that play host to a multitude of marine creatures. Large schools of Jacks, Snapper, Durgeon, and Barracuda ply the mid-water, whilst the reefs provide shelter for damsel fish, parrot fish, queen angels, and spotted drums.