Bimini Bahamas Boat Rental
Proof of Citizenship: In order to enter the island it is necessary to bring a valid passport. U.S. citizens may enter the island with an official birth certificate and an official photo ID, however a passport is a more recommended option. These document must be presented to your Captian for approval before departing.
U.S.Immigration: Uponing returning, U.S. regulations require that all passangers present themselves at the nearest Immigration Office right after setting foot in a U.S. terretory. Please be aware that the time to complete this process may vary depending on U.S. Immigration Office availability, in some rare cases this may mean that you might need to wait until the next morning. The entire party must remain together until the group is fully cleared by the Immigration Office.
Waterfantaseas mention these small technicalities beforehand in order to avoid problems and to ensure a smooth trip.
The water surrounding Bimini offers many delights. Unless you’ve been to the Caribbean previously, you’ll be amazed by its incredible clarity. You can be sitting in over 50 feet of total depth and still be able to see the bottom so well you’ll think it is much, much shallower. This means that you’ll discover snorkeling as you’ve never experienced it before…on the reefs, by the “Concrete Boat,” the wreck of the Sapona — which has been used for everything from a rumrunners’ warehouse in the 1920s to a dive-bombing target during World War II and now lies in 15 feet of water where the slowly disintegrating hulk attracts colorful fish of all kinds — and in many other easily accessible, but entirely different, locations.
Bimini simply abounds in outstanding snorkeling spots. If you are certified for SCUBA diving, knowledgeable Dive Masters are available to take you into some absolutely fabulous dive sites, each of which would, in itself, be exciting enough to make the whole trip worthwhile. Taken together, they form a highly memorable diving experience. Rental dive gear is available, also; so you don’t need to bring your own. There are other spots where you can ride the WaveRunner in so much open space you’ll feel like you have your own private ocean. And if your desires are more laid back, we can anchor off, but very close to, clean white-sand beaches that are also so delightfully uncrowded you can feel they are completely “yours” too.
North Bimini ashore also offers a “different” experience. Alice Town, the island’s only community, has but one main street (and for such a small island, traffic is unbelievably heavy!). Along it, you’ll find many souvenir shops: some offering the edible type, such as conch salad and “Bimini bread,” while many others are of the more typical T-shirt and trinket variety. In recent years, Bimini has added a colorful Native Straw and Craft Market featuring “only in the Bahamas” keepsakes. The shoreside complex at the Bimini Big Game Club (the marina we’ll use) includes a swimming pool (though the beach is but a short walk across the island), as well as some excellent entertainment and dining possibilities. But you won’t be confined to this one locale. Just outside the gate, Bimini’s main street also has a number of famous eating and drinking places such as the Red Lion, noted for its Bahamian specialties, the End of the World Bar with its beach sand floor and business card-peppered ceiling, and the Compleat Angler, where Ernest Hemmingway liked to hang out and is memorialized in many photographs on the walls. On weekends, the Compleat Angler usually has live music and is definitely the local “hot spot” for dancing and socializing in general both among locals and visitors.
The third day we have to return, and should depart by early afternoon. Though the three days will have gone by quickly, they will also live long in your memory, as this Bimini Adventure can be one of the best “foreign” excursions you could possibly imagine. While this voyage can start and end at any South Florida port, we strongly recommend the Miami area because of the strength and direction of the current involved in crossing the Gulf Stream.
