Liveaboard Diving in Austin Smith Wreck
What To Expect On An Austin Smith Wreck Liveaboard
The Austin Smith wreck is one of the wreck dives located in the Exuma Cays, off the east coast of Normans Cay. It was a Bahamian marine force, Cutter, involved in fighting the Cubans. When it came to the end of its service, the ship was deliberately sunk in 1995. Austin Smith was one of the Bahamian marines who died in an attack by the Cubans, and so in honor of him, they sunk the ship to create an artificial reef and 'new life.'
It is about 18 meters (60 ft) long and is still fully intact even after over 20 years. It is about 25m (90 ft) long, and the bow lies towards the East. If you want to experience its full potential, then it would be beneficial to have at least your Advanced Open Water certificate or higher. It is known to have excellent visibility of around 30m (100ft) most of the year, and its GPS coordinates are 23.6193:75.9695.
What You Can See
The wreck is unsuitable for penetration (unless you are fully qualified for it). Still, there are many holds and hatches where you can look into them and spot things such as oil barrels, a jungle of entangled metal, and even a few cables here and there. Apart from the impressive wreck, a high abundance of marine life lives in, on, and around it. It has done a great job as an artificial reef with many coral, sea fans, and sea sponges thriving. You will almost certainly spot other marine life: Barracuda, Angel Fish, Eels, Parrot Fish, Grouper and more. Something to watch out for is the Fire corals, as they are around and something you don't want to get in contact with. Lastly, it is a trendy spot for Reef Sharks; seeing these creatures swim in and around the wreck is memorable.
If you head slightly north of the wreck, you will reach a section filled with overhanging rocks. Its most popular inhabitant is a green moray eel.
How To Get There
Lynden Pindling Airport is the international airport of Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. It will likely be your port of entry into the Bahamas. Flights arrive here from places such as the United Kingdom, The United States, Canada, and multiple other Caribbean locations. The liveaboards will depart from Nassau's main port, Prince George's Wharf.
