The Exumas are some of the best sailing in the world.

http://waterbornexpeditions.com/freedive-bahamas

8 days / 7 nights. 

Swim with the resident nurse sharks, snorkel Pablo Escobar’s sunken drug plane. Meet the friendly swimming pigs and feed the Bahamian Rock Iguanas. Cliff jump into the beautiful Thunderball Grotto and check out the millions of fish in the Exumas Land and Sea Park.  Join us for the ultimate adventure that will leave you with memories to last a lifetime!

The Bali 5.4 catamaran will be the main control centre during the expedition. A versatile boat - perfect for exploration, speed, and comfort. Six cabins, AC, Six full heads, sleeps 14, stove, fridge, hot water.  Plenty of deck space to lay out on too.

This luxury catamaran represents the impeccable craftsmanship and timeless elegance that are hallmarks of Catana. The Bali 5.4 carries itself with the air of luxury and seaworthiness that is inherent in every sailing yacht. Premium performance, precision handling and gracious livability.

- Fins, mask, snorkel, weight belt, and weights

- Swimwear  

- Summer clothes   

- Waterproof jacket or dry-robe for the boat  

- Personal toiletries and medication, inc. seasickness pills  

- Refillable water bottle 

- Sunglasses and hat 

- Sunscreen  

- GoPro, cameras and spare, charged batteries 

- Portable charger / Power Bank

*if you need help choosing your gear, please get in touch.

Natalie Rudman is an 8 times South African freediving national record holder and 5 times African continental record holder. She is a yoga instructor and creator and founder of ComeOne Yoga and Freediving. Natalie’s love for the ocean stemmed from a young age, she grew up in Durban on the East Coast of South Africa where she spent most of her teenage years surfing or hanging out on the beach. She is an ocean warrior and believes that it is up to us to change the concept of the ocean being a dumping ground, it is the place we need to protect more than ever for our future generations to appreciate and enjoy as well. She only discovered freediving in her 30s, while as a scuba instructor in Thailand she noticed the utter calm and tranquility of freedivers on the reefs and wrecks around. She tried and it and never looked back. To her freediving is a much more natural way to interact with the ocean and marine life. Less impact and more meditative. She has learnt much about herself through the practice and loves to share her learnings and teachings with others, bringing joy and confidence to her students when she can. 

Fly into Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) in Nassau, Bahamas. Taxi to the marina.  Spend the day at Palm Cay Resort. Final shopping & provisioning. Meet up with the rest of the crew for dinner and a pre-departure briefing. Spend the night on the catamaran in the marina.

We cast off from Palm Cay Marina at 7am aboard a 54-foot sailing catamaran, making the 28 nautical mile journey from New Providence to the Northern Exumas.  

Our first destination is Leaf Cay where we meet the Bahamian Rock Iguanas. It’s one of the few places where you can still find these fearsome looking, yet gentle creatures. 

We’ll spend the night at anchor in a calm bay. 

After breakfast, we set sail for Highbourne Cay and swim with the resident Nurse and Reef Sharks.

In the afternoon, we continue onward to Norman’s Cay, former headquarters of the Medellin Cartel’s drug-smuggling operation. Just south of the cay is a sunken drug plane that was once once used by Pablo Escobar to smuggle drugs to the USA. It’s now full of marine life that we will explore until sunset.

Sail 20 nautical miles to Warderick Well’s Cay. Home to large schools of fish. Spotted Eagle Rays and other marine animals also call these shallow waters home. We will use the day to explore the coral reefs and to make some new aquatic friends.

It's common to see wild turtles, stingrays, reef sharks, nurse sharks, barracudas, and schools of colorful tropical fish.

After breakfast, explore the Exumas Land & Sea Park. Optional hike. For those daring souls, we will visit Danger Reef to swim with Caribbean Reef Sharks. 

In the afternoon, We’ll stop at Compass Cay -  this place is teeming with nurse sharks. Swim with these inquisitive creatures and feed them some fish. 

Next up is Rachel’s Bubble Bath - a natural whirlpool.

Another sailing journey of 15 nautical miles will bring us to Big Major Spot - Home to the famous swimming pigs. Bring some food for the little piggies and they’ll swim right up to the boat to say hello!

One of the Exumas hidden gems is Thunderball Grotto. James Bond filmed Thunderball here. It’s a magical aquatic paradise with thousands of tropical fish, light rays and a dream for underwater photography. We’ll swim in at low tide and watch the light bouncing off the walls.

Our final day. At first light, we will sail back to the marina. Plan to book your return flights home from Nassau after 12pm