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Last updated on May 14, 2022
The Sapona was a concrete-hulled cargo steamer that ran aground near Bimini during a hurricane in 1926. Sitting in 15ft of water just a few miles off South Bimini Island, it is now a famous landmark in the archipelago and a popular snorkeling and diving spot. Snorkeling through the wreck, teeming with sea life, is a must-do when visiting this part of the Bahamas.
The wreck is only accessible by boat. You can charter a boat or tour from North Bimini (tours departing from Bimini Big Game Club Resort & Marina, from 90$pp). Sapona Wreck snorkeling tours are also offered by most cruise ships visiting the Bahamas (3 hours, 90 to 120$ per adult).
You enter in about 15ft/6m of water, and can start anywhere around the wreck depending upon where you are anchored. There can be current as the tide ebbs and flows, but it is generally not too strong.
One of the great things about the wreck of the Sapona, a concrete ship, is that as a snorkeler you can experience a shipwreck up close. This includes being able to swim in and through the wreck!
You can comfortably snorkel throughout the interior of the wreck which is illuminated by the sun shining down through large and numerous holes in the deck.
Like most ships, the Sapona was divided into multiple chambers, and each seems to have an assortment of fish.
The wreck is home to numerous species of fish, including eels, French angelfish, spotfin butterflyfish, barracuda, sergeant majors, French grunt, bluestriped grunt, schoolmaster snappers and bar jacks.
The closest accommodation and restaurants are in South Bimini, some 3 mi/5km north of the wreck.
These spots are accessible to anyone with basic snorkeling skills, and feeling comfortable in the water and with his snorkeling gear. You will enter the water from the shore (beach, pontoon, ladder, rocks) or from a boat. The water height in the sea entrance area is reasonable, but you will not necessarily be within your depth. Moderate currents can occur in the area, even when the sea conditions are good. The distance to swim to reach the most interesting snorkeling areas of the spot does not exceed 200 meters. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
