Nassau & Freeport: why hunting is offshore
The honest news: around Nassau (New Providence) and on the south shore of Grand Bahama (Freeport) you cannot spearfish within 1 mile of shore (reg. 6(a) & (b)). On an island ringed by a mile-wide ban, that effectively closes the beach and the near reef — the legal line is offshore. Elsewhere on Grand Bahama, away from the south shore, the general 200-yard rule applies.
That doesn't mean Nassau and Freeport aren't worth it: they have world-class charters, reefs and wrecks. It just changes the script: here you dive to snorkel and scuba, take a freediving course or cull lionfish — and to hunt, you head offshore by boat. This guide lays out the rule plainly, where the no-take parks are, and what options you have.
Open the flagship — Andros →The 1-mile ban, honestly
Reg. 6(a) bans the spear within 1 mile of the New Providence low-water mark. Reg. 6(b) does the same on the south shore of Grand Bahama (Freeport). New Providence is small enough that the mile ring covers its whole reef fringe: the legal line sits offshore. That's why both are «info cities» on spearo: legal hunting is done by boat, offshore.
Why the capital is stricter
It's not an anti-hunting rule: it's about safety and coexistence. New Providence and south Freeport concentrate boat traffic, cruise ships, moorings, swimmers and water tourism. Pushing the spear a mile out avoids conflict and accidents in busy water. On the less-populated islands 200 yards is enough because that pressure isn't there.
No-take parks around Nassau & Grand Bahama
- New Providence: Bonefish Pond NP, Clifton Heritage NP and Primeval Forest — all no-take.
- Grand Bahama: Peterson Cay NP, Lucayan NP and the Rand Nature Centre — protected, no fishing.
- Always check the park boundary (Bahamas National Trust / bahamasprotected.com) before you get in: inside a park it's full no-take.
What you can still do
- Book a charter that runs offshore (>1 mile) or to the Family Islands to hunt legally.
- Snorkel and scuba dive: first-class reefs and wrecks (Nassau has cinematic sites); just no spear.
- Take a freediving course, or join a lionfish cull with an operator (invasive species, encouraged).
Charters & getting offshore
Book a licensed sportsfishing charter (they carry the permit; you may still need your «spear endorsement» — confirm it). Some run to the Exumas or the Berry Islands. Bring your own pole spear or Hawaiian sling, and make sure the boat clears the mile and isn't heading into a park. That turns a «closed» city into a perfect base.
Where to dive, by region
New Providence
New Providence (Nassau) — the No.1 hub, but hunting is banned within 1 mile of shore: legal hunting is on the offshore banks and cays. Gin-clear water, a launch point.
- Nassau — Nassau is the country's №1 traffic hub, but spearfishing is banned within 1 mile of New Providence's coast — so the city itself is an info stop, not a shot.
Grand Bahama
Grand Bahama — Freeport-Lucaya on the south shore under the ≥1-mile rule; the famous Theo's Wreck (a dive site). West End — the western gateway from Florida on the bank edge.
- Freeport–Lucaya — Freeport–Lucaya sits on Grand Bahama's south coast, where spearfishing is banned within 1 mile — the famous Theo's Wreck and UNEXSO reefs are dive sites, not shots.
- West End — West End is Grand Bahama's westernmost point (Old Bahama Bay), a classic gateway from Florida on the edge of the Little Bahama Bank.
Bimini
Bimini — the islands closest to Florida (~80 km): the bank's western edge drops in a wall to the Gulf Stream. Gin-clear water, pelagics, the iconic Sapona wreck.
- Alice Town (Bimini) — Bimini is the closest Bahamas to Florida (~80 km): the western edge of the Great Bahama Bank drops into the Gulf Stream — gin-clear walls, pelagics and a verified spot array.
Abaco
Abaco — the sheltered Sea of Abaco between the mainland and the barrier reef, plus the ocean side with reef and wrecks. Many no-take parks around (Pelican Cays, Fowl Cays).
- Marsh Harbour — Marsh Harbour, the country's third-largest town, is the boat and charter hub of the Sea of Abaco — a sheltered lagoon between mainland Abaco and the barrier-reef cays.
- Hope Town — Hope Town on Elbow Cay (the candy-striped lighthouse) sits on the ocean side of the Abaco barrier reef — reef and wall past 200 yd, plus the sheltered Sea of Abaco behind.
- Treasure Cay — Treasure Cay — famous beach and marina on mainland Abaco — fronts the sheltered Sea of Abaco with the barrier reef offshore.
- Green Turtle Cay (New Plymouth) — Green Turtle Cay (New Plymouth) is a fishing settlement on northern Abaco — barrier reef and the historic San Jacinto wreck offshore.
Eleuthera
Eleuthera — Spanish Wells, the country's lobster capital with rich banks; nearby is Current Cut, a famous strong-current drift (slack only). Harbour Island's pink beaches.
- Spanish Wells — Spanish Wells (St. George's Cay) is the crawfish capital — the country's biggest lobster fleet, so proven productive banks all around. Legal hunting past…
- Harbour Island (Dunmore Town) — Harbour Island (Dunmore Town, the pink-sand resort) fronts the Devil's Backbone reef on its ocean side — a shallow, jagged ship-graveyard, so navigate carefully.
- Governor's Harbour — Governor's Harbour is Eleuthera's administrative centre, set on a sheltered leeward bay with the Atlantic reef on the ocean side.
- Rock Sound — Rock Sound, southern Eleuthera, sits on the sheltered side by the inland Ocean Hole (a landlocked blue hole, an info curiosity) with Atlantic reef offshore.
Exuma
Exuma — the ECLSP park (no-take since 1986) starts north of Conch Cut: hunt SOUTH of it, outside the park. George Town and Staniel Cay are hubs; 20–30 m clarity.
- George Town — George Town (Great Exuma, Elizabeth Harbour) is the Exumas hub and regatta anchorage.
- Staniel Cay — Staniel Cay sits mid-chain in the Exuma Cays (the swimming pigs, Thunderball Grotto) — but the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park (no-take) begins just north at Conch Cut, so hunt only SOUTH of Conch Cut, outside the park.
Andros
Andros — the flagship of Bahamian spearfishing: the world's 3rd-largest barrier reef and, right behind it, the Tongue of the Ocean (TOTO), a ~2,000 m trench off the coast, plus hundreds of blue holes.
- Fresh Creek / Andros Town — Fresh Creek / Andros Town is the heart of the Bahamas' spearfishing flagship: Andros carries the world's third-largest barrier reef, and just beyond it the Tongue of the Ocean drops to ~2,000 m right off the east shore.
- Nicholls Town — Nicholls Town, northern Andros, is the quiet northern approach to the great Andros barrier reef and the Tongue of the Ocean wall.
Long Island
Long Island — Dean's Blue Hole (~202 m), a world freediving mecca and trust for a «breath-hold» brand, plus the Atlantic walls of Stella Maris on the east side.
- Clarence Town — Clarence Town, Long Island, is home to Dean's Blue Hole — the world's second-deepest blue hole and the Vertical Blue freediving arena.
- Stella Maris — Stella Maris, northern Long Island, is a resort with dive infrastructure and Atlantic walls off the east shore (Shark Reef, the Comberbach wreck, Cape Santa Maria).
San Salvador
San Salvador — a remote ocean plateau island (fly-in): dramatic wall drops 100–200 m off the beach and the clearest water in the Bahamas (25–30 m+).
- Cockburn Town — Cockburn Town is the main settlement of San Salvador, a remote oceanic plateau where the reef drops into deep water 100–200 m off the beach — dramatic walls and the clearest water in the country (25–30 m+).
Cat Island
Cat Island — remote, with minimal fishing pressure: walls, The Cut and high visibility on the leeward west coast.
- New Bight — New Bight is the main settlement of Cat Island (Mount Alvernia's Hermitage above it), a remote, low-pressure island with walls, The Cut and coastal dropoffs into deep water.
Frequently asked questions
Rules current as of 2026 — always confirm with the Department of Marine Resources before you go. Spearguns are banned country-wide (Hawaiian sling / pole spear only, breath-hold); keep ≥1 mile off New Providence and south Grand Bahama, ≥200 yards off any Family Island; national marine parks are no-take.
Can I spearfish in Nassau?
Not within 1 mile of New Providence. Head offshore by boat or charter, past the mile, to hunt legally.
Can I spearfish in Freeport?
Not within 1 mile of the south shore of Grand Bahama. Elsewhere on the island the general 200-yard rule applies.
What can I do in Nassau instead?
Snorkel, dive reefs and wrecks, freediving courses, lionfish culling, or a charter offshore to hunt.
Does the charter carry the permit?
Bahamian charters carry the sportsfishing permit, but you may still need your «spear endorsement» — confirm it when booking.
Why is the rule so strict here?
Crowded water, cruise ports and moorings: it's a safety and coexistence rule, not anti-hunting.