If you enjoy viewing marine life, Atlantis Resort Bahamas is the place for you. Nearly everywhere inside and out, marine life is just few steps away. The Royal Towers area is the center of it all. There you will find The Dig – don’t let the name fool you – there’s no digging, just an abundance of awesome marine life viewable from within the Great Hall of Waters. Filled with ancient Atlantis artifacts, The ruins lagoon is home to over 20,000 deep reef and pelagic fish and is viewable outside Royal Towers and from inside The Dig or the lower level of the Great Hall of Waters. These open-water fish include a variety of jacks, snappers and spiny lobster. The 2.7 million-gallon exhibits allow for the magnificent display of rare species of fish, sleek sharks and giant manta rays. I didn’t realize this while we were there, but according to the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas website you can snorkel in this unbelievable setting. My little guy and I decided we should go back in a few years when he’s ready to snorkel.
The mantas at the Atlantis Resort Bahamas was our favorite.
Our favorites were the giant manta rays. These giant fish were once considered dangerous and called “devil fish” by fisherman who mistakenly took their feeding appendages for horns. These giants are actually harmless and are found in warm oceans all over the world. They obtain a wingspan of over 20 feet and feed exclusively on plankton. Atlantis Resort Paradise Island Bahamas, is the only facility in the western hemisphere to display them. We also enjoyed the lionfish, moray eels. seahorses, spiny lobsters, clownfish, jellyfish, starfish (you could actually touch these), and the goliath groupers. We had to ask someone where the piranhas were – they are viewable from within the gift shop. The only complaint I had with the marine life viewing areas is that there is no signage explaining what you are looking at. Any other aquarium I’ve been to has signs identifying the marine life. That aside, The Ruins Lagoon and The Dig at the Atlantis Resort in Bahamas is by far the most amazing marine life exhibit I’ve ever seen.
Also near Royal Towers you will find the Royal Stingray Lagoon featuring large southern stingrays and Pacific blacktip sharks; the Spotted Eagle Ray Lagoon featuring majestic spotted eagle rays; and perhaps the best way to view the Mayan Temple Shark Lagoon is to shoot through it from the Leap of Faith water slide which takes you down the front of the Mayan Temple and through the lagoon in an acrylic tube. Be sure to open your eyes for a look at seven-foot Caribbean reef sharks and nurse sharks.
Hammerhead at the Atlantis Resort Bahamas
Perhaps the second coolest marine exhibit is the Predator Lagoon. Located below the Lagoon Bar & Grill, outside the Coral Towers of the Atlantis Resort Nassau Bahamas, the Predator Lagoon is a fascinating wildlife habitat under the sea, featuring predominately deeper reef fish. Sharks, barracudas, rays, sawfish and giant grouper live among vibrant schools of fish in a natural environment. Guests can come face to face with the awesome predators as they walk through the 100-foot clear underwater tunnel submerged in the lagoon. You can also view the lagoon from outside while walking over a “Indiana Jonesque” rope suspension bridge – only much safer! The coolest thing in my opinion is the Great Hammerhead Sharks which are the largest of the nine species of hammerhead sharks reaching lengths up to 20 feet and weighing up to 900 pounds. Also near Coral Towers you’ll find the Reef, Estuary and Water’s Edge Lagoons. View nurse sharks in the Reef Lagoon. The Estuary Lagoon is a mangrove habitat and nursery for Atlantis juvenile sharks and rays. Water’s Edge Lagoon is a Cownose Ray breeding sanctuary.
Hibiscus Turtle Lagoon at the Atlantis Resort Bahamas
Just outside the Beach Tower of the Atlantis Resorts Bahamas, you’ll find the Hibiscus Turtle Lagoon. This meandering lagoon is home to green sea and hawksbill turtles indigenous to The Bahamas. The green sea turtle received its name from the color of its fat. Exploitation of this species for food has already caused its disappearance in some countries. They are the largest of the hard-shelled marine sea turtles and can grow to lengths of more than three feet and weigh 300-350 pounds. During feeding times, guests have the opportunity to touch and feed the turtles. If you like colorful fish then you must visit the Seagrapes Lagoon. Located outside the Beach Tower, colorful reef fish and gentle rays create a kaleidoscope inside a Bahamian cave. Peering through giant viewing windows into the 500,000-gallon lagoon, guests can see French angelfish, parrotfish, butterfly fish, squirrelfish. During feedings, you can see the rays being fed by hand.
Also located outside the Beach Tower, the Stingray Lagoon allows an up-close look at Cownose Stingrays. The venomous barbs located on top of their tails are used only as a defense mechanism. When rays encounter a predator, the tail is brought forward causing the barb to stand up and with a whipping action, the barb is injected into the predator. Stingrays are relatively docile creatures and not all are venomous. During feeding times, guests have the opportunity to touch and feed the rays.
Near Aquaventure at the Atlantis Resort and Casino Bahamas, you’ll find The Cenote which features large unusual looking Amazonian, North American and African freshwater fish including alligator gar, arapaima, giraffe catfish and colorful African cichlids.
Dolphin Cay feature bottlenose dolphin interactive programs. I’ll talk lots more about our shallow dolphin encounter in an upcoming post.
Checking out The Dig at the Atlantis Resort Bahamas
As you can imagine the Atlantis Resort Bahamas boasts a fantastic collection of marine life and it is all beautifully displayed in the natural setting of the Bahamas. I recommend viewing the marine life displays in the early evening after the pools close at 7 p.m. We took advantage of a rain shower to head over and check out The Dig. Whatever you do – don’t miss viewing all of the fantastic marine life at Atlantis Beach Resort Bahamas.
