Andros Barrier Reef

The Andros Barrier Reef is the third longest barrier reef in the world, running for over 190 km along the eastern edge of Andros and plunging abruptly into the Tongue of the Ocean — a 2,000 m deep trench. The reef crest and wall host a dense patchwork of elkhorn and staghorn corals, sea fans, and massive star corals, with the wall dropping away in dramatic overhangs draped in black coral trees. Visibility routinely exceeds 30 m on the outer wall, and the sheer depth differential draws pelagic visitors including blacktip and Caribbean reef sharks.