Explorer yachts in the Berry Islands find a Bahamas that has not been packaged for charter consumption. The island chain sits north of Nassau and south of Grand Bahama in a gap in the standard charter circuit, and the result is anchorages that see very few liveaboard or charter vessels through most of the year. The waters around the Berry Islands are exceptionally clear, the reef is less impacted than the Exumas and the fishing, particularly for blue marlin and bonefish off the outer cays, is among the finest in the northern Bahamas.
The Bahamas explorer charter fleet of around 15 vessels is well suited to the Berry Islands. Mid-size expedition builds with large tenders and dive compressors can reach the outer cays south and east of the main island chain, including the fishing grounds off Chub Cay and the rarely visited patch reefs between Bird Cay and Bond Cay. Explorer yachts in the Berry Islands carry kayaks for the mangrove channels and fly fishing equipment for the bonefish flats near Great Harbour Cay.
Weekly explorer charter rates in the Bahamas begin around 75,000 euros and rise to 500,000 euros for the most fully equipped expedition builds. The advance provisioning allowance of approximately 30 percent covers fuel, dive gas, provisioning and tender fuel. Explorer charters in the Berry Islands are often combined with the broader northern Bahamas circuit, adding Bimini, the Abacos or Nassau before or after the Berry Islands section of the itinerary.
An explorer itinerary built specifically around the Berry Islands starts at Great Harbour Cay and moves systematically south through the cays, with the tender doing the close-range exploration while the main vessel anchors in deeper water. The mangrove creek systems on the west side of Great Harbour Cay are navigable by kayak and hold bonefish, tarpon and permit. The outer reef east of Chub Cay drops sharply along the Tongue of the Ocean edge, offering one of the most dramatic wall dives in the northern Bahamas and a blue marlin passage that the sport fishing boats from Nassau drive three hours to reach.
