Exploring the Incredible Andros Island Blue Holes
Captain Bill’s Blue Hole (also known as Church’s Blue Hole)
Dive into the natural beauty of the Bahamas by visiting a few of the Andros Island Blue Holes!
I was first exposed to these incredible wonders when I went to Andros Island as a part of a geology study abroad session.
Even though I wasn't a geology major, I found the class absolutely fascinating as it combined the geological history of Andros with studies about biology, culture, geography, and plant life on the island.
One of the high points of our tour’s explorations of this Out Island of the Bahamas was our exploration of multiple blue holes. My favorites ended up being Uncle Charlie’s Blue Hole and Captain Bill’s/ Church’s Blue Hole.
I HIGHLY recommend a visit to Andros Island—and to these incredible locations!
Below, you’ll discover what blue holes are, what to expect at the two most popular, and how to find each of them.
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How are the Andros Island Blue Holes Made?
The blue holes on Andros Island (and elsewhere in the Bahamas) are completely natural.
Let’s start with the geological structure of the island.
Andros is made up of limestone, a really soft, porous rock.
The pounding of the tides and the rainfall and all of that causes the rock to break down over time.
Tides created caves under the island while rainfall weakened the land on the surface.
The combination of these two forces caused entire sections of the island to collapse, creating these vertical shafts that link up to the cave system underneath the island.
These shafts can be hundreds of feet across and hundreds of feet deep!
At the surface, there's freshwater, and if you scuba dive down, you'll encounter the salt water thermocline.
NOTE: Andros Island’s blue holes aren’t unique as you can find these in various places around the globe. They just go by different names elsewhere; in Mexico, for example, they’re called cenotes.
Best Blue Holes on North Andros Island
Andros Island is the largest by land mass of the islands of the Bahamas, but it’s also the least populated.
This juxtaposition means you’re likely to have the more than 200 blue holes on this island all to yourself whenever you visit.
Both of my favorite blue holes are an easy drive from anywhere on Andros Island.
We were based in Fresh Creek and were no more than a 45 minute drive from anywhere on the island.
>> If you’re interested in learning more about our program in Andros, check out my guide to studying abroad at Forfar Field Station, our home base. <<
Visiting Captain Bill’s Blue Hole
This first recommendation is a gigantic one!
Confusingly referred to as both Captain Bill’s Blue Hole and Church’s Blue Hole depending on who you’re talking to, this is the largest blue hole on Andros Island.
At almost half a mile wide, Captain Bill’s Blue Hole is basically a lake with sheer sides. It’s also located on the southeastern corner of Blue Holes National Park.
Because of the way that the blue holes are formed, there's no easy way to get in.
So, steady your nerves, close your eyes, and jump on in!
While the unpaved dirt road to the blue hole leaves a lot to be desired, the actual area around the blue hole is one of the most well maintained on the island.
There’s a spacious covered platform from which to jump, and a small dock to get out of the water. From the dock, you’ll need to scale a small ladder before you can repeat the entire process.
You’ll also find some picnic tables if you’d like to spend the day here!
Most of the group enjoying the clear, cool water
Everyone was supposed to be wearing lifejackets, but somehow, the jackets ended up as floating diapers on most of my classmates.
If you plan on visiting Captain Bill’s Blue Hole/ Church’s Blue Hole and you’re not a strong swimmer, I’d suggest wearing a lifejacket the right way.
Unlike Uncle Charlie’s Blue Hole (discussed below), Captain Bill’s isn’t tidal, though there is still mixing of the freshwater from the rain and the saltwater from the cave system running throughout the island.
If you’d like to learn more about the hydrology of the Andros Island blue holes, this scientific paper is fascinating.
Directions to Captain Bill’s/Church’s:
From Fresh Creek, head north on Queen’s Highway.
When you see the Ministry of Public Works building on your left, you’ll want to make the very next left. The Ministry of Public Works building is small and a salmon color with a matching salmon and white fence at the road.
If you pass the white New Highway Pentecostal Church, you’ve gone too far.
The left turn you’ve made puts you on Hanna Road in the section of Northern Andros called Hard Bargain.
Follow this road and make a right turn at the second intersection.
Then, make the first (and only available) left turn.
Follow this road until it ends, and the boardwalk to Captain Bill’s will be visible.
As a side note, I love Fresh Creek in Andros and strongly recommend it as a base for your visit. Plus, there’s the All Crab Festival held here annually, which is only one of many amazing celebrations and festivals in the Bahamas!
Visiting Uncle Charlie’s Blue Hole
My second recommendation is Uncle Charlie's Blue Hole.
You’ve arrived!
While this one is much smaller than Captain Bill’s, it is in the middle of the forest and it’s tidal.
All of this adds up to a much different feel, which demonstrates how much diversity is present in these geological wonders.
Unlike Captain Bill’s/Church's, Uncle Charlie's Blue Hole only had a rope swing entrance.
I was much more tentative about this situation than I was Captain Bill’s because Uncle Charlie’s feels so much closer in.
However, with some encouragement from my fellow explorers, I took the plunge.
I didn't die, I didn't forget to let go of the rope, and nothing attacked me upon entering the water!
Dare I say, I might have even enjoyed myself. But only a tiny bit.
After a few minutes of splashing around, I got out and warmed up in my towel (we were there in March, and the weather wasn't exactly blistering).
The ladder here is rope, which means it can be a challenge to exit quickly. Just go slowly, and you’ll be back on the rocky ledge in no time.
The smaller Uncle Charlie’s Blue Hole had a much more defined thermocline, and was much deeper than Captain Bill’s.
I’d also recommend life jackets here for anyone who isn’t a strong swimmer.
Directions to Uncle Charlie’s Blue Hole:
From Fresh Creek, Uncle Charlie’s is a bit longer than Captain Bill’s.
You’ll start out going north on Queen’s Highway and follow the eastern coast of Andros up towards Nicholls Town.
Continue on Queen’s Highway past the San Andros Airport. Just past the Airport is a left hand turn to Red Bays, a fascinating village that time forgot. We’re going to keep moving north past that intersection, slowing down as we pass Andros Island Gases on the right.
Just past Andros Island Gases, and before North Andros Auto Center, you’ll want to look for a dirt road on your right.
Turn on this dirt road and follow it until you reach the end. You should see a sign for Uncle Charlie’s Blue Hole to let you know you’re in the right place.
Unlike Captain Bill’s, there isn’t much infrastructure here. There’s a small jumping platform and rope swing, but not much else.
>> Check out the nearby Morgan’s Bluff, where the pirate Captain Morgan hid his treasure! <<
Fun Facts about the Blue Holes on Andros Island
One of the guides told us that the blue holes were places where island bad people often throw in bodies to make them disappear.
And to make it even worse, the guide also told me that in Uncle Charlie's, there's a dead scuba diver down there in the cave system that links up with the blue hole.
Beyond the creepy factor of swimming above a dead body, it was also a sobering reminder of the ever present dangers here.
The cave system running underneath the island is popular with divers, but it can be dangerous because
it's a cave system which can be confusing to even more experienced divers, and
it's tidal so the water levels and currents can shift quickly.
I really hope that the guide was trying to scare me, but our other guide backed him up. Maybe all of the ghoulish tales are true!
Even if you don't want to get in for a dip, the blue holes are incredibly interesting from a geological perspective.
There are several tour companies that will take you by both Uncle Charlie's and Church's if you find yourself on Andros. You can ask at your hotel for nearby recommendations.
>> Discover even more reasons why I loved visiting Andros Island, Bahamas! <<
Have you visited the Bahamas? Would you go swimming, snorkeling, or diving in one of the Andros Island blue holes?
