Harbour Island, Eleuthera, Bahamas

Devil's Backbone

Devil's Backbone is a notorious shallow reef stretching along the northern coast of Eleuthera between Spanish Wells and Harbour Island, named for the long history of shipwrecks the formation has caused. The reef rises to within meters of the surface and forms a maze of coral heads, sand channels, and shallow walls in 6 to 12 meters of water. Multiple historic wrecks lie scattered across the reef, including the remains of the steamship Carnarvon and the train wreck of an antique steam locomotive carried over the reef as cargo and lost. The shallow profile, schools of grunts and snapper, and the wreck debris combine into a dive that mixes natural reef and maritime history. Surge can be present on the seaward side and currents can run between the heads, but conditions are generally manageable. A unique site for divers interested in shipwrecks and reef geology. Operators base out of Harbour Island and Spanish Wells and run the reef on calm-weather days when swell allows safe approach to the seaward break. The combination of multiple wrecks across a single reef line makes the dive a slow-moving treasure hunt for the historically minded, and the resident reef life delivers consistent fish action for general-interest divers.