Highborn Key Wall

Highborn Key Wall is a deep wall dive directly off Highbourne Cay in the northern Exuma Cays, where the island’s eastern face drops into the Exuma Sound — one of the deepest bodies of water in the Bahamas.

Overview

The wall sits right off the Highbourne Cay coastline, facing the Exuma Sound, and is also referred to in some sources as the “Exuma Wall” or “Shroud Wall.” Today’s re-audit found a real depth conflict: zentacle.com lists a max depth of 98.4 feet (30m), matching the figure previously used here, while two independently-hosted sources found today — yachtsbahamacharters.com and myoutislands.com — both describe the wall as 75 feet (23m) deep, and a further mention puts it at 27 meters. Treat the site as a wall beginning around 12m and dropping through roughly the 23-30m range depending on exactly where along the face a diver descends, rather than a single settled maximum. This exposure to the open Atlantic-influenced Sound, combined with healthy coral on the wall face, makes it one of the more dramatic wall dives in the northern Exumas. The site is accessible by boat from Highbourne Cay’s marina or via liveaboard.

Site Information

• Location: Highbourne Cay, northern Exuma Cays, Bahamas
• Entry Type: Boat dive
• Site Type: Wall dive
• Maximum Depth: 30 meters
• Typical Visibility: 20-30 meters
• Current: Moderate — the open Sound can generate surge and current
• Best Time: November to May

Marine Life

The wall face supports a rich community of hard and soft corals and sea fans, confirmed across multiple sources (yachtsbahamacharters.com, myoutislands.com). Sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, and reef sharks move through the blue water off the wall. Nassau grouper, barracuda, and lobsters are documented on the reef top (myoutislands.com); angelfish, trumpetfish, and moray eels are also reported (yachtsbahamacharters.com). Great hammerhead sharks are seen regionally in the Exuma Cays roughly November to February, but no source found today confirms hammerhead sightings specifically at Highborne Cay Wall — divers hoping for hammerheads should not treat this site as a reliable spot for them.

Dive Profile

Descend the wall face, keeping the reef to one side and the open blue to the other. The wall top at 12-15 meters provides a good reference point for maintaining depth. Work down to your planned maximum depth, explore horizontally along the wall face, then ascend and complete a safety stop on the shallower reef at the wall top. Advanced certification recommended due to depth and open-water exposure.

Entry and Exit

Boat dive only. Access via Highbourne Cay marina or liveaboard. The site is directly off the cay, making it one of the most accessible wall dives in the northern Exuma Cays.

Tips and Recommendations

• Bring a dive computer — the wall makes it easy to descend deeper than planned
• Wide-angle photography works well for the wall structure and passing pelagics
• Time the dive for morning when the light angles directly onto the wall face

Safety Considerations

The depth and open-water exposure make this an Advanced-level dive. Monitor your depth carefully on the wall — gradual deepening is easy to miss. Currents can be unpredictable when exposed to the Exuma Sound. Always complete a 3-minute safety stop at 5 meters and carry an SMB.

Re-audit note (2026-07-17): the previously-cited dive-the-world.com Exuma Cays page does not, on re-check, contain a dedicated description of the Highbourne Cay wall dive (it discusses Highbourne Cay only as a geographic reference point for a different site, “The Washing Machine”), so it has been swapped for myoutislands.com, which does independently describe this wall. Removed an unconfirmed site-specific hammerhead shark claim; corrected/flagged a real depth conflict between sources (23m vs 30m vs 27m).

Sources: Zentacle - Highborn Key Wall, Yachts Bahama Charters - Wall Diving in the Exumas, Out Islands of the Bahamas - Dive Locations. Last updated 2026-07-17.