Bimini in November: Sea Temperature, Crawfish Season, the Sapona Wreck and a Two-Day Plan

In November, the ferry slips across the narrow channel from South Bimini to Alice Town, and the first thing you notice is the smell of Bimini bread coming out of an oven. The light turns softer and the days a little shorter, and the docks fill with fishing boats coming in with tuna and crawfish. It is a month of slow island mornings, warm water and a lot of time on the harbor, for travelers who want Bimini at an unhurried pace.

The water off Bimini in spring · Illustration

What is the weather like in Bimini in November?

November in Bimini is warm and gentle, with the sea still holding summer’s warmth and the days growing noticeably shorter than in October.

Month	Sea at Bimini (°F)	Daylight on the 15th (hours and minutes)
October	82.9	11 h 35 min
November	79.1	10 h 55 min
December	75.4	10 h 35 min

In Nassau, highs average about 83°F in November, with lows near 70°F, and the rain comes on about seven days of the month. That is the air picture to carry with you: afternoons warm enough for shorts and a cold drink in the shade of a bar, evenings mild enough to eat outside on the harbor.

The sea has cooled a little since October but still feels pleasant, and the light does something lovely on the flats and the channel in the late afternoon. Daylight lasts almost eleven hours, so the sun goes down early enough that dinner and the walk back along the King’s Highway happen in the dark. A light layer is handy for the boat ride back after sunset, when a breeze comes off the water.

Rain in this season tends to come as passing showers rather than whole gray days, and November still falls inside the Atlantic hurricane season, which ends on November 30. Pack for sun first and a short shower second.

Can you swim in Bimini in November?

Yes, the sea is still warm enough for a proper swim in November, since the water near Alice Town averages around 79°F, a little cooler than in October but comfortable for most people.

Bimini is known for its white sandy beaches, and the string of shoreline along North Bimini gives you plenty of choice. Conditions change from day to day and from one stretch of shore to another, so look at the water on the day rather than counting on a flat sea. After a stretch of wind the surface can be choppier, and on quieter days it can be glassy.

The islands are also known for snorkeling and scuba diving, and the water is warm enough that many people find a thin rash guard enough for a snorkel. Bring your own mask if you are particular about fit, plus reef-friendly sunscreen and a towel for the boat. The Sapona wreck off South Bimini is one of the sights people go out to see from the water.

What to do in Bimini in November

November is crawfish season in the Bahamas, which runs from August 1 to March 31, so the month belongs to the kitchen as much as the sea. On menus, crawfish and lobster are often the same thing, and a Bahamian crawfish salad of onions, sweet peppers, lime juice and diced lobster is just right for a warm afternoon. Stew crawfish in a brown gravy is the heartier order, and it goes well with a slice of freshly baked Bimini bread.

Bimini is really two islands, North Bimini and South Bimini, and most of the life is in Alice Town on the north island. Flights land at South Bimini Airport, and visitors then take a ferry across to North Bimini. The streets are small, the docks are the social center, and a day can pass between the harbor, the beach and a bar with a view of the boats.

The Sapona shipwreck

Off South Bimini lies the S.S. Sapona, one of a fleet of concrete ships first commissioned by President Woodrow Wilson to carry troops in World War I, when steel was scarce.

It is said to have been designed by Henry Ford and was built in Wilmington, North Carolina. After the war, Carl Fisher, one of the developers of Miami Beach, bought it for scrap, used it briefly as a casino and then for oil storage.

It is a striking sight from the water, a hull sitting out in the shallows with the sea around it, and it suits a morning boat trip when the light is clear. The warm November water makes the idea of getting in near the wreck more appealing, though the sea and the wind decide what the day allows. Bring a camera with a good wide view, and a hat for the glare.

Fountain of Youth and Bimini history

Bimini carries one of the great legends of the Americas. The story says Juan Ponce de León learned from Indians in the 1500s that Bimini held the Fountain of Youth, a spring that restored youth to older people who bathed in or drank its waters. He set sail in 1513 with three ships and never found it, yet the purported site still bears the name today.

History also sits in smaller details around the island, such as the two bronze busts of Martin Luther King Jr. that honor his legacy here. Offshore, the Bimini Road, an underwater stone pathway of giant square blocks, stretches 1,500 feet, and people have argued about its origins for decades. These are easy stops to pair with a slow walk through Alice Town.

Resorts World Bimini and the beach side

Resorts World Bimini sits on North Bimini, a 750-acre beachfront resort that opened in 2013. It gives the island a more polished corner, with the sea on one side and the quieter old settlement a short distance away on the other. For a traveler who likes both a resort setting and the little harbor town, the combination is the draw.

In November the evenings turn mild, and the day settles into a rhythm of beach in the morning, a long lunch of crawfish and an afternoon on the water. Fishing is part of what Bimini is known for, with waters teeming with tuna, so the docks are good for watching the boats come in toward the end of the day.

A two-day itinerary for Bimini in November

Day 1 starts at the airport and the ferry to North Bimini, so keep the morning light. Get a slice of fresh Bimini bread for breakfast in Alice Town, then walk the harbor and the main road to see the busts of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Fountain of Youth site. By midday the sun is strong, so settle into a long lunch of crawfish salad at a harborside place.

In the afternoon, head to the beach on the north island for a swim and a rest, since the sea is still warm. Daylight lasts almost eleven hours, so the sun goes down in the early evening. Finish with a dinner of stew crawfish and a drink at a dockside bar as the boats come in.

Day 2 belongs to the water. Take a boat trip in the morning toward the Sapona wreck off South Bimini, when the light is clearest, and bring a mask for snorkeling if the conditions allow. Come back for a late lunch, then spend the afternoon on the Bimini Road idea, either on a snorkel trip or simply reading about it on the dock.

If the weather turns, a short November shower is a good excuse for a long lunch, a second slice of Bimini bread and a stroll through the little shops and bars of Alice Town. At Resorts World Bimini, the indoor spaces give you somewhere dry to wait out the rain.

Is Bimini busy in November?

November is a calm month in Bimini, a gap between the summer boating season and the winter holiday weeks, so the island feels unhurried.

It is a small place, with two islands and one main settlement, so what fills up is mostly the docks and the handful of harborside restaurants on days when boats come in. The airport on South Bimini and the ferry to North Bimini are the usual way in, and the rhythm of arrivals shapes the day more than any crowd does.

As a habit, book rooms early for the holiday weeks at the end of the year and later for a quiet November. Resorts World Bimini and the smaller places in Alice Town are the main choices, and a November stay is the sort where you can decide a little closer to the date.

For restaurant tables, the evening is the time to arrive a little early at the most popular harbor spots, particularly if you want a seat with a view of the water. A boat trip to the Sapona is best planned the evening before, once you see how the wind is behaving.

What to pack for Bimini in November

Pack for warm days on the water and mild evenings by the harbor, with a little room for a passing shower.

Swimsuits and a rash guard, since the sea is still warm for swimming and snorkeling.
A snorkel mask, for the reefs and the Sapona wreck.
Reef-friendly sunscreen and a hat, because the sun is strong on the boat.
A light layer for the ferry and boat rides after sunset.
A light rain jacket for the short showers.
Sandals and a pair of closed shoes for the docks.

Good to know before you go

The U.S. State Department rates the Bahamas Level 2, “Exercise increased caution”, and says most crime occurs in Nassau on New Providence and in Freeport on Grand Bahama.

November is the last month of the Atlantic hurricane season, which ends on November 30, and the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation monitors tropical storms in the Atlantic. Travelers are encouraged to check the Bahamas.com hurricane page regularly for updates. Flights land at South Bimini Airport, and a ferry then takes you to North Bimini, so plan for that crossing on arrival day.

For entry, U.S. citizens need a passport and do not need a Bahamian visa for a visit. The Bahamas Department of Immigration says the passport must be valid for at least six months and passport cards are not accepted for travel by air.

All visitors need a return or onward ticket and may be asked for proof of sufficient funds. U.S. citizens may stay as a bona fide visitor for a maximum of eight months, though the period stamped in the passport may vary at the officer’s discretion.

Bimini in November vs October and December

Moving the trip four weeks earlier to October gives you the warmest sea of the three, with longer days and the tail of the busiest hurricane stretch. Daylight is a little longer then, which helps on a boat trip. The trade is that October sits closer to the peak of the hurricane season, which runs until November 30.

Moving to December cools the sea noticeably and shortens the days, but it brings the holiday weeks, when the island and the rooms feel livelier. Crawfish season continues through March, so the food stays the same in all three months. Pick October if the warmest water matters most, December if you want the holiday mood, and November if you want a quiet island, a still-warm sea and the end of the hurricane season in sight.

Is November a good time to visit Bimini?

Yes, November suits travelers who want warm water, good food and an island that moves slowly, especially those who like boats, snorkeling and long harbor lunches.

It is less right for anyone who wants the busiest holiday atmosphere or the very warmest sea, and anyone who dislikes the idea of traveling at the tail end of the hurricane season may prefer another month. On arrival, the first thing to do is get across the channel to Alice Town, settle in and see what the water is doing before choosing your boat day.

What makes November special here is the pairing of crawfish season with a calm island: a plate of stew crawfish and warm Bimini bread, eaten on a dock while the fishing boats come in.

Sources

Open-Meteo Marine API, average 2015-2024, checked October 10, 2026
sunrise-sunset.org, sunrise and sunset calculated for the 15th of the month, checked October 10, 2026
NOAA NCEI, GHCN-Daily station BF000078073 (Nassau Airport), normals 1991-2020 computed from the daily record (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=daily-summaries&stations=BF000078073), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, crawfish season (https://www.bahamas.com/blog/its-crawfish-season), checked October 10, 2026
NOAA National Hurricane Center, Climatology (https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Hurricane and storm information (https://www.bahamas.com/hurricane-storm-information), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Sapona Shipwreck (https://www.bahamas.com/natural-wonders/sapona-shipwreck), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), travel blog, Bimini landmarks (https://www.bahamas.com/blog/the-historical-landmarks-of-bimini), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), travel blog, Bimini North and South, where to stay (https://www.bahamas.com/blog/the-best-of-bimini-where-to-stay-on-this-dual-island-destination), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Fountain Of Youth (https://www.bahamas.com/natural-wonders/fountain-of-youth), checked October 10, 2026
Wikipedia, Resorts World Bimini (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resorts_World_Bimini), checked October 10, 2026
Wikipedia, South Bimini Airport (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Bimini_Airport), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Bimini (https://www.bahamas.com/islands/bimini), checked October 10, 2026
Wikipedia, Geography of the Bahamas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_the_Bahamas), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Island FAQ (https://www.bahamas.com/plan-your-trip/island-faq), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Department of Immigration, Entry requirements (https://www.immigration.gov.bs/entry-requirements/), checked October 10, 2026
Bahamas Department of Immigration, Before your arrival (https://www.immigration.gov.bs/entry-requirements/before-your-arrival/), checked October 10, 2026
U.S. Department of State, The Bahamas Travel Advisory, Level 2 (https://travel.state.gov/), checked October 10, 2026