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Spur-of-the-moment Caribbean escapes from South Florida are getting a major upgrade as Tropic Ocean Airways, in partnership with The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, rolls out new 25-minute seaplane day trips from Fort Lauderdale to Bimini, turning the Bahamian out island into an easy, back-by-dinner getaway.
A New Same-Day Gateway to The Bahamas
The “Bahamas in a Day” concept, announced on February 17, 2026, reimagines what an international trip can look like for South Florida travelers. Instead of committing to a long weekend or a full week abroad, guests can now board a seaplane in the morning, spend a full day on North Bimini, and return home by early evening.
Operating from Tropic Ocean Airways’ private terminal at Fort Lauderdale, the new service is built around simplicity: arrive 30 minutes before departure, clear formalities in a dedicated lounge, and step directly onto an amphibious Cessna Grand Caravan. Twenty-five minutes later, passengers are over translucent Bahamian waters, descending for a water landing just off Bimini’s shoreline.
The partnership with The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism underscores the government’s broader push to highlight the country’s proximity to Florida. Bimini sits roughly 50 miles off the coast, but until now many travelers associated an international trip with lengthy airport lines, scheduled ferries, or multi-day hotel stays. This program aims to change that perception by making the island feel like an extension of South Florida’s own coastline.
Early messaging from both partners positions the new day trips as a premium yet accessible option, focusing on convenience, time savings and a curated experience that can be booked and enjoyed with minimal planning. Capacity is limited, and both Tropic Ocean Airways and Bahamian tourism officials expect strong demand from local residents and visitors already vacationing in South Florida.
How the Bimini Day Trip Works
The day trip follows a tightly choreographed schedule designed to maximize time on the island while keeping the overall experience efficient. Guests are asked to arrive at Tropic Ocean Airways’ Fort Lauderdale facility just 30 minutes before departure, a striking contrast to the typical two-hour early check-in suggested at major commercial terminals.
Morning departures are scheduled for 8:30 a.m., with the seaplane climbing out over the Fort Lauderdale skyline before turning southeast across the Florida Straits. The 25-minute flight delivers passengers to North Bimini Seaplane Base by around 9:00 a.m., where they taxi on the water, approach the dock, and disembark just a short walk from Bahamian customs and immigration.
Once formalities are complete, typically within minutes, guests transfer directly to their preferred island base. Options promoted in connection with the launch include Resorts World Bimini’s beachfront facilities, Bimini Big Game Club Marina, or a variety of local operators offering water-based excursions. From there, the island time begins in earnest, with at least five to six hours ashore before the return flight.
Return operations mirror the morning flow. Guests reconvene at the designated meeting point in the late afternoon, typically around 4:30 p.m., to transit back to the seaplane base. Departure from Bimini is scheduled for 5:00 p.m., putting travelers back at Tropic Ocean’s Fort Lauderdale terminal by approximately 5:30 p.m., often in time for dinner reservations back on the mainland.
Inside the Seaplane Experience
At the heart of the new Bimini day trips is Tropic Ocean Airways’ amphibious seaplane fleet, long familiar to seasoned Bahamas travelers but now packaged in a way that targets first-time visitors and spontaneous day trippers. The airline operates Cessna Grand Caravans outfitted with floats, allowing them to take off from runways and land directly on water.
Cabins are configured for small groups, typically accommodating up to eight or nine passengers on shared charters. That limited capacity creates an intimate, semi-private feel that differentiates the experience from large commercial jets or high-capacity ferries. Tall windows and a relatively low cruising altitude provide sweeping views of downtown Fort Lauderdale, the Atlantic’s shifting blue and turquoise tones, and Bimini’s sandbars and mangroves.
On the ground in Fort Lauderdale, the experience begins in a private lobby rather than a crowded concourse. Passengers check in with Tropic Ocean staff, clear documentation checks, and wait in a lounge offering Wi-Fi, snacks and beverages. Free valet parking is included with the day trip package, removing another friction point from the journey.
For many passengers, the water landing itself is part of the appeal. As the aircraft descends, the outline of Bimini’s narrow islands grows sharper, and the pilot sets the floats down in the sheltered waters near the seaplane base. Guests step off the aircraft directly onto a dock, with the beaches and resorts of North Bimini within quick reach.
What the Package Includes
The new Bimini day trip is marketed as a turnkey international escape. The core package includes round-trip seaplane flights between Fort Lauderdale and North Bimini, with each leg taking roughly 25 minutes. The launch promotion has been publicized at 550 dollars per person, a savings from the standard 650 dollar fare, for bookings made in the early sales window.
Beyond the flights themselves, the fare bundles in several value-added elements aimed at simplifying logistics. Free valet parking at Tropic Ocean’s Fort Lauderdale terminal is part of the offering, as is access to the private pre-departure lounge. Customs and immigration handling is streamlined in both directions, with Tropic staff coordinating formalities to keep the process moving quickly.
Ground transfers on arrival in Bimini are also included, delivering passengers from the seaplane dock to partner properties such as beach clubs, marinas or activity operators. A guaranteed same-day return is built into the itinerary, an important reassurance for travelers who want an international experience without committing to an overnight stay.
The package’s fixed schedule is another central feature. With departures and returns locked in, guests are not tasked with stitching together separate flights, ferries and transfers. Instead, they are advised to bring a passport, appropriate day gear, and any personal essentials; once they arrive at the terminal in Fort Lauderdale, Tropic Ocean handles the operational details.
Bimini in a Day: What Travelers Can Do
While the flying experience is a major draw, the Bimini day trip is ultimately about what travelers can accomplish on the ground in a compressed window. The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Tropic Ocean Airways have highlighted a menu of optional add-on experiences that take advantage of Bimini’s compact footprint and rich coastal environment.
Snorkeling excursions to Honeymoon Harbour, a sandbar area known for shallow, clear waters and frequent stingray encounters, are among the most popular add-ons. For anglers, Bimini’s flats and mangrove systems support renowned bonefishing, a sportfishing pursuit that can be experienced over a half-day or full-day outing. Dive operators also promote seasonal hammerhead shark dives, a marquee underwater experience for certified divers comfortable with big-animal encounters.
Wild dolphin swims and eco-tours through the island’s mangroves round out the water-based offerings. Travelers seeking a slower pace can rent golf carts to explore North Bimini’s small communities, hop between local beaches, visit museums such as the Dolphin House, or settle into a beach club lounger for the afternoon. The program’s five to six hours of island time is designed to be flexible enough to support both structured excursions and unhurried beach days.
Because the trip is framed as a same-day experience, planners emphasize packing light and focusing on one or two key activities rather than attempting to tackle the entire island in a single visit. The idea is to provide a meaningful Bahamian snapshot that may inspire travelers to return for a longer stay in the future.
Why The Bahamas and Tropic Ocean Are Betting on Day Trips
For The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, the Bimini day trip program is part of a wider strategy to highlight convenience and closeness as competitive advantages. Officials have repeatedly pointed to the fact that parts of the archipelago are only a short flight from South Florida, yet many American travelers still perceive an international beach getaway as something that requires extensive planning and significant time off.
By framing Bimini as a place where travelers can have lunch in The Bahamas and be back in Florida for dinner, tourism leaders hope to attract both local residents and visitors already staying in Miami or Fort Lauderdale. The initiative also dovetails with broader efforts to distribute visitors beyond the busiest hubs of Nassau and Paradise Island, spotlighting smaller islands that can offer a more intimate experience.
For Tropic Ocean Airways, the launch builds on years of operating seaplane services to Bimini and other Bahamian destinations. The company has previously expanded capacity on its Fort Lauderdale to Bimini routes and operates a mix of private charters and by-the-seat shared flights. Packaging Bimini as a Saturday day trip, backed by a national tourism campaign, gives the airline a new, clearly defined product to market to first-time seaplane flyers.
Industry observers see the collaboration as a timely response to evolving traveler preferences. Many consumers now prioritize experiences over lengthy vacations, seek flexibility around work and family schedules, and are willing to pay a premium for time savings and reduced hassle. A same-day international flight that bypasses major-airport congestion and long ferry rides speaks directly to that demand.
How Bimini Day Trips Fit Into a Growing Flight Network
The launch of 25-minute seaplane escapes comes as Bimini enjoys increasing connectivity from South Florida. In addition to Tropic Ocean Airways’ services, recent months have seen new and expanded air links from larger carriers and regional operators, signaling a broader interest in the island as an easy-access beach destination.
Major airlines have begun operating short-hop routes between Miami and Bimini using regional jets, positioning the island as one of the closest international destinations in their networks. Those flights, which typically clock in at under an hour, complement the more intimate seaplane experience by providing additional capacity and schedule options for overnight stays or longer trips.
Within this growing ecosystem, Tropic Ocean’s seaplane day trips occupy a distinct niche. They target travelers who value the novelty of a water landing, the efficiency of a private terminal, and the ability to condense an international experience into a single day. The “Bahamas in a Day” branding also helps differentiate the product from standard point-to-point flights, emphasizing the curated, all-in-one nature of the package.
For Bimini’s tourism stakeholders, the heightened air access presents both opportunities and responsibilities. Increased visitor numbers can support restaurants, marinas, tour operators and small businesses across the island, but also require careful management of fragile marine environments and community character. Seaplane day trips, by concentrating visits into defined time windows and small passenger loads, offer one model for incremental, controlled growth.
What Travelers Should Know Before Booking
While the new Bimini day trips are designed for spontaneity, there are still practical considerations for would-be passengers. A valid passport is required for entry into The Bahamas and reentry into the United States, and travelers should confirm documentation and any current travel advisories before booking.
Seats on the shared seaplane flights are limited, and initial weekend departures are expected to sell out quickly given the novelty of the offering and the promotional pricing window. Prospective travelers are encouraged to consider booking well ahead of target dates, especially if coordinating with specific add-on activities such as diving or fishing, which also involve limited-capacity operators.
Weather is another factor inherent to seaplane operations. While the 50-mile routing between Fort Lauderdale and Bimini is relatively short, conditions over the Florida Straits can be variable, particularly during summer thunderstorms or winter cold fronts. Tropic Ocean Airways advises that schedules may be adjusted in the interest of safety, and travelers should maintain some flexibility around the precise timing of their day.
For many South Florida residents and visitors, though, the calculus is straightforward: a stress-light check-in at a private terminal, a 25-minute hop over turquoise water, hours of sand and sea, and a flight back in time for evening plans. With the launch of Tropic Ocean Airways’ new Bimini day trip program, The Bahamas has rarely felt so close.