You're standing at the top of a Mayan temple, 60 feet in the air, looking down a near-vertical drop. Your heart is basically trying to exit your chest through your throat. You push off. For a second, you're weightless. Then, the water hits. You're flying through a clear acrylic tunnel, and suddenly, there are teeth. Big ones. This is the water slide with sharks Atlantis fans obsess over, and honestly, it lives up to the hype, though maybe not for the reasons you think.
Most people call it the "shark slide," but its official name is the Leap of Faith. It’s the crown jewel of the Aquaventure Waterpark at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas. If you’ve seen the travel brochures or the grainy viral TikToks, you know the visual: a tiny human body zipping through a lagoon filled with Caribbean Reef Sharks and Nurse Sharks. It looks terrifying. It looks like a buffet line for the apex predators. But there’s a lot of engineering—and some quirky shark biology—that makes the whole thing work without anyone getting eaten.
What it’s actually like to ride the Leap of Faith
The walk up the stairs is the worst part. You’re climbing this massive, meticulously detailed replica of a Mayan Temple. It’s hot. The humidity in Nassau doesn't play around. By the time you get to the top, you’re sweating, and the view is incredible, but you can’t enjoy it because you’re looking at that 60-foot drop.
It’s steep. Like, 80-degrees steep.
When you go down, you don't actually see the sharks. Not really. You’re moving way too fast. You hit the bottom of the drop, water sprays everywhere, and you're essentially a human torpedo. By the time your eyes clear and you realize you’re in the shark lagoon, you’ve already shot through the tunnel and into the splash-out pool. If you want to actually see the sharks, you have to go on the Serpent Slide instead. That one uses the same temple but sends you through a series of dark twists before dropping you into the same shark-filled acrylic tube at a much slower pace. That’s the "lazy" version where you can actually look a Reef Shark in the eye.
The engineering behind the clear tunnel
People always ask if the glass can break. It’s not glass; it’s high-grade acrylic. This stuff is inches thick and designed to handle the massive pressure of the lagoon water plus the vibration of thousands of tourists sliding through it every day. The tunnel is a barrier that keeps the saltwater (and the sharks) out of the slide’s freshwater system.
👉 See also: Red Hook Hudson Valley: Why People Are Actually Moving Here (And What They Miss)
Maintenance is a constant battle. Algae loves to grow on everything in the Bahamas. Divers actually have to go into the tank regularly to scrub the outside of the tube so that riders can see the sharks and, more importantly, so the sharks don’t just see a blurry gray pipe.
The sharks: Are they bored or hungry?
The lagoon isn't just a random pool. It’s a carefully managed ecosystem. The Caribbean Reef Sharks and Nurse Sharks you see are well-fed. That’s the secret. A hungry shark is an unpredictable shark, and Atlantis has a world-class team of marine biologists who make sure these animals are basically living in a five-star resort.
Nurse sharks are pretty chill anyway. They spend a lot of time sitting on the bottom, looking like giant, sandpaper-skinned logs. The Caribbean Reef Sharks provide the "movie star" look—they’re the ones constantly patrolling the water, looking sleek and dangerous.
- Caribbean Reef Sharks: These are the ones that look like "classic" sharks. They grow to about 6-8 feet.
- Nurse Sharks: Slow-moving, bottom-dwellers with barbels (whisker-like organs) they use to find food.
- The Diet: They get fed restaurant-quality fish. Seriously.
Is it ethical? That’s a conversation people have a lot. Atlantis is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which has pretty high standards for animal care and enrichment. The sharks aren't performing tricks; they're just swimming in a very expensive, very crowded backyard.
Why everyone gets the "Shark Attack" slide mixed up
There’s a common misconception that the water slide with sharks Atlantis features is the one where a shark actually jumped into the slide. That didn't happen on the Leap of Faith.
✨ Don't miss: Physical Features of the Middle East Map: Why They Define Everything
Back in 2008, a 12-year-old female Reef Shark did actually jump out of the water and land on a different slide (the Mayan Temple slide) before the park opened for the day. It was a freak accident. The shark jumped over a low barrier during a high-tide cleaning cycle and ended up in the freshwater of the slide. Unfortunately, because of the chlorine in the water, the shark didn't survive. Since then, Atlantis has significantly increased the height of the barriers and changed their safety protocols to make sure a "shark-on-slide" encounter never happens again. You are safe. The sharks are safe. It was a one-in-a-million tragedy that the internet has turned into an urban legend.
Pro tips for surviving the lines (and the drop)
If you’re going to Atlantis specifically for the shark slide, don’t go at 11:00 AM. You will stand in the sun for an hour.
Go right when the park opens. Or, wait until about an hour before it closes. The cruise ship crowds usually head back to their boats by 4:00 PM, and the park gets much quieter.
Also, keep your elbows in. This is a pro tip for any speed slide, but especially the Leap of Faith. If you flail your arms, you’re going to get "strawberry" burns on your elbows from hitting the sides of the flume. Cross your arms over your chest, cross your ankles, and just let gravity do the work.
Beyond the Leap: Other shark encounters
If the slide is too fast for you, or if you’ve got kids who aren't quite ready for a 60-foot vertical drop, Atlantis has other ways to get close to the predators.
🔗 Read more: Philly to DC Amtrak: What Most People Get Wrong About the Northeast Corridor
- Walking with Sharks: They have this thing where you wear a high-tech glass helmet (kinda like an old-school diver) and walk along the bottom of the shark lagoon. It doesn't require a SCUBA certification.
- The Serpent Slide: As mentioned before, this is the one you want for photos. It’s slower, and you’re in a tube, so you have time to actually process that there’s a predator three feet from your face.
- The Dig: This is the indoor aquarium. It’s styled to look like the ruins of the lost city of Atlantis. It’s air-conditioned, which, honestly, is sometimes more valuable than the sharks themselves when it’s 95 degrees outside.
What most people get wrong about the cost
Atlantis is expensive. Like, "why is this burger $25" expensive.
If you aren't staying at the resort (which can cost $400-$1,000+ a night), you have to buy a day pass for Aquaventure. Depending on the season, these passes can run anywhere from $150 to $250 per person. Is it worth it for one slide? Maybe not. But for the whole park—the rapids river, the multiple slides, the private beaches, and the aquariums—it’s a solid bucket-list day.
Just remember that the "Rapid River" isn't a lazy river. It has wave machines that will legit flip your inner tube if you aren't paying attention. It’s way more intense than the shark slide in some ways because it lasts for like 15 minutes and you’re constantly getting bumped around.
Actionable insights for your trip
If you're planning to tackle the water slide with sharks Atlantis offers, here is your game plan:
- Book your Day Pass early: They do sell out, especially when multiple cruise ships are in port. Buy them online at the official Atlantis Bahamas website.
- Wear a rash guard: The sun in the Bahamas is brutal, and the friction on the slides can be tough on your back.
- Leave the GoPro at home (mostly): They generally don't let you hold cameras on the Leap of Faith for safety reasons. If you have a head mount or a chest strap, you might get away with it, but check with the lifeguard at the top first.
- Start with the Serpent Slide: Use it as a "warm-up" to see if you can handle being that close to the sharks before you do the big drop.
- Stay Hydrated: Drink twice as much water as you think you need. The combination of salt water, sun, and adrenaline will dehydrate you before lunch.
The Leap of Faith is one of those rare tourist traps that actually delivers on the promise. It’s fast, it’s scary, and yes, the sharks are very real. Just don't blink, or you'll miss the whole point of the ride.