<P> The cast and crew moved to Nassau in the Bahamas on February 9, beginning principal photography there the next day . Like the production of the first two films, they encountered many problems with varying weather conditions . The location did not offer the "perfect world" that the 38 - day shoot required . Cover shots were filmed on shore and in interior sets . The film was shot in the Super 35 format . </P> <P> The special effects team, headed by Henry Millar, had arrived at South Beach, Nassau on January 12, 1987, almost a month before principal photography commenced there . In the official press release, Millar says that when he became involved "we didn't even have a script...but as the story developed and they started telling us all what they wanted...I knew this wasn't going to be like any other shark anyone had ever seen ." </P> <P> The shark was to be launched from atop an 88 - foot (27 m) long platform, made from the trussed turret of a 30 - foot (9.1 m) crane, and floated out into Clifton Bay . Seven sharks, or segments, were produced . </P> <P> Two models were fully articulated, two were made for jumping, one for ramming, one was a half shark (the top half) and one was just a fin . The two fully articulated models each had 22 sectioned ribs and movable jaws covered by a flexible water - based latex skin, measured 25 feet (7.6 m) in length and weighed 2500 pounds . Each tooth was half - a-foot long and as sharp as it looked . All models were housed under cover...in a secret location on the island . </P>

Where in the bahamas was jaws 4 filmed