Tag Archive | "Best dive destinations"

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Top 5 Shark Diving Destinations in the World

Posted on 13 January 2010 by Noreen

Of all the the creatures on this planet Sharks have earned quite the reputation, good and bad. Some admire this fierce predator of the seas while most have a fear of of the creature that even keeps them out of the waters.  For those of you that fall in the second category you may want to read our post on Overcoming The ‘Jaws’ Factor When You Dive cos this post isn’t for the faint hearted. For those of you ready to face your fear or or undertake the seemingly insane pursuit of intentionally taking the plunge in shark infested waters here are the Top 5 Destinations in the World for Diving with Sharks-

1. Gansbaai, South Africa
For what nightmares are made of, there’s no where in the World like South Africa to encounter the so called ‘man-eater’ Great White. 12kms offshore from Gansbaai (160km from Cape Town), there are two islands Dyer Island and Geyser Rock where all the action takes place. The islands covered with seals and jackass penguins are like a ready to eat fast food meal for the sharks who patrol the shallow and narrow channel that runs between the two islands, as if they were at a McDonald’s drive-thru.

Top Shark Diving Destinations- South Africa

Jump in a cage here an all that’ll separate you from the most feared shark in the sea is a few metal bars. It’s a front row seat to watch the dinning frenzy and maybe a closer encounter with a curious great white when it checks out your cage. You’re guaranteed you’re moneys worth and an experience of a lifetime.

2. Nassau, Bahamas
Think cage diving is for wussies? Want a little more thrill and excitement? How about coming face-to-face with tens of reef sharks without the metal protection. Nassau attracts tons of divers every year to witness a swarm of reefies in a feeding frenzy. The difference however is that the sharks are lured by the dive master/operators dressed in chain-mail that feed them while the other divers play spectators down below unnoticed by the hungry sharks.

Top Shark Diving Destinations - Nassau, Bahamas

With no cage or protection the thrill of this high can be described as a powerful dose of prozac. Shark encounters include tens of blacktip or white tip reef sharks circling you feeding on bait and on rare occasion and run in the daddy of all sharks -the great white.

3. Rhode Island, United States
A combination of frigid waters and plenty of sharks makes this one of the top shark diving destinations. Point Judith, three hours offshore of New England may not seem like a great place to dive, especially since the Atlantic’s bone-chilling waters aren’t very inviting. However, the migratory blue sharks have made it their pit stop on a long journey to the coast of South America.

Top Shark Diving Destinations-Gansbaai, South Africa

Pulled in by chumming the waters (throwing in bait to lure sharks and fish), the blue sharks are drawn here for the diving which is done from a cage. Their slender bodies and pointed snouts are quite distinguishably different form other shark species. The fearless may opt to go cage-free but this isn’t advisable.

4. Cocos Island, Costa Rica
A must dive site for shark diving enthusiasts, Cocos Island is a unique spot to dive with literally hundreds of hammerhead sharks. Ranked as the 6th Best dive site by the PADI network, it’s a live-aboard only dive destination as it’s situated some 300 miles off the main coast of Costa Rica.

Top Shark Diving Destinations-Cocos Island, Costa Rica

The silhouette view of swirling hammerheads as you gaze up on a dive here is an intense and almost surreal diving experience. The sheer numbers of hammerheads is shocking and makes you wonder if there are any fish left around there. Apart from hammerhead sharks, white tips, bull and whale sharks are frequently spotted in these parts too.

5. Rocas Atoll (Atol das Rocas), Brazil
A lagoon off the coast of Brazil in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Norte, 260 km (160 mi) northeast of Natal is volcanic formed island. This atoll was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site because of it’s rich marine and coral life. The warm waters in this area are home to a caucus of brightly colored tropical fishes, coral reefs and it’s predator—the lemon shark.

Top Shark Diving Destinations - Atol das Rocas, Brazil

With a thriving population of lemon sharks here, which pose very little threat to humans it’s possible to dive with a school of about 30 sharks at once making it a tangy experience.

*Photo Credits: photos by manoellemos, Le Grand Portage, underwatertourist, twellsv, AlKok on flickr

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Diving at Sipadan Island, Borneo – An Untouched Piece of Art

Posted on 10 January 2010 by Noreen

One of the best rated and top 10 dive destinations in the World is a tiny dot on the map in the South China Sea- Malaysia’s only oceanic island Sipadan on Borneo. The island of Sipadan which is a limestone pinnacle rising from 600 meters from the seabed in the Celebes Sea was described by the famous late French underwater explorer and diver Jacques-Yves Cousteau as “…an untouched piece of art.”

Sipadan Diving, Malaysia

Best Dive destinations- Sipadan, MalaysiaA legendary dive destination, Sipadan is a magnet and bio-diversity hotspot of Southeast Asia drawing in big fish like barracudas, large schools of trevally, horse-eye jacks, reef sharks and bumphead parrotfish. It’s coral reefs housed in turquoise blue waters are also home to dozens of breeding hawksbill and green turtles that have become accustomed to divers making it a great spot to get up close and person with these gentle reptiles. The most negative thing we can think of and say about diving in Sipadan is with the wealth of marine life and sheer number of things vying for your attention a lot can be missed. The walls are unparalleled and brimming with innumerable macro life and fish species that’ll rival most destinations across the globe. However, the big fish encounters here definitely take the cake.

Rated the 3rd best dive site in the world by ScubaTravel and most favored dive site in Sipadan is ‘Barracuda point’. While there are no guarantees the chances are you’ll find yourself in the center of a swirling vortex of…any guesses?…yes, Barracudas!! Sipadan Dive Sites- Barracuda pointThe current here is strong but then again that’s what brings in the food which duly brings the big fish here. Apart from barracuda species like the chevron barracuda and blacktail barracuda you see huge schools of jacks, tuna, bannerfish, redtooth triggers. plenty of turtles as usual and Grey reef sharks looking for a quick lunch. Another exciting dive site is the “Drop Off” that looks straight down into an abyss of 600 meters (close to 2000ft) or more. If your lucky you may even catch sight of a few giant manta rays playing nearby.

If you enjoy spotting sharks, at the ‘hanging gardens’ another stunning wall dive with a drop off into the deep blue you can encounter a living wall of hundreds of Hammerhead Sharks rising like ghosts from the deep and occasionally the lucky may get a chance to see the extremely rare thresher shark or fox shark.

Diving in Sipadan Borneo Malaysia

Sipadan Scuba DivingWith 10-14 top notch dive sites on offer Sipadan has truly earned it’s reputation as the best of the best. The close by reefs of Mabul and Kapalai are fantastic for spotting rare mandarin fish, sea wasps and lots of nudibranchs but Sipadan is what a diving experience should be all about…abundant and untouched marine life to be viewed and enjoyed.

Sipadan in our books is fine diving at it’s finest and a must dive destination we hope will live up to it’s name for years and years to come.

*Photo credits: photos by Dave Bluck, JennyHuang, Jared Kelly, Daniel, Daniel Kwok on flickr.

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Paradise Reefs: Diving in Cozumel, Mexico

Posted on 29 November 2009 by Noreen

Ranked no. 1 by PADI as a top dive destination and featuring on almost every divers must-dive destination list, the island of Cozumel off the Mayan Coast of Mexico is a feast for eyes. Both a luxury resort destination coupled with fantastic diving, Cozumel draw divers to the island by the thousands with its stunning visibility and good diving infrastructure.

Cozumel, Mexico

Located just 12 miles off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Cozumel is the largest island in the Caribbean. The island is a mere 28 miles / 9 meters long and 10 miles / 2 meters wide and is surrounded by gorgeous reefs and pristine clear waters. Cozumel is actually a conglomeration of many different coral formations and personalities, as a series of separate reefs make up the over 20 highly popular diving areas of Cozumel, including a labyrinth of tunnels, dramatic swim through’s and canyons lying amidst the towering coral plateaus teeming with marine life.

Cozumel DivingThe two main coral reef systems surrounding Cozumel are the Colombia and Palancar reefs which house many of the islands favorite dive sites. Easily accessible with plateaus beginning in waters only 30 feet (9 meters) deep, Cozumel reefs boast of abundant underwater sea life and brilliant colors, often referred to by many scuba divers as some of the best Scuba diving of their lives. Famous for its drift diving, currents range from gentle 1/2 knots near some dive sites to fast, strong currents only for experienced adventurous drift divers. The night diving here too is incredible.

For beginners to intermediate divers, the Chankanaab Lagoon is one of the most popular sites on the island. Divers and snorkelers can observe small coral and limestone formations at just 6 to 30 feet (2 to 9 meters). A unique experience is the mixing of cold fresh water that flows out of the limestone caves called cenotes on top as you can still feel the warm salt water below. A very popular spot for night diving. Other novice dive sites include- Paradise Reef, Las Palmas Wall, Balones of Chancanab, Shallow Palancar and more.

Cozumel Dive SitesFor divers who like a little challenge, Cozumel has a host of dive sites suitable for the experienced. Popular for it’s impressive wall dives with brilliant colors and sea life that have people raving about it, there are some stunning drop-off worth fighting the currents to see.The Wall at the Santa Rosa Reef begins at 50 feet and drops straight away into the deep blue. A brisk current accompanies you as you spot great beds of tunicates, immense sponges, huge overhangs of stony corals and impressive caves and tunnels. Easily one of the most popular deep drift dives of the Island, eagle rays and turtles are often spotted here as well as large groupers. Another of Cozumel’s most popular deep dives is the Palancar Caves because of its deep buttresses, tunnels, caves and big caverns that sit along the edge of a sloping wall. The currents are usually mild, but marine life is abundant.

The “Punta Sur” dive site is particularly popular among experienced divers and especially underwater photographers for its incredible topography. Due to the site’s southern location tot he island the conditions can be rough with fast running midwater currents that can cause one to miss the dive site entirely! The most famous section of this site called the “Devil’s Throat”, starts inside a coral swim through. After descending into the opening of a dark narrow tunnel at 90 feet you are suddenly welcomed into a sunlit opening at 130 feet on the wall overlooking the abyss. The ‘Columbia Deep’, ‘Maracaibo Wall’, ‘Punta Tunich’, ‘Yucab (Virgin) Wall’, ‘Barracuda’s Wall’ and the “Mountains” of San Juan are other challenging sites for advanced divers.

Cozumel Scuba Diving

Cozumel even offers a Wreck Dive – the C-53 Xicotencatl. Sunk in the year 2000 just outside of Balones de Chankanaab, on a sandy plain between Tormentos & Chankanaab,the C-53 is 184 feet long & 33 feet wide and consists of 4 decks.

Touted as one of the “best dive locations in the world”, a variety of underwater wonders awaits you at Cozumel, home to the only inland coral reef formation in the world. A Scuba divers mecca, Cozumel has the best diving the Caribbean has to offer and will not disappoint, that we assure!

*Photo Credits: photos by Frank Peters, Scubaben, CasaDeQueso, bbialek905 on flickr

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