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Diving With Whale Sharks: An Experience Of A Lifetime

Noreen — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 12:30:20 +0000

Ask an avid diver about the creatures they long to encounter on one of their dives and I can almost bet my money that seeing or diving with a whale shark is right up their on their list along with manta rays. Ask a diver who has been lucky enough to encounter one and you’ll be met with a speechless diver fumbling for words or a breathless description. Scuba diving with one of these gentle giants is one of the Top 10 Dives to experience before you die.

Whale sharks are filter feeding sharks that grow to an impressive length of about 12.2 m (40 ft) and can weigh upto 13.6 tonnes. Only called a whale due to it’s massive stature, the whale shark is actually a fish and not a mammal and it holds the record for being the largest living fish on the planet.Whale sharks are believed to have originated about 60 million years ago and have an average life span of 70 years.

With white spot much like stars on the back of this massive yet magnificent fish, whale sharks are gentle and people friendly creatures unlike its other shark relatives. An absolute joy to dive or snorkel with they are quite an attraction to divers in dive destinations around the world. A fan of tropical and warm oceans encounter with these gentle giants are common in places around the world like the Philippines, Thailand, off the Seychelles, Christmas Island, South Africa, Mozambique, Belize, Honduras, Mexico and Western Australia. Many dive operators in these regions offer special whale shark diving tours during the seasons sightings are common. The chances of seeing a whale shark in around Phuket in Thailand is very high between February and May every year.

Swimming with a whale shark is an experience of a lifetime and a must do for any diver. So there next time you’re looking for an adventure holiday put diving with the largest fish on the planet on that list and make sure to check it off in this lifetime!

*Image Credits: photos by Marcel_Ekkel on flickr

Best Dive Sites: Top 15 Dives to Experience Before You Die

Noreen — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:02:00 +0000

With literally thousands and thousands of dive sites across the World, each with a unique underwater landscape and marine life, not to mention sites yet to be discovered, it’s near impossible to say with absolute certainty that a particular dive site is No.1! Plus, everyone has different ideas about what makes “the best” dive site. However, there some dive sites that always seem to come up in conversations about best dives and have a built reputation among the diving community as the cream of the crop. So while diving experiences anywhere depend on personal perspective as well as a number of other factors like type of dive, weather conditions, visibility, currents and luck as to what you see that day, there are some dive sites definitely worth a visit.

Here’s a look at some of the top rated and most popular dives (in no particular order) to dive before you die -

1.Best Cave/Cavern Dives – Cenotes of the Riviera Maya, Mexico

The freshwater-filled limestone sinkholes known as Cenotes situated in the state of Yucatán, Mexico lead to some of the most beautiful and intricate underwater caves and caverns in the World. The natural beauty of these cenotes and caves, with its crystal clear turquoise waters, sunlight reflecting stalactites and stalagmites are truly enigmatic works of art drawing divers the world over to explore its waters. With over 3000 Cenotes, 1400 of which have been studied and recorded it’s impossible to pick just one as the best. The Riviera Maya has the World’s three longest running underwater Cave Sytems – Ox Bel Ha (146.7Km.), Nohoch Nah Chich (61Km.) and Dos Ojos (57.7 Km.). Cenote Dos Ojos, Cenote Tajmahal and Gran Cenote are some of the notable cenotes here. (For more read: Cenotes: The Underwater Caves of The Riviera Maya, Mexico)

2. Best Wreck Dive – SS Yongala, Ayr, Australia

Rated 6th on our list of the World’s Top 10 Wreck Dives, but possibly the most popular wreck dives of all times and highly rated by thousands of divers the world over is the SS Yongala at the Great Barrier. This enchanting Australian passenger ship lying within the Great Barrier Reef Park lay undercover for over half a century since it sank in a cyclone in 1911. Today home to giant groupers, schools of trevally, cobia, turtles and sweeping rays among plenty of others, the ship is only a 30minute journey from the shore. The incredible array of marine life that accompanies the wreck is unmatched. From eagle rays, tiger sharks, bull sharks, giant grouper, turtles to swarms of giant barracuda and schools of bait fish that covers more than the eye can see, the SS Yongala is a Wreck dive site teaming with more life than many a coral reef! (For more read: World’s Top 10 Wreck Dives)

3. Best Wall Dive – Blue Corner Wall, Palau, Micronesia

Palau in Micronesia is diving hot spot and unarguably one of the best dive destinations in the World! The 200 islands of Palau are surrounded by breathtaking fringing coral reefs, crystal caves and WWII wrecks. Of all attractions on offer to diver’s delights though, the drop off’s and wall dives are in a class of their own. Recognized as one of the best wall dives in the world due to its concentration of marine life, the Blue Corner Wall at the northwest end of Ngemelis Island.This dive site features a shallow coral shelf that projects out into the ocean and has vertical walls on both sides. Not for the faint of heart, this is an advanced dive with sometimes very strong and unpredictable currents which brings in schools of fish and large pelagics to the top edges of the walls. The wall drops from 30 to 1000 feet (10 to 330 meters) or more and is covered with large variety of giant Gorgonian sea fans, hard corals and soft corals.The flat coral plateau on the top extended between the two walls and drops gently on the west to about 45 to 60 feet (15 to 20 meters). Covered in colonies of cabbage corals as well as many varieties of hard and soft corals make the wall a fantastic place for some underwater photography. But, it’s the large schools of fish that makes this site as famous as it is. Sharks, Wahoo, Tuna, Hawks Bill and Green turtles, Eagle Rays, Giant Groupers, and Barracuda, to name but a few species. Two resident Napoleon wrasses often accompany the divers throughout their dive. Diving here almost guarantees you great stories to tell friends and and marine encounters you’ll never forget!

4. Best Manta Ray Dive- Manta Ray Night Dive, Kailua Kona, Hawaii

The Kona Coast is one of the best places in the world to get up close and personal with manta rays. Often described as an experience of lifetime when one chances on one of these magnificent creatures, dive operators in Hawaii plate up this experience with night dive twist making it just spectacular. Divers are given underwater flashlights and are directed to point their beams towards the surface. The bright lights attract hordes of plankton which in turn bring the mantas as well as a ton of other fish to the vicinity. Much to the delight of divers and snorkelers even the manta rays often swoop, turn and even somersault towards the light where the plankton is plentiful displaying the surprising agility of this creature. More than 60 individual Mantas identified by spots on their underside, have been photographed, cataloged and named as regulars on the Manta Ray Night Dives. (For more read: Must Dive Sites: The Manta Ray Night Dive in Kailua Kona, Hawaii)

5. Best Deep Dive – Lighthouse Reef Blue Hole, Belize

More for an adventure dive rather than for the reef or marine life, the Belize Blue Hole is a World famous deep dive site. The almost perfectly circular Blue Hole was created by what was a dry cave system in the Ice Age and is an amazing sight from an areal view as it’s over 1000ft (300 meters) in diameter and 450ft (135 meters) deep. The caves have stalactite formations where the reef is at 110 feet and you can often see hammerhead sharks lurking in the shadows. More a thrill for it’s inky blue depths and upward view of a passage to the sky, the Blue Hole is a hotspot for divers. When it comes to Blue Hole Diving, the Belize Hole is the most well known of the lot. (For more read: Blue Hole Diving and The Most Rewarding Dive Spots In The Caribbean)

Continued in Best Dive Sites: Top 15 Dives to Experience Before You Die -2 includes…

6. Best Drift Dive – Santa Rosa Wall, Cozumel, Mexico
7. Best Ice Dive – Mc Murdo Sound, Antarctica
8. Best Night Dive - Maaya Thila, Maldives
9. Best Kelp Dive – San Clemente, Channel Islands, California
10. Best Coral Reef Life Dives – Sulawesi, Indonesia

Best Dive Sites: Top 15 Dives to Experience Before You Die -3 which includes…

11. Best Big Fish Encounter Dive – Sipadan Island, Borneo, Malaysia
12. Best Shark Dive - Gansbaai, South Africa
13. Best Whale Shark Dive – Richelieu Rock, Koh Tachai, Thailand
14. Best Shore Dives – Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
15. Best Liveaboard Dives – Sharm El Sheik and Ras Mohammed, Egypt

*Photo Credits: photos by dMap Travel Guide, stuandgravy, Daniel, Daniel Kwok, cwilso, catherinetodd2 on flickr

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Best Dive Sites: Top 15 Dives to Experience Before You Die -2

Noreen — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:38:45 +0000

If you missed our previous post of…

1. Best Cave/Cavern Dives – Cenotes of the Riviera Maya, Mexico
2. Best Wreck Dive - SS Yongala, Ayr, Australia
3. Best Wall Dive – Blue Corner Wall, Palau, Micronesia
4. Best Manta Ray Dive- Manta Ray Night Dive, Kailua Kona, Hawaii
5. Best Deep Dive – Lighthouse Reef- Blue Hole, Belize

…Click Here

6. Best Drift Dive – Santa Rosa Wall, Cozumel, Mexico

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 any divers eyes. Famous for its drift diving, Cozumel is a lazy diver’s paradise with currents that range from gentle 1/2 knots near some dive sites to fast, strong currents only for experienced and adventurous drift divers.The Wall at the Santa Rosa Reef begins at 50 feet and drops straight away into the deep blue. The Santa Rosa Wall is an expansive reef filled with huge coral mounds and covered with giant sea fans, beds of tunicates, immense sponges, huge overhangs of stony corals and impressive caves and tunnels. The massive richly colored sponges line the wall that drops off to infinity. Visibility here is stunning and with the current doing most of the work all you need to do is fall into the water and let the currents carry you away, past a Technicolor reef scene that boasts a rainbow array of sponges and scads of unique fish. Look in cracks and crevices for the whiskered Splendid Toadfish, found nowhere else on Earth. (For more read: Paradise Reefs: Diving in Cozumel, Mexico)

7. Best Ice Dive – McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

Antarctica Scuba diving? Antarctica conjures up images of lots and lots of snow, ice, glaciers, penguins and very little to see, but one thing you would never imagine doing here is Scuba diving. Well, think again! In extreme temperatures that often drop below -40°C (-40°F), where no insects, plants nor major life exists here above the ground, people do the unthinkable and plunge into it’s icy waters! McMurdo Sound Antarctica is where divers break through the 1.3-3m (4-10ft) thick ice to enter the freezing cold waters, only to be rewarded by stunning visibility of about 300m (990 ft) and a rich marine life like no other anywhere else in the World. (For more read: Extreme Diving: Ice Diving in Antarctica)

8. Best Night Dive – Maaya Thila, Maldives

The Maldives has no shortage of dive sites and always has a spot in the Top 10 dive destinations in the World. Maaya Thila off the Ari Atoll, is often singled out as the Number 1 site in the Maldives and at is rated one of the best spots in the World to experience at night. This one- of-a kind dive is most notable for its inspiring profusion of life including White Tip Reef Sharks, Turtles, Octopus,Moray Eels, Stone Fish, Cleaner Shrimps and the seldom seen Ghost Pipe Fish. The caves, overhangs and even a swim-throughs make the dive even more exciting with the vibrant colors of the soft coral coverage and the tubastrea coral. If you’re lucky you could even spot a guitar shark,a few hammerheads or spotted eagle rays.

9. Best Kelp Dive – San Clemente, Channel Islands, California

Sometimes called ‘the North American Galapagos’ or ‘the Fiji of America’, the Channel Islands made up of a chain of eight islands is one of the richest marine parks of the world. The southern most island of San Clemente absolute diver’s Mecca with it’s redwood- like Kelp forests teeming with sea lions, with the opportunity for divers to swim with them and observe the playful sea lions up close. Garibaldi in their bright colors contrasting against the kelp and Giant curious Sea Bass are common to these waters offering scuba divers a spectacular sight. Underwater photographers will have no dearth of subjects to snap away at in these clear waters. (For more read: Dive The Channel Islands California)

10. Best Coral Reef Life Dives - Bunaken National Marine Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia

The diving possibilities around Sulawesi island are virtually limitless with 6,000 miles of coastline, however, the Bunaken National Marine Park off the north east tip of Sulawesi alone will keep most ardent divers happy. Often quoted among the world’s top ten dive destinations as the reef is in mint condition and houses almost everything there is in marine life. Pick any of group of interest – corals, fish, echinoderms or sponges – and the number of families, genera or species is bound to be astonishingly high here. The wall dives here are simply out of this world, you can’t help but notice the high concentration of schooling fish from drummers, fusiliers to brightly-colored anthias that you pass along the edge of the reef top and the clouds of pyramid butterflyfish and bannerfish underneath. The variety of reef fish is astounding: you could pick out over 20 species of butterflyfish alone if you so desired. The big fish too are not to be left out and one can encounter sharks , napoleon wrasses, bumphead parrotfish, giant trevally, jacks, batfish, giant barracuda and turtles out in the blue off the wall. Many inspirational underwater photos have been taken here, full of curious looking creatures. Dive here and you’ll be spoilt for the remainder of your diving life.

*Photo credits: photos by ultrahi, wikipedia.org , findiver, Ed Bierman, Tom Weilenmann on flickr.

Continued in Best Dive Sites: Top 15 Dives to Experience Before You Die -3 which includes…

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Best Dive Sites: Top 15 Dives to Experience Before You Die -3

Noreen — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:56:07 +0000

If you missed our other posts …

Best Dive Sites: Top 15 Dives to Experience Before You Die

Best Dive Sites: Top 15 Dives to Experience Before You Die -2

11. Best Big Fish Encounter Dives – Sipadan Island, Borneo, Malaysia

The tiny 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.” A 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.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!! Apart from barracuda you’ll see species like the chevron barracuda and blacktail barracuda, huge schools of jacks, tuna, bannerfish, redtooth triggers and plenty of turtles as usual along with Grey reef sharks looking for a quick lunch. (For more read: Diving at Sipadan Island, Borneo – An Untouched Piece of Art)

12. Best Shark Dive – 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. 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. (For more read: Top 5 Shark Diving Destinations in the World)

13. Best Whale Shark Dive – Richelieu Rock, Koh Tachai, Thailand

14 km east of the Mu Koh Surin marine park is the dive site of Richelieu Rock in the famous stretch of Andaman Sea lying between the Similan and Surin Islands renowned as whale shark territory. Although there are many sites in Thailand for diving with whale sharks, Richelieu Rock is your best bet. The nutrient-rich water makes for excellent diving where plankton blooms attract many fish including the whale shark. Manta Rays too frequent the site.The huge central pinnacle of this dive site is surrounded by smaller jutting rocks every inch of which is covered in soft corals, anemones, barrel sponges and sea fans making it a picturesque setting for a whale shark encounter.

14. Best Shore Dives – Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles

Bonaire of the Dutch Antilles located in the southern Caribbean near Aruba is world renowned for its excellent scuba diving and is consistently rated among the best diving and locations in the world. The island itself is actually the peak of a submerged mountain, so deep sloping reefs surround most of the island. Just a walk down the beach and you can plunge into any one of the 86 spots and find spectacular coral within a few hundred yards. The Bonaire Marine Park protect the environment from the high water mark to a depth of 200 feet maintaining this reef’s integrity. (For more read:Bonaire – A Divers Paradise)

15. Best Liveaboard Dives - Sharm El Sheik and Ras Mohammed, Red Sea, Egypt

Sharm El-Sheik on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt is one of the most popular dive destinations of the Red Sea and has the best of what the Red Sea has to offer. With lush sandy beaches, tropical climate and exciting nightlife it’s a tourist destination with beautiful dive sites to explore. A couple of dive sites worth noting here are ‘the Light’ and ‘the Point’, where there are 130-foot drop-offs and multitudes of reef and pelagic fish. A 196 feet wall drop off into the depths just off shore, just south of Na’ama Bay called ‘The Tower’ is another popular site and is frequented by sea horses and ghost-pipe fish. All these plus the 20 dive sites within the Ras Mohammed National Park, including the famous Thistlegorm wreck, rated among the World’s Top 10 Wreck Dives are best visited by liveaboards of all price ranges operating here. (For more read: The Best Red Sea Dive Spots)

*Photo Credits: photos by findiver, manoellemos, Annie-Lou, Dan Hershman, mattk1979 on flickr

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

Noreen — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:59:04 +0000

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.”

A 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!! The 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.

With 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.

Paradise Reefs: Diving in Cozumel, Mexico

Noreen — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:12:24 +0000

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.

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.

The 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.

For 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 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

Caribbean Diving: Turks and Caicos Islands

Noreen — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:43:12 +0000

Rated PADI’s 7th favorite dive spot and among our ‘Most Rewarding Dive Spots in the Caribbean‘, the Turks and Caicos Islands is a magnificent natural wonder of the underwater world. A must-see for divers seasoned or new, Turks & Caicos is a top contender for some of the best unspoiled natural reefs and beauty that is best experienced.

Located 575 miles southeast of Miami and 90 miles north of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, these Islands are very well known for their numerous wreck diving sites especially the HMS Endymion which sunk in 1790. The Caicos Islands are also popular destination for non-scuba divers who can experience swimming with stingrays, whale watching and exploring deserted islands among other things. Humpback whales, can be spotted migrating here during January – March and if lucky, you may catch some in the early weeks of April. The whale sightings here shows an estimated 3,000-5,000 humpback whales pass through the waters of the Silver Banks between December and mid-April each year, making it the largest breeding and calving grounds in the World and a much loved location for Scuba divers and whale watchers the world over.

The Scuba diving at the Turks & Caicos Islands is excellent all year round, although it is best recommended to go there during the winter months, i.e. November through March. The sun kissed islands are blessed with some great dives sites right from its shallow banks that display stunning turquoise hues perfect for beginner divers, right to advanced drop offs into inky black depths that go up to 2,100 meters (6,900 ft.) deep in the form of underwater trenches. The most common of the dive spots are Salt Cay, Grand Turk, North Caicos, South Caicos and Providenciales. Many dive sites here are known for their gradually sloping reefs that end with dramatic underwater cliffs with deep drop offs into the blue.

With a population of less than a 100, Salt Cay is considered one of the best dive sites ever of these islands with a whole horde to boast about. “The Wall” for example is a 7000 foot trench, located only 100 yards from shore and the aforementioned HMS Endymion lies to the south of the island.

With underwater visibility averaging between 80 to 125 feet, the water clarity is excellent, especially during the dry season from May to September. You can expect to see a wide variety of marine life, of which, the most common species spotted all over the Turks and Caicos are sea turtles, manta rays, eagle rays, mahi-mahi, barracuda, jacks, Atlantic spadefish, short nosed batfish, grouper, snapper, grunts, reef sharks, bull sharks, whale sharks, hammerheads and many others.

Typically dive operators in Turks & Caicos Islands take small groups both divers and snorkelers and accommodate all levels of skill. Dive operators take you on one-tank, two-tank or multiple tank dives and also offer night dives and cave diving in some locations. Live-aboard diving is also hugely popular in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Providenciales, commonly known as Provo is another spot worth a special mention. Home to the only conch farm in the world, it has an international airport that makes getting there a piece of cake and helps connect Grand Turk, Middle Caicos, North Caicos, Salt Cay, and South Caicos. Popular dive sites in Provo like Shark Hotel, The Hole in the Wall, Eagle Ray Pass etc. are well spread across Pine Cay, Grace Bay, North West Point, West Caicos, Sandbore Channel.

North and South Caicos are the 2nd and 7th largest islands respectively in the Turks and Caicos Islands archipelago. Both, extremely popular dive sites along with South Caicos are well known not only for its scuba diving but also for its deep sea and bone fishing. Most dive sites are within 15 minutes of the dock, and the entire eastern shore of South Caicos is protected by marine park status to a depth of 300 feet. The Annual South Caicos Regatta also hosts island-wide parties, boat races, and other games are popular attractions for tourists.

Overall, it can very easily be said that these islands should rank quite high (if it doesn’t already) on every divers Must-Dive list!

*Photo Credits: Photos by cambelina, eugene on flickr

Scuba Diving with Jesus Christ In The Keys, Florida

Noreen — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:37:20 +0000

A unique and unusual dive site off the coast of Key Largo, Florida has been drawing attention and attracting thousands of Scuba divers and snorkelers alike for more than just its reef and marine life. In the midst of this dive site, a spectacular bronze sculpture of Jesus Christ stands 81/2 feet tall in 25 feet of water with a grandeur like no other. Christ’s arms raised towards the surface in a pose offering peace, the underwater statue has a presence that has made it one of the most famous and visited underwater sites on Earth.

Created by Guido Galletti, the original “Il Cristo degli Abissi” or ‘Christ of the Abyss’ was made after an idea from Italian swimmer / diver Duilio Marcante. The First statue was placed near the spot where Dario Gonzatti, the first Italian to use SCUBA gear, died in 1947. Placed in 1954, this Statue of Christ is located in the Mediterranean sea off San Fruttuoso between Camogli and Portofino on the Italian Riviera, where it still stands today.

The Second statue cast from the same mold was placed underwater off the coast of St George in the Caribbean. The Third Christ sculpture presented to the Underwater Society of America in New York in 1962 is the one that lies in Dry Rocks, around six miles North east of Key Largo in the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Florida.

Also known as ‘Christ of the Deep’ the 400 pound statue attached to a 20,000 pound concrete base, stands in a shallow reef and has splendid and massive brain coral formations flanking it’s surroundings. The sandy clearing it lies in is home to large spotted Eagle Rays and Southern Stingrays, while it’s base is encrusted with flat coral and sponges.

One of the most heavily visited underwater structures of all times, the Christ dive site is very popular location for underwater weddings and nearly 200 couples say (or write) their “I do’s” here each year. However popular for good reason, the site can be a bit cumbersome to dive because of how shallow the water can be. A caution to fellow divers who wish to dive here, is a need to exercise good buoyancy control and not use your buoyancy compensators as much to avoid bumping into the coral. The tell tales signs of significant damage site has experienced from incompetent divers and snorkelers who stand on or touch the corals is clear and if proper care isn’t taken the site just won’t be the same for very long.

A true Jubilee for the divers, the Christ of Abyss is a must-dive site , if you can over come the crowd of snorkelers and divers present at any time. A spectacle that can only be experienced and not described, the Christ statue has a presence underwater which can be felt when you dive there.

* Photos by gergobacsi on flickr

The Most Rewarding Dive Spots In The Caribbean

Noreen — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:51:40 +0000

Just the mention of the Caribbean conjures up images of it’s stunning white sand beaches and clear waters the shade of which can only be described as Caribbean blue. It’s no wonder the Caribbean houses some of the best Scuba diving destinations and dive sites in the World. The crystal blue waters, expansive coral reefs, intricate cave systems, shipwrecks and abundant marine life makes this region a diver’s paradise.

(*Photo by dMap Travel Guide on flickr)

Caribbean diving is an absolute pleasure with consistently good water conditions for diving along with a well developed infrastructure to back the sport. The diving here caters to all level of divers right from beginners to advanced and specialty divers. From Blue Hole diving in Belize and the Wall at Northwest Point Drop-off in the Grand Cayman to the shallow reefs and colorful fish of Bonaire or the amazing shipwrecks of Aruba, it’s hard to narrow down the best spots to dive just because of the sheer number and variety of amazing diving in the region.

For a start though, here some of the most popular and visibly rewarding dive destinations or dive spots in the Caribbean:-

Cayman Islands
Rated by many publications as the best place to dive in the Caribbean, the Grand Cayman a part of the Cayman Islands is also ranks 3rd on PADI Network’s list of favorite Scuba destinations. This world class dive destination has sites such as the Strawberry Sponge Wall, Snapper Reef and the MV Capt. Keith Tibbetts Wreck in Cayman Brac, Little Cayman’s Bloody Bay Wall ranked as one of the top five dive sites in the world and so many more. It’s quite popular for non-diver sites too like Stingray City, where you can float through shallow waters and come face-to-face with stingrays the size of table tops.

(*Photo by Gronberg on flickr)

Bonaire
World renowned for its excellent Scuba diving and consistently rated among the best diving and locations in the world, Bonaire is surrounded by highly accessible reefs that are in the most pristine conditions ever. This environmentally conscious island and diving industry has ensured that the reefs remain untouched from poaching and pollution. This underwater volcanic mountain, the tip of which is visible as the island has with fringe reefs right off the beach of every hotel on any part of the island.

For more on Bonaire read: Bonaire – A Divers Paradise

(*Photo by Scuba_thib on flickr)

Cocos Island, Costa Rica
Ranked as the 6th Best dive site by the PADI network, Cocos Island is a live-aboard only dive destination as it’s situated some 300 miles off the main coast of Costa Rica. A must dive site for those shark diving enthusiasts, it’s a unique spot to dive with literally hundreds of hammerhead sharks. You can also swim with dolphins, tuna, gigantic marble rays and even whale sharks here making it a must dive destination for any diver.

Curacao, Dutch Caribbean
Located in the southwest Caribbean, part of the Dutch Caribbean is Curacao another Dive haven. Ranked 5th by the PADI Networks best dive destinations, it’s drop offs, large variety of marine life and topography make it a destination worth visiting. Like Bonaire, the reefs and Islands are among the best maintained and cared for from pollution and other harm.

Cozumel, Mexico
Ranked no. 1 by PADI as a top dive destination, Cozumel is both a luxury resort destination coupled with fantastic diving. The visibility and good diving infrastructure draw divers to the island by the thousands. However, because of strong currents the dive sites are more suited for experienced or advanced divers. Manta rays and whale sharks are a common sighting and special dives for the same are conducted. Cozumel is also popular for it’s impressive wall dives with brilliant colors and sea life have people raving that it’s the best diving of their lives. The Chankanaab Lagoon, is one of the most visited sites on the island where divers and snorkelers can observe small coral and limestone formations at 6 to 30 feet / 2 to 9 meters.

(*Photo by connermajik-e on flickr)

Belize, Blue Hole- Lighthouse Reef

More for an adventure dive rather than for the reef or marine life, the Belize Blue Hole is a World famous dive site and geological site. The almost perfectly circular Blue Hole was created by what was a dry cave system in the Ice Age and is an amazing sight from an areal view. The caves have stalactite formations where reefs is at 110 feet and you can often see hammerhead sharks lurking in the shadows. More a thrill for it’s inky blue depths and upward view of a passage to the sky, the Blue Hole is a hotspot for divers. When it comes to Blue Hole Diving, the Belize Hole is the most well known of the lot. Also Read: Blue Hole Diving

Turks and Caicos Islands
PADI’s 7th favorite dive spot, these islands provide a rich assortment of relatively unexplored underwater sites, including sea lanes where boaters and divers often spot whales. Along with miles of reefs brimming with marine life, the islands also have some great wreck diving of their coasts. The HMS Endymion which sunk in 1790 is one such wreck. The reefs also feature some deep sea drop offs where the walls plunge into inky black depths of more than 2,100 meters (6,900 ft.).

Offbeat Dive Destinations: Dive Between Continents in Iceland

Noreen — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:07:17 +0000

Popular Scuba Diving destinations conjure up images of tropical islands, sandy beaches, coral reefs and colorful fish. Iceland on the other hand isn’t exactly what fits this description or springs to mind, but, Surprise! Surprise! it’s home to one of the Top 10 Dive Sites Worldwide and a Must Dive Destination.

* Photo by r.gielen on flickr

Iceland is located in the North Atlantic Ocean just south of the Arctic Circle, the freezing cold waters alone wouldn’t scream Scuba Diving! But the uniqueness of it’s dive sites definitely do. Known as the land of glaciers, active volcanoes, geysers and hot springs, Iceland actually sits on the joint where two continental plates meet. This crack in the face of the earth between the Eurasian and American tectonic plates is Silfra, rated a World Top 10 Dive Site by some of the most respected dive magazines worldwide.

Silfra is as unique as you’ll get for a dive site. Located in the beautiful National Park Thingvellir an hours drive from Reykjavik, the Silfra Ravine is a crack in the earth signifying two massive landmasses and is filled with the clearest water you could possibly see. With visibility said to be 100m+ it feels like you’re floating on air! The near perfect visibility is a result of the melting water from a glacier about 50km away that has traveled through the lava fields for many years before coming out at the north end of Thingvellir lake through underground wells and the temperature of the water which to say the least is very cold at around 2°C – 4°C all year round. * Photo by r.gielen on flickr

Silfra offers open water diving, caving and deep diving, with a depth of about 40 meters (131 feet) open water and 60 meters (197 feet) inside a cave. Even deep dives feel unreal in these pristine waters. Silfra never freezes over because of the current which pushes you along the ravine as you dive this site. However if you dive at Silfra don’t expect to see fancy fish or marine life, the most you may see are tiny fish darting into the rocks.

* images source www.adventures.is Click for more

Another unique dive site Iceland has on offer among many others is Strýtan in Akureyri. Strýtan is the world’s biggest geothermal chimney. Build up from a hot water spring on the bottom of 70 meters, rising like a tower up to about 15 meters depth, the Strýtan chimney is unique as it is the only geothermal chimney in the World that is in dive able conditions.

The warm water rising through this one of a kind limestone chimney draws marine life and schools of dozens or even hundreds of cod can be seen swimming up and down the length of the chimney.

So, the next time you’re thinking of a dive experience of a lifetime Iceland is the way to go. That said, you have to be up for some dry suit diving in extreme conditions strong currents, cold waters and at Silfra you can expect small earthquakes which are said to shake the surface about 300 times on any given day!!
* image source www.dive.is