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

Caribbean Diving: Turks and Caicos Islands was written by Noreen for Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog - Bringing You The Other 70% Of Our World

The highly unusual appearance of a whale in the River Thames in London a few years back, left people with their jaws dropped, as well as wanting to see more. But while you could wait a lifetime inn London to see it happen again there are a lot of other places in the World where it’s not uncommon to spot these giant beauties. In fact, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, about ten million people a year go whale watching, spending more than $1.25 billion. (*Photo by Richard.Fisher on flickr)

Here are the Top Whale watching destinations in the World today…something worth doing to add to a list of most amazing experiences of your lifetime.

Hermanus, South Africa
From August through to November, Hermanus a small town about a 100 kms (62 miles) from Cape Town in South Africa is the prime destination to spot whales. You don’t even have to get your toes wet to catch a glimpse of one of these blubbery giants as you catch their spouts going off or their tails making a splash from the shoreline.

Apart from Hermanus, there is a whopping miles of whale watching coastline called the Whale-route. It extends from the south of Cape Town right to Durban. At least 37 species of whales and dolphins can be found in these and the most famous of them the southern right whales, humpback whales, and several coastal dolphin species.

*Photo by cornstaruk on flickr

Kaikoura, New Zealand
On the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island, the small seaside town of Kaikoura is the best place in the World to spot the giant sperm whale. Your chances to see not just one but several together are quite high almost all year round as these massive mammals reside in the 2km deep Kaikoura Canyon which is both deep and rich in nutrients. The longest and deepest diving of any cetacean, you see outlines of these whales, along with their especially powerful 15-foot “blows” before they dive back in to the depths. Humpback whales during June and July and orcas in the summer are also visitors of this region. Whale watching cruises are available here.

*Photo by Strange Ones on flickr

Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA
Cape Cod is quite a popular get away destination for big New York city resident sand other near by cities cos of it’s sand beaches. The second largest of the whale species, the finback whale is seen on a regular basis in the Atlantic waters off this coast. Because of currents pushing down the coast from Nova Scotia, the bank is home to a rich food chain that makes it a three star feeding ground for whales. Whale watching cruises leave from Provincetown, Plymouth, Barnstable, or even Boston.

*Photo by Rich Ellison on flickr

Top Places in The World to Have a Whale of a Time was written by Noreen for Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog - Bringing You The Other 70% Of Our World