|
There are many tropic waters to visit as a scuba
diver, each with its own special characteristics. Some stand out
among others as one of the best out there, but as we say, beauty
is in the eye of the beholder. It's hard to make a list that narrows
it all down to a top ten and if you try you'll find out that every
locale deserves to be on that list. So instead, we compiled a
list of dive sites around the world that again and again seems
to leave special memories amongst many scuba divers. Each of these
places offer something different and unique for divers. We hope
to dive all of these waters someday.
Komodo Island/
Flores
The Komodo Island and its surrounding islands and islets spanning
between Sumbawa and Flores in Indonesia offer a wealth of terrestrial
and marine habitats. The beautiful mounds of dry savannah grasslands
rise out from the coral-rich blue waters. White sandy beaches
and thick mangrove vegetation create contrasting rings around
the base of the mounds. The famous komodo dragons are only one
amongst many kinds of creatures in this part of the world. With
conservation assistance from the Nature Conservancy, marine life
in the region maintains a healthy and abundant population. A great
deal of variety in wildlife and underwater topography can be found
at the many dive sites. The Wiedenhoeft has visited this area
many times and has spotted numerous dolphins, mantas, and turtles.
Diving in the region is seasonal, so be sure to plan ahead. Although
some sites can be reached by day trips from Flores, the best option
is with a live a board. When you go to dive here, please be sure
that your dive operator is one who is knowledgable and cares about
the marine environment.

Sipadan 
Lying in the heart of the richest marine-habitat
in the world, the Indo-Pacific basin, is the tiny island of Sipadan.
It detached itself from the continental shelf over hundreds of
years ago, allowing the climate to remain tropical in the last
100 million years. Because of these reasons, it has nurtured proliferous
marine lifes for generations. More than 3,000 species of fish
and hundreds species of corals have been identified here. The
island itself is so small that it can be walked around in about
ten minutes. The shallow reef surrounding it, however, is almost
ten times the size of the island.
Micronesia
a future addition to our site
Papua New Guinea
a future addition to our site
Great Barrier Reef
Perhaps, the most famous dive site out there is
the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It is no surprise given its
impressive span of over 1250 miles along Australia's east coast.
This continuous strip of living reef is one of our world's natural
wonders. You can actually see it from space! Divers flock here
for its bio-diversity. Within this 218,000 square miles of underwater
haven, there are 2000 species of fish, 400 types of corals, and
4000 invertebrates that have been identified. Imagine the possibilities
of creatures and environments to discover. We can assume that
divers won't have any problem being preoccupied in this part of
the water.
Fiji
a future addition to our site
Hawaii
a future addition to our site
Red Sea
a future addition to our site

Galapagos Island
A
truly unique island, the Galapagos came to be only four to five
million years ago through volcanic activities. It has never been
attached to any continent. In fact, as an oceanic island, it is
surrounded by water deeper than 7000 feet and is 600 miles away
from a major land mass. One can only reach it by live-aboard boats.
This isolation caused the species that migrated here to evolve
differently than their distant relatives. Of all the Galapagos
animals, 22 of the 29 birds, 20 of the 22 reptiles, 20% of the
marine creatures are endemic to the island. Only a few of them
are land predators. This explains why after thousands of years
the Galapagos animals have lost their fear for other animals and
man and have become more approachable. The island's location is
the meeting point of seven major ocean currents, so the constant
currents scratches this island off beginners' list. However, the
currents bring a lot of fish actions that attract divers to begin
with.
Grand Cayman
a future addition to our site
Bonaire
Most divemasters and instructors would agree that Bonaire is
probably the best dive site in the world for beginners for many
reasons. In 1979, Bonaire became the first to turn its underwater
world into a marine park. Mooring buoys were attached to dive
sites to prevent anchor damage to corals, while markers were
placed to direct both boat and shore divers to dive locations.
As a result, Bonaire's underwater environment thrives and stands
out amongst the Carribean islands.While the sightings of big
fish are rare, you can find an abundance of small fish and macro
creatures. Most of the island's dive sites are located on the
protected leeward side of the island, keeping the water clear
and generally free of currents. With 55 dive markers close to
the shore alone, Bonaire provides numerous possibilities with
only a short swim away. On top of that, it is one of the few
in the world to provide 24-hours shore diving access. For this
reason, Bonaire continues to also attract experienced divers
who seek the freedom to dive whenever and almost wherever they
want. Check out the world's first underwater reef
cam placed at Bonaire's Small Wall dive site. Make sure
to do it while there is daylight over there!
|