DIVE TRAVEL Adventures BE INSPIRED, GO DIVING...
TOP PIX! UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
UWP Editor Nick Robertson-Brown’s favourite entries from 2018
SPRING 2019
ST HELENA INDONESIA CALIFORNIA CORNWALL EGYPT PAPUA NEW GUINEA
The Cuban
CROCODILE Sean Chinn meets the exciting marine life of Cuba’s Jardines de la Reina
“The reef systems here are some of the most pristine I have seen anywhere in my dive travels around the globe, and Wakatobi resort and liveaboard are second to none. The diversity of species here is brilliant if you love photography.” ~ Simon Bowen
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An experience without equal At Wakatobi, you don’t compromise on comfort to get away from it all. Our private air charter brings you directly to this luxuriously remote island, where all the indulgences of a five-star resort and luxury liveaboard await. Our dive team ensures your in-water experiences are perfectly matched to your abilities and interests. Memories of your underwater encounters will remain vivid long after your visit is concluded. While at the resort, or on board the dive yacht Pelagian, you need only ask and we will provide any service or facility within our power. This unmatched combination of world-renowned reefs and first-class luxuries puts Wakatobi in a category
www.wakatobi.com
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all of its own.
03/04/2019 17:11 20:24 11/04/2019
Enjoying Great British Diving...
SS Shockland, UK Photo courtesy of Rick Ayrton
O’Three has We will even fit you in your own home, no need to leave your sofa.. • Dedicated one-to-one service. • Remote fitting and advice. • Free pick up and returns. • Simple process.
www.othree.co.uk/home-fitting-service Suits complete and ready to dive from £795 to £1795
www.othree.co.uk | +44 (0) 1305 822820 | Osprey Quay Portland Dorset DT5 1BL
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...or diving across the World
Barbados, Caribbean Photo courtesy of Martyn Farr
you covered.
O’Three suits and accessories can also be seen at:
Christal Seas Scuba Ltd www.aquasportonline.com
www.scuba4me.co.uk
Neoprene accessories from 0.5mm to 7mm
DRYSUITS | WETSUITS | NEOPRENE ACCESSORIES |
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W ELCO M E S P RING 2 0 1 9
California Cuba
Welcome... to the third edition of Dive Travel Adventures. Our Spring 2019 magazine is packed with incredible images and in-depth travel stories from some of our favourite destinations on the planet. Spring is a time of new beginnings and in this issue, we bring you the very best in underwater inspiration just in time to celebrate the start of the new diving season. Be one of the first to explore the amazing new diving hotspot of St Helena and share the wonder of incredible Indonesia in our BIG feature. Enjoy a drive and dive trip around California and be thrilled at the underwater encounters with crocs and sharks in Cuba. Take a second look at Egypt’s beautiful house reef diving and dip into the fascinating history of PNG’s wartime wrecks. Plus, stunning Blue Sharks in Cornwall and the best of the 2018 Scubaverse Underwater Photography Competition. We hope you’ll agree that there’s something for every diver in this exciting new issue. Find your own Dive Travel Adventure here…
Jane Herbert EDITOR SCUBAVERSE
VISIT SCUBAVERSE.COM
The World’s Best Online Dive Companion Get all the latest dive, travel & marine conservation news – Equipment & gear reviews – Blogs & features – Underwater photography & videography – Competitions – Community - Events and much more! Join us at Scubaverse.com, on social media, or email us at contact@scubaverse.com – we’d love to hear from you!
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GO TO: WWW.SCUBAVERSE.COM/MAGAZINES 006 | D I V E T R AV E L A D V E N T U R E S | S P R I N G 2 01 9
EDITORIAL
Publisher Dave Alexander dave@scubaverse.com Editor Jane Herbert jane@scubaverse.com Deputy Editor Caroline Robertson-Brown caroline@scubaverse.com Editor-at-Large Jeff Goodman jeff@scubaverse.com
Underwater Photography Editor Nick Robertson-Brown uwp@scubaverse.com
SALES & MARKETING Dave Alexander dave@scubaverse.com +44 (0)7469 252917
Marketing Manager Sarah Tillbrook sarah@scubaverse.com
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SPRING 2019 CO NTENTS
EVER DREAMED OF OWNING YOUR OWN PRIVATE DIVERS PARADISE?
Cornwall
Now you can...
See pages 15, 64 & 65 for more information
Egypt
Papua New Guinea
St Helena
Indonesia
Contents
10 ST HELENA
Nick and Caroline visit the remote Southern Atlantic outpost of St Helena. Could this fascinating, mostly undiscovered destination, be diving’s next big thing?
24
OF THE 2018 60 BEST SCUBAVERSE UW
PHOTO COMPETITION!
Scubaverse Underwater Photographer Editor Nick Robertson-Brown FRPS selects some of his personal favourites from the 2018 entrants.
INDONESIA
In this bumper feature, Richard and Hayley experience a twin centre holiday that highlights some of the best of incredible Indonesia. PAGE 24 - PART ONE: Alor PAGE 36 - PART TWO: Komodo
46 CUBA
Pristine reefs and adrenalinefuelled encounters with toothy crocs and sharks make colourful Cuba an enticing, exciting adventure for Sean Chinn.
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CALIFORNIA
Nick and Caroline take in the sights of La Jolla and Long Beach on a week’s drive and dive along the sunny coast of Southern California.
86 CORNWALL
Beguiling Blue Sharks are one of the highlights of the Cornish coastline during the summer months. Nick and Caroline pack their snorkelling gear for a weekend away.
94 EGYPT
The Red Sea reefs have never been more beautiful. Richard and Hayley share why Roots in El Quseir continues to top their dive destination hot list year after year.
108 PAPUA NEW GUINEA
PNG is home to some of the best reef diving in the world but not many people know about its rich wreck diving heritage. Christopher Bartlett shares his passion for this historic wreck Heaven.
All photography unless otherwise stated is copyright © to the contributing writers/photographers herein. Copyright © for all material in this magazine remains with Scubaverse Media Limited. Use of material from Dive Travel Adventures is strictly prohibited unless written permission is given by the Publisher, Dave Alexander. If you wish to stock the magazine in your dive centre or club, please contact sarah@ scubaverse.com . To download your free digital copy of Dive Travel Adventures, simply visit our website www.scubaverse.com/magazines
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WHERE IT ALL BEGINS WWW.EGYPT.TRAVEL
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HURGHADA RED SEA THIS IS A FRIENDLY LOCAL
ASK YOUR TRAVEL AGENT
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ST HE L E N A B RITI SH OV ERSEAS TER RITOR Y
The Secret
IS OUT! Nick and Caroline achieve a long-held ambition to visit the remote Southern Atlantic outpost of St Helena. Could this fascinating, mostly undiscovered destination be diving’s next big thing? WORDS & IMAGES: NICK AND CAROLINE ROBERTSON-BROWN
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B RITISH OVERSEAS TERRITOR Y ST HEL ENA
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F EVER THERE was a trip that was eagerly awaited, then this was it. Our trip to St Helena was several years in the making. Our interest was piqued when we first trained an MOD diving team in how to photographically document their work on the RFA Darkdale wreck in St Helena. Some years later, we found ourselves meeting with the tourist board team to discuss how we could see it with our own eyes. Finally, our chance to visit this remote destination arrived and we were very excited at having the opportunity to close the loop. The airport at this island, situated out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, was only opened recently and sits at over 300
metres above sea level on one of the island’s numerous peaks. Before that, visitors had to take the mail boat, which took four days to reach the island from Cape Town. Now, you can fly from Johannesburg and be there in just a few hours. As the plane comes in to land, it seems like the wing tips are impossibly close to the rocks, but this is just an illusion. Soon you are safely down on the runway on the top of a mountain, looking out at the deep blue ocean below. As we travelled from the airport to our hotel in the capital we marvelled at how the landscape changes. At first glance, St Helena is a windswept volcanic island with areas that resemble a moonscape, and then just a little inland, lush vegetation covers the steep hills. The capital, Jamestown, is tucked between two near vertical slopes
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AS THE PLANE COMES IN TO LAND, IT SEEMS LIKE THE WING TIPS ARE IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE TO THE ROCKS, BUT THIS IS JUST AN ILLUSION. SOON YOU ARE SAFELY DOWN ON THE RUNWAY ON THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN... in a narrow valley that leads down to the ocean. Visiting St Helena is a little bit like travelling back in time. This quiet British Overseas Territory has virtually no crime; the locals are friendly and happy to give strangers a welcoming smile and a wave; the internet has only recently arrived and is still slow enough and expensive enough to encourage you to put down your phone and look at the beauty around you instead. A good night
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B RITISH OVERSEAS TERRITOR Y ST HEL ENA
out here will see people from the whole community gather in one place, young and old, to party into the small hours. In all the places we have visited around the world, St Helena really stands out as being delightfully unique. St Helena is often called the ‘second most remote island in the world’ (the first being its distant neighbour Tristan da Cunha) and it sits in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 2,500 miles east of Rio de Janeiro and 1,200 miles off the coast of Namibia. The island has an incredible history, far too rich to go into detail here, but it was the place of exile for Napoleon Bonaparte, as well as Dinuzulu and thousands of Boer prisoners of war. Today, around 5,000 people live here, proud of their rich culture and history to share with visitors. We were keen to get underwater as soon as possible, so just an hour after landing, we
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completed the short walk from our hotel in the centre of town to the dive centre on the harbour front. The diving here is usually done from RIBs that are easily manoeuvred around the rocky shores. The dramatic volcanic landscape is mirrored under the water, with huge boulders that seem to have been cut into steps by giants. The first thing you notice underwater is the sheer number of fish. This was a feature on every dive, but the first time you see it, it is just astounding. The endemic “Cunning Fish”, a small butterflyfish so named for its ability to take bait from fishermen without getting hooked, seem to swarm around any solid structure below the waves. For those that lust for rust, St Helena has a large and varied list of wrecks for divers to explore.
IMAGES Above: The airport is situated out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and sits at over 300 metres above sea level. Left top: The wing tips seem impossibly close to the rocks on landing, but all is well. Left: A view of Jamestown’s harbour.
With our history of working with the MOD salvage team who made the Darkdale wreck safe, removing munitions and fuel oil a few years earlier, we were keen to be able to dive this wreck ourselves. The Darkdale was a British Royal Navy Auxiliary Fleet ship that was sunk by a German U-boat in 1941. The casualties are listed on a cenotaph in the Jamestown harbour. She lies in 33–42 metres of water, just off the harbour, a couple of minutes boat ride from the shore. There is no hyperbaric chamber on St Helena just yet and so it is wise to dive conservatively here. As such, we would only have a very short time on the Darkdale wreck, but it was to be worth every minute. Once again, the superstructure was covered in fish, as far as the eye could see, and the wreck and her inhabitants stretched
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UNDERWATER, ST HELENA LOOKS LIKE POSEIDON HIMSELF HAS CUT OUT A PLAYGROUND FOR MARINE LIFE AND DIVERS ALIKE.
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An opportunity to acquire a unique and beautiful island in a tranquil and protected corner of the Philippines. The island offers a number of possibilities, with the potential to develop a resort business if required. Or you may wish to keep the island to yourself, your family and friends. For further information contact Mr Chris Coe at: +44 7835 976388 cjcoe@btinternet.com PRICE ON APPLICATION
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IMAGES Right: Larger predatory fish join us on the deeper dives. Below: Exploring one of the many wrecks in St Helena. Bottom: Divers explore the Papanui wreck.
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into the distance. We were also joined by a handful of large jacks, swimming around us and using us as potential hunting partners. The wreck is a sombre but impressive sight. Even closer to shore and in much shallower water is the wreck of the Papanui. Another large (over 100m) shipwreck in the harbour, she caught fire in September 1911 and made it to the relative safety of the harbour. Her crew having made it ashore, she sank in 6–12 metres of water, with part of her stern post still visible now, sticking out of the water. On this wreck you get plenty of time to explore, and whilst the ship has broken up a little, large structures remain and more amazingly, so do smaller items such as bottles, cutlery and crockery. Moray eels hide in the crevices, pufferfish patrol the metalwork, and cunningfish swirl around the shallow stern post. We dived this wreck as the sun was lowering in the sky and the lighting was incredibly atmospheric.
We also dived the Frontier, an artificial reef, which was deliberately sunk in the 1990s after it was seized and confiscated from drug runners. The structure is now home to a huge number of fish and crustaceans finding shelter amongst the cabins and walkways. As we were diving the wreck, our guide had told us to keep an eye out in the blue, as this part of the island is also famous for visiting mobula rays. We were in luck, as just a short distance away from where we had been exploring, a huge ray swept into view. It regarded us with its large eye, seemingly hanging motionless in the water, before, with a flick of its wings, it disappeared into the deeper blue sea. St Helena, along with its dramatic seascapes and wrecks, also has a series of caverns and swim-throughs that the power of the South Atlantic Ocean waves has cut into the rocks below. It is like Poseidon himself has cut out a playground for
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FOR THOSE THAT LUST FOR RUST, ST HELENA HAS A LARGE AND VARIED LIST OF WRECKS FOR DIVERS TO EXPLORE.
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marine life and divers alike. Bright red soldierfish and snapper form tight groups, sheltering in the darkness of the overhangs and inside the swimthroughs. Octopus slink up the walls, constantly changing their colour and form in an effort to remain undetected. There is so much to explore here and, aside from the Darkdale wreck, all in relatively shallow waters bathed in sunlight. Back on land, our short amount of remaining time was spent exploring the island. The highest point takes you above the level you should go after diving and so we missed the scenic walk to Diana’s Peak. From this vantage point you can enjoy breathtaking views of the island where it feels like you might even reach up to the clouds above. It is worth
WE MARVELLED AT JACOB’S LADDER, AN IMPOSSIBLY STEEP STAIRCASE OF 699 STEPS!
IMAGES Top: Overhangs provide a perfect place for fish to hide from predators.Left: The view from the top of Jacob’s Ladder looking down on Jamestown. Below: Giant Tortoises are favourite residents at Plantation House.
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organising your trip to include some time to be able to do this walk and several others that visitors flock to the island to do. We visited Napoleon’s tomb, a tranquil and beautiful resting place if ever there was one. We marvelled at Jacob’s Ladder, an impossibly steep staircase of 699 steps that starts in Jamestown and reaches up to the top of the cliff some 180 metres above. We tasted the local rum and coffee. But our favourite nondiving activity had to be finding Jonathan! Possibly St Helena’s most famous resident, he is the giant tortoise who, at 187 years old, is the oldest living terrestrial animal in the world. Jonathan resides at Plantation House along with several other giant tortoises. From January to March,
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AMAZING ADVENTURES
at
ANGSANA MALDIVES
THIS SUMMER, CELEBRATE ADVENTURE WITH ONCE IN A LIFETIME VACATION TO THE BEAUTIFUL MALDIVES!
ANGSANA IHURU With the majestic Rannamaari Shipwreck celebrating it’s 20th anniversary, Angsana Ihuru is launching unlimited dive packages! Unlimited Dives, Unlimited Adventures!
ANGSANA VELAVARU Fancy a little variety with your dives? At Angsana Velavaru, be spoiled for choice with over 101 activities! With our dive & explore packages, there’s never a dull moment in our sunny paradise as your live your adventures to the fullest!
For more information please contact: reservations-maldives@angsana.com +960 6760028
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© Ellen Cuylaerts
TRAVEL LOG:
St Helena Flights
Currency
We flew British Airways to Johannesburg and then on to St Helena via Airlink. Flights are 1-2 times a week depending on the season.
St Helena £ - which is 1:1 with the British £ which can also be used. Many places do not take credit cards.
Top Tip!
Favourite non-diving activity
Come during January to March to get the experience of a lifetime snorkelling with the Whale Sharks.
Snorkelling with Whale Sharks.
Transfers
The Mantis Hotel - www. mantissthelena.com - is a lovely place to stay and/ or eat. Another option in Jamestown is The Blue Lantern.
St Helena is a small island and a taxi from the airport to Jamestown takes about 20 minutes. The ride offers stunning views as your first sight of the island.
Water temperature The water is around 20–23*C. We found a 5mm wetsuit to be just fine.
Favourite place to eat / drink
Final Word You will not go anywhere else like it! St Helena is a unique diving destination full of character. Do not miss it!
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St Helena sees a huge number of Whale Shark aggregate in the waters close to the island. Unusually, both males and females are found together, leading people to think that this island may be an important breeding ground for the biggest fish in the sea. Undoubtedly, our winter is the best time to visit with the weather at its finest. In the peak of the local summer any diver could not wish for a more incredible experience, with the array of diving on offer, as well as the chance to snorkel with these gentle giants. Huge schools of dolphins are resident around St Helena and Humpback Whales come to the island to calf in the second half of the year. These encounters and a choice of other non-diving water activities are plenty to keep you entertained on the non-diving day before you fly. As St Helena is remote and requires divers to first fly to South Africa, then we would recommend making this a dual
© Ellen Cuylaerts
IMAGES Above: St Helena Whale Shark. Right: Big mouth - a Whale Shark feeding in St Helena.
destination trip and taking in some of the fine diving that South Africa, or even Mozambique, has to offer. A week in each destination would make for the holiday of a lifetime. St Helena is an incredible place to visit, but this is a destination that is not just about the diving. This island and its people are really special. The landscape, history and marine life all weave together to make an epic tapestry of life that is not to be missed. The secret of the South Atlantic is out…. n
MORE INFORMATION www.flyairlink.com www.divesainthelena.com www.stadventures.com www.sthelenatourism.com
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Dive the South Atlantic St Helena
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IN D O N E S I A A LOR & KOMOD O
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ALOR & KOM ODO INDONESI A
FIRST STOP: ALOR
In search of
Nature’s Wonders
Richard and Hayley of Black Manta Photography head to the centre of the coral triangle on a twin centre trip that promises to showcase the best of incredible Indonesia. WORDS & IMAGES: HAYLEY EAUDE AND RICHARD STEVENS
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I N DO NE S I A ALOR & KOMOD O
A
mongst divers, Indonesia is considered the creme de la creme for its diversity and intensity of ecosystems under the water. From the more commercial Bali to remote Raja Ampat, this archipelago has something for every taste. We were very excited to head out on a twin centre trip to the up and coming Alor and the more famous Komodo. Part of a photographic workshop organised by Dive Safari Asia, we were joining Photo Pro Paul Duxfield for two weeks of Indonesia’s finest underwater wonders. Flying into Bali, we had one day to explore the Uluwatu temple and GWK cultural park as part of a guided day trip before heading to Alor. Driving around the capital, it’s hard to miss the impressive 120m Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue rising above the landscape. If you travel via Bali, the Uluwatu temple is definitely something to include in your trip. Situated on the edge of a cliff, the temple follows a steep wall around a secluded bay with many viewing points along the way. There are a fair few macaque monkeys looking to steal something from you. Our guide warned us sunglasses were their favourite item and sure enough, Cat from our group was a victim to one large male, who refused to give her back her glasses. We attempted to lure him with a water bottle but it wasn’t to be. RIP glasses.
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ALOR & KOM ODO I ND O NESI A
IMAGES Far left: A taste of Bali - The cheeky monkey holding tightly onto Cat's glasses and the majestic Uluwatu Temple. Top, left and above: First impressions of the beautiful Alami Alor resort where plenty of macro and muck diving opportunities await.
Alami Alor Dive Resort, Alor Soft, calming waves lapped against the pebbled beach, a striking pink hue painted the sky and whispers fell amongst divers discussing the day’s delights. We sat side by side, gin cocktail in salty nut filled fingers, eagerly awaiting the culinary delights of the Alami Alor resort. This luxurious secluded spot was to be our home away from home for the best part of a week - the perfect place for any diver to explore all that Alor has to offer. The Alor archipelago, with Alor being the largest island, lies southeast of Indonesia with the Banda Sea to the north. It is somewhat of a journey to get here, with an international flight to Bali, and then an internal flight via Kupang to reach Mali, the airport in Alor. It’s then about a two hour drive through rugged and undeveloped villages, weaving around the coastline of the island until you come to the resort nestled amongst the trees on the water’s edge.
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ALOR & KOM ODO I ND O NESI A
This resort is like no other we’ve experienced, and there aren’t enough superlatives to express how amazing it really is! Many resorts can often rely too heavily on excellent diving to forgive basic accommodations, but the Alami ticks every box in abundance. The six boutique rooms are all individually built and separated from one another by pebbled pathways and gardens, more akin to Maldivian beach villas than dive camp cottages. A large private deck looks out at the volcano in the distance, surrounded by the beautiful blue water, a comfortable hammock swinging from the palm trees, providing the perfect place to rest
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up after a long day. The rooms themselves are beautifully designed by the owners Lauren & Max, with a stunning outdoor bathroom and an open air shower with the sounds of the birds above making for a very enjoyable wake up. The main building houses a large open fronted sitting and dining room where everyone meets together for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is a high quality purpose-built camera room, air conditioned and set up for 10 divers, with rinse tanks and all the photographic facilities you might need. A long jetty takes you from the dive centre out to a floating pergola where the two dive boats are secured.
IMAGES Below: The owners Max and Lauren offer a home away from home. Bottom: One of many frogfish making a home at our favourite dive site Bangalang.
But enough about the accommodation, let’s get onto the DIVING! We had heard much about Alor being the new Raja Ampat, with its pristine reefs and pelagic opportunities, and during our first days diving we got to experience both. Macro beauties such as nudis, Candy Crabs and seahorses were hidden amongst the most stunning reefs of hard and soft coral, then on the return journey after three dives, we spotted a Mola Mola on the surface. We were straight into the water and lucky enough to see it up close, but as with so many of the best encounters, we didn’t get a shot and it quickly disappeared into the depths. One of our favourite dive
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IN D O N E S I A A LOR & KOMOD O
WE HEARD MUCH ABOUT ALOR BEING THE NEW RAJA AMPAT, WITH ITS PRISTINE REEFS AND PELAGIC OPPORTUNITIES...
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ALOR & KOM ODO INDONESI A
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I N DO NE S I A ALOR & KOMOD O
sites in Alor was a five year old jetty called Bangalang. Entering fairly shallow, you approach the jetty along the sloping shore, spotting lots of macro delights on the way. The jetty itself is stunning, backlit by the sun, its pillars making a dramatic scene. Despite its youth, the jetty is covered in life, from the beautiful soft coral and sea stars to the many batfish circling the posts, as well as several resident frogfish. Midway through our stay at Alami, we surfaced after the morning dive to find a local fisherman, sat on his makeshift boat, getting ready to dive in with his goggles and spear. We decided to try out some split shots, so with what little air we had left, we went back down and waited for the fisherman to dive
IMAGES Top: A featherstar proudly displays its bright red leaves. Above left: A huge Napoleon Wrasse dwarfs Duxy as he swims past. Above right: A local fisherman hopes to catch his family's supper.
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in. Despite far too much coral touching for our liking, it was quite interesting to watch these local villagers free diving down to eight metres looking for their lunch. One can only assume it is fairly difficult to get hold of (or afford) fish and meat, so fishing is an important way for them to feed their families in remote and impoverished parts of the world. One of our most memorable dives, we nicknamed the ‘cabbage patch’ for the fields and fields of cabbage coral that adorned the reef. It was also a dive that reminded us of how unpredictable current can be when it wants to. Casually swimming along the wondrous coral, taking in all of the anthias and butterfly fish, we spotted a sea snake, weaving its way in
and out of the cabbage leaves. So enraptured by this, we did not notice our guide motioning at us to swim towards him - we would later find out that the bubbles above our heads had inverted, indicating a rather fierce down current. The next thing we knew, our bodies were moving at speed down the side of the reef and it became a quick scramble to find something to hold onto, but with so much cabbage coral, this was not an easy thing to do! Out came our pointers as we searched for a break in the reef to dig them in. After 30 seconds of furious beeping from our dive computers, we came to a stop and began the slow and torturous push back up the reef to rejoin our guide. As a photography trip,
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I N DO NE S I A ALOR & KOMOD O
there were ample opportunities to discuss techniques and skills with other divers and with group leader Duxy. In between, during and post dives, he gave his time to offer advice and feedback, helping everyone to improve their photographs. On one particular dive we were shown how to spin the camera and make the image blur - a new technique that we’ll be using a lot in the near future, if only for the comical selfies you can capture! Duxy also shared his many snoots with the group, encouraging us to persevere and try using one on the jetty dive. Despite early frustrations, we quickly fell in love with the ‘aim and shoot’ approach of the handmade gadget. In fact, we loved it so much, we got a snoot torch for Christmas! It’s safe to say that after the incredible diving, the highlight at the resort was the food. Lauren has personally developed a menu that will blow you away. The meals are made with local ingredients and based on her favourite recipes. The ones that stood out for us were the beef rendang, pecan butter cookies,
and vegan carrot cake - so good, everyone kept telling her to write a recipe book! Alongside its incredible diving, the lasting memories we have of Alor make it a truly special place for us. Every colour of pink, orange and red adorning the sky at the close of each day, dropping behind the imposing volcano on the horizon. Or the stunning blue grading of the water as it drops off the reef and into the chasm of the channel and the wondrous life below. The extra special service and homely nature of the resort, with Lauren and Max offering no end to their hospitality - from the addictive food, to the relaxed and friendly atmosphere, or the cute dog who looks like Dobby the house elf (for all you Harry Potter fans). These magical memories make Alami Alor one of our favourite diving destinations EVER. So it will come as no surprise that we plan to venture back in 2020 when its sister site will open its doors, further round on the south coast, offering even more luxury accommodation and incredible diving. n
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IMAGES Above: Hayley had a lot of fun trying out spinny shots on the reef! Below: Our drone captures the most magnificent landscape shots of the sunset.
Every colour of pink, orange and red adorned the sky at the close of each day...
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Located in the East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia, Alor Archipelago is every diver’s paradise, with extraordinary topographies, healthy reef-scape, amazing critters, and exceptional visibility. And we are proud that our dive center, Air Dive Alor, is conveniently located in Alor Kecil, the door to those world class dive sites right in the heart of the Coral Triangle. We are 100% Indonesian-owned dive resort, the first and only one in Alor. We work together with the local communities, government, and environmental NGO’s to develop community and conservation-based tourism. Our team consists of locals and we focus on offering professional, safe, and fun diving experiences. Our accommodation is fully equipped to make your stay comfortable.
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IN D O N E S I A A LOR & KOMOD O
SECOND STOP: KOMODO
Komodo Resort & Diving Club,
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ALOR & KOM ODO INDONESI A
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WE LEFT THE CHAOS of Komodo’s busy town, Labuan Bajo, behind, sitting atop a boat with the sun setting in front of us and the waves lapping gently against the hull. After an hour or so, we saw a small settlement on the edge of a rocky island, the beach enclosed by two smaller islands that were in shadow against the bright orange glow of the sunset. As we got closer, it became easier to distinguish the buildings, with curved roofs made of wood that looked like hobbit houses, surrounded by beautiful gardens filled with the brightest pink flowers. Komodo Resort & Diving Club is settled comfortably amongst the hills and shoreline of Sebayor
Island, bought by two Italian friends, Stefano and Antonello, who first spotted its potential in 2009. 10 years later, they have developed a perfect spot for sampling the delights under the water, the resort blending effortlessly with the surrounding vegetation. Each bungalow is set back from the waters edge, sitting on stilts with steps up to a small porch, all made from teak wood from local controlled plantations. The rooms are spacious and beautifully designed, with four poster beds, vaulted ceilings and a large private bathroom. The sounds of geckos and birds make you feel part of the natural surroundings. If the porch didn’t offer enough
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IMAGES Below left: Komodo Resort & Diving Club offers the perfect setting for exploring Komodo. Below centre: The reefs are abundant with soft and hard corals. Below right: Eels and the occasional Yellow Pipefish are well hidden.
viewing pleasure, then a stroll down the decking to the water’s edge provides guests with a spot on a sun lounger and parasol, for dozing off in between dives. Komodo Resort is quite different to Alami Alor, with much more of a hotel vibe. The resort has 16 bungalows and several larger suites, allowing it to cater for a bigger group of guests. The facilities are also more commercial, with an Italian themed restaurant, gift shop and Tiki style bar on the beach. The tables are set out according to who you are travelling with versus the family dining style of Alami, but the team is friendly and welcoming and the facilities are perfectly set up for any diver’s needs. The
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ALOR & KOM ODO INDONESI A
food could be considered carb overload but you do get a lot of choice. We just wished they did more pizza nights, as these were our favourite and twice a week wasn’t enough! Diving wise, Komodo is famous for its pelagics and we were hopeful to see lots of manta rays. One of our main manta dives was a ‘current express’ roller coaster at a dive site called the Cauldron, and after having started out well following the guide’s instructions from the briefing, we drifted through the water and ended up in a channel called the Shotgun. The new briefing was to hook onto the rocky floor of the channel and pray that the raging current didn’t tear the mask from
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WE LEFT THE CHAOS OF KOMODO'S BUSY TOWN BEHIND, SITTING ATOP A BOAT WITH THE SUN SETTING...
your shaking face! As the group spread out in a line, some of us were less fortunate and ended up facing the wrong way for the mantas. Despite several attempts to turn around to see the action, it was not to be and the focus of Hayley’s dive was to cling on and hope one swam past. Richard, on the other hand, had the best seat in the house, with the mantas swimming four feet above his head, seemingly hanging still in
the raging current. Manta Point is another dive site that as its name suggests, is excellent for manta sightings. When we arrived we could see many in the water beneath us, but once we were in the water and travelling on the current, they always seemed to be just in view, but out of decent camera range. Mantas really do love any current, gliding effortlessly on the spot, whilst us humans struggled to even face in the right direction! The dive centre manager, Marcus Blake, told us that during peak season around March/April, you can see 30 to 40 mantas on a single dive definitely a time of year we’ll be heading back next time! The diving in Komodo is
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exceptionally diverse. One dive can offer large pelagics, while on the next you could be sifting through the coral or sea grass looking for the most beautiful nudibranch, Candy Crabs and tiny shrimp. The corals are just stunning; an array of multicoloured hard and soft corals on every dive site also means turtle sightings are very common, and they’ll happily munch away while posing for photos. Talking of turtles, it’s really worth pointing out here that Komodo Resort & Diving Club runs a strict photo policy when photographing turtles. Conscious of the powerful flash strobes used, they request divers to take no more than five photos of a turtle and then move on to avoid upsetting our shelled friends. This is enforced so it’s important to ensure you aren’t aimlessly firing off powerful lights until you have the shot in the frame that you want! When it came to our last day, we had a pre-planned trip to Rinca Island to see the
famous Komodo dragons. However, having stalked Instagram before we travelled, we knew that the island offered incredible views of Padar Island and the Pink Beach on Komodo that were not to be missed. We managed to convince a couple of others from our group to make up the numbers for the trip and set out early morning in the blistering heat to climb the
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IMAGES Above: Plenty of face to face turtle encounters await. Below: The night sky provides the perfect backdrop to the brightest stars.
mountain of Padar and reach the top for the most spectacular of views. Three beaches horseshoe off one another - a black, white, and a pink sand one - making for an extraordinary display of nature at her best. If this wasn’t enough paradise for one day, we then took a short boat ride to the Pink Beach and it was hands down one of the most beautiful things we have ever
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FOURTHELEMENT.COM
EQUIPMENT FOR ADVENTURE DRYSUITS | UNDERSUITS | WETSUITS | ACCESSORIES | SWIMWEAR | LIFESTYLE
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IN D O N E S I A A LOR & KOMOD O
THE DIVING IN KOMODO IS EXCEPTIONALLY DIVERSE: FROM LARGE PELAGICS, TO BEAUTIFUL NUDIBRANCH, CANDY CRABS AND TINY SHRIMP.
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IMAGES Komodo offers visitors incredible above water adventures too!
Travel Log:
Indonesia, Alor and Komodo Flights
Water temperature
We flew Cathay Pacific from London Heathrow to Bali via Hong Kong. Then, Lion Air to Alor via Kupang.
In Autumn, around 27-28°C but expect cold currents coming up from the depths. Temps in the winter are low to mid 20's.
Top Tip! Savour the colourful sunsets and star-packed night skies. Also, take a reef hook for Komodo - you're going to need it!
Currency
Transfers
Padar Island, Pink Beach and the Komodo dragons at Rinka Island.
Alami Alor Resort is around 3 hours from Alor airport. We then flew to Komodo via Kupang. Komodo Resort & Diving Club is a full day bus and boat journey from the airport.
Indonesian Rupiah, US$ and £.
Favourite non-diving activity
Favourite place to eat The food in the Alami Alor is simply out of this world - our favourite resort food anywhere in the world!
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seen. The sand is actually pink, a rich dusky salmon colour, shaded that way from the red coral that adorns the sand. Lapping underneath the turquoise water of the ocean, the colours blind you, making it very difficult to believe they are real. We only had a couple of hours on Pink Beach before we headed to Rinca for the dragons. Known for their fearsome and aggressive behaviour, their prehistoric presence is really something to behold. Each group of visitors had to be escorted by a warden, who held a curved staff in case the dragons got too feisty, and to draw a line on the ground to stop you getting too close to
them. The first dragon we saw was casually lying in the shade outside someone's house. After 10 minutes taking photos, we felt much more comfortable around these animals. It wasn't until another group followed behind us and a child tripped up and started crying, that we saw the eyes of a predator adorn the face of the dragon. He definitely thought dinner had been served. As with our stay at Alami, one of the most magical experiences of Komodo Resort was returning after a day’s diving to the most spectacular sunsets. Every evening the sky was on fire with hues of purple, red and pink. Our friends back home were convinced that we’d added filters to our Instagram posts, when in actual fact our images were exactly as the camera recorded them. It’s worth travelling all that way just to see the sunsets with your own eyes! There is a reason that this part of the world is called the coral triangle with its magical biodiversity, but after two weeks diving the delights of Indonesia, we were captivated well beyond the underwater. From the enchanting local villagers speaking over 50 languages in Alor, to the mesmerizing wonders of nature in Komodo National Park, this twin centre trip is absolutely not to be missed… n MORE INFORMATION www.alamialor.com www.komodoresort.com www.divesafariasia.com
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CU BA J A RDI N ES D E L A R EI NA
Viva la vida!
Sean Chinn steps back in time to explore vibrant Havana and the pristine reefs and exciting marine life of Cuba’s Jardines de la Reina. WORDS & IMAGES: SEAN CHINN
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J ARDINES DE L A REINA CUB A
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©Nick Robertson-Brown
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J ardines de l a R e i n a CUB A
s my obsession with diving and underwater photography grew, there was one destination I would continually come across that sent my wanderlust into overdrive. Unbelievable, close-up images of crocodiles in a pristine mangrove habitat teased me, almost daily, on social media and I knew one day I had to visit this place full of sharks, crocs and colour. Finally, I got the chance to visit these Gardens of the Queen in September 2018. After a comfortable and quiet flight with lots of space to relax, our first port of call was a couple of nights in Havana to enjoy a city seemingly lost in time. The vibrant history of Cuba oozed out of the cracks of the buildings as the rumble of the old vintage American cars spoke of a small country with a big story to tell. As we arrived in the city square it was as if the saturation had been turned up 100%! Classic cars lined the streets creating vivid splashes of colour against the Art Deco and Spanish Colonial architecture. The Cuban people were really friendly and welcoming, and heady Latin beats emanated from every surface. A stay in Havana wouldn’t be complete without a city tour in a classic convertible and sure enough, on our first day in the city, our party joined a convoy exploring the history of the city. Along the way we cruised passed Cuban military weapons and fighter jets on show at Castillo de San Carlos de la Cabana. We also took some time out of the car for a walk around the Christ of Havana, a huge marble statue of Jesus with incredible views from its hilltop plaza. After another short cruise with a welcome breeze to cool us down, we explored the 18th century fortress, Fortaleza de San de la Cabana, more commonly known as ‘La Cabana’. We ended our tour in the Plaza de la Revolución. The square is dominated by the 358ft tall tower of the José Martí Memorial but what really caught my eye were the steel memorials of the two
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IMAGES Far left: Cuba's capital Havana is full of vibrant street scenes. Left: Havana's Revolution Square features a huge sculpture of Che Guevara. Far left middle: Brightly coloured classic American cars are everywhere in Havana. Bottom left: Crocodiles guard the steps to the boat in Jardines de la Reina.
most important deceased heroes of the Cuban Revolution: Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos. Standing here, the sense of history was spellbinding. My stay in Havana was short but left me with a desire to research more into Cuba’s history and the Revolution. There was certainly more to see in Havana but now it was time for the long coach journey down to Jucaro to board our boat that would take us to the Jardines de la Reina. Once on the boat transfer to our floating accommodation, it was great to be cruising the open seas again, and the anticipation of what would be an amazing dive
Crocodile of around 3 metres in length. He was there to greet us on our arrival as he relaxed on the mooring lines. He would stay around the boat for the majority of our stay and certainly felt like one of the group. I swam with Tito on numerous occasions and became very fond of my new water buddy. After a detailed briefing on the night of our arrival and a good night’s sleep, it was time for the diving to begin. The group was split into two dive skiffs with one boat captain and two dive guides each. Our boat consisted of seven from an overall group of 15 divers and as we were the only divers in
OUR HOME FOR THE next WEEK, La Tortuga, is permanently anchored in a protected channel surrounded by mangroves. trip was growing with each small swell that we passed. The mangroves we were going to call home for the next week soon came into view and already I felt this was going to be a special trip. Our boat, La Tortuga, is permanently anchored in a protected channel surrounded by mangroves. She is a large, double decker floating hotel that is a member of the Avalon Liveaboard Fleet. La Tortuga is not a luxury boat, but it has all the essential amenities for a comfortable stay, and the biggest draw of all - and the reason I would stay here again - is my friend Tito the Croc. Tito is an American Saltwater
Jardines de la Reina at the time, there were going to be no worries of over-crowded dive sites. The journey to the dive sites was certainly a fun adventure in itself. The skiffs would skim along the surface of the shallow mangrove water as if they were hovering. We snaked our way through the mangrove labyrinth before finding ourselves in the open ocean and ready to dive in. Our first dive was at a site called ‘Boca Anclitas’ and instantly I fell in love with how vivid the reefs were, full of healthy soft corals and a huge gorgonian waving in the slight current. The big splash of colour complemented the vibrancy
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of Havana and Cuba in general. It’s as if the country has been bombed with a million rainbows on land and underwater. A super friendly grouper sneaked underneath me as I took photos of the reef and was a great indicator of how curious the marine life was going to be in this stunning Marine Park. The Jardines de la Reina was declared a protected national park in 1996 and with an area of 840 square miles it is one of the largest protected areas in the Caribbean. This was the first time I had seen healthy reefs on this scale. More experienced divers told me that diving here is like stepping back in time to the days when reefs were pristine and untouched. As we floated above the reef on these first dives, inquisitive sharks surrounded us, creating a wonderful contrast to the colourful reef they call home. After three dives that day, I got my first ever in water action with a crocodile after we returned to La Tortuga. I must admit as I entered the water that I was a little nervous about what kind of reception Tito the Croc would
IMAGES Top: Tito the Croc relaxes next to La Tortuga.Â
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I must admit as I entered the water that I was a little nervous about what kind of reception Tito the Croc would give me. give me as I got close to him in his domain. My fears were soon swept aside as this amazing prehistoric creature was beyond relaxed with my presence in the water and more than happy showing off his pearly whites for the camera. What a truly humbling experience.
Day two had me screaming with excitement and really delivered the action I craved. The dive started relatively deep with Caribbean Reef Sharks around 30m but the memorable moments came at the safety top and surface, with 20-plus Silky Sharks circling as the guides
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J ardines de l a R e i n a CUB A
threw them a bit of scrap fish to give those close-up shots that shark-loving photographers crave. Dive two was equally actionpacked with shark encounters, before our afternoon finished up with a more relaxed reef dive. This tended to be the theme of the week, as we enjoyed gentler reef dives in the afternoon, to follow the shark excitement of the mornings. I didn’t bring my macro lens and so missed out on the opportunity to photograph some of the charismatic jawfish that would entertain with their jackin-the-box antics out of their hole in the sand. There were also numerous cute little blennies dotted amongst the reef with their big eyes and smile-like expression. I ended each day with more interactions with Tito the Croc back at the boat and I’m sure he got to the point where he was saying to himself “Oh man, not this guy again!” Day three was the introduction of the BIG Caribbean Reef Sharks that my dive buddy Nick had excitedly mentioned
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IMAGES Top left: A Hawksbill Turtle swims amongst pristine coral Top right: A hutia sniffing the air for a tasty fruit treat. Middle right: An iguana gets close to the camera. Above: The overfriendly grouper of Boca Anclitas.
at the start of the trip. Down between 30-35m we hovered and watched as numerous sharks, some with a girth reminiscent of a Bull Shark, circled around a huge red sponge coral. It was overwhelming to be in the presence of such a healthy reef system. With stunning corals and huge reef predators like sharks and groupers that look well fed, this is a sure sign that there’s plenty of fish life supporting these reefs. We also came across our first Hawksbill Sea Turtle that seemed completely at ease surrounded by 30-plus sharks.
Between the morning dives, we introduced some adventurous surface intervals, seemingly visiting paradise as we landed on a pristine white beach surrounded by lush green mangrove forest. An eagle ray was spotted in the shallows as we jumped off the boat but was gone in a flash. It was the hutias and iguanas we were here to see. Now, growing up in a big city I’m used to seeing my fair share of big rats roaming around but they usually give me the creeps and I want to stay well away from them. The hutias however were a different rodent altogether, a lot bigger than your typical city rat but strangely a lot cuter. Practically blind, they came sniffing around us looking for the fruit we had for them. This secluded beach, far out in the Atlantic, was literally filled with iguanas and hutia and made for a truly stunning safety stop. Day four of the trip was my “Best Day Ever” in terms of underwater adventures. What made it even more special was the fact I was seconds away from not even going out in the morning due to a dodgy stomach, but
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the thought of a surface interval with the famous croc ‘Niño’ was all the drive I needed to make a push for it. After all, it was photos of Niño that gave me the desire to visit this amazing paradise all those years ago. What a reward I received, as after another amazing deep dive with circling reef sharks, we moored up in the pristine mangroves and called out for Niño to join us while we offgassed. The dive guides would bellow out NIÑOOOO over and over again to call their long time friend to the boat. My eager anticipation for his arrival turned to overwhelming excitement when I saw not one, but TWO crocs gliding their way across the surface towards our boat. I couldn’t get my fins, mask and snorkel on quick enough; I felt like a kid again and I struggled to function with my adrenalin pumping. As soon as I hit the water I was transported to a world where I felt so content and calm. Niño translated into English means ‘Little Boy’ but he is easily around 3 metres in length now. He quickly exerted his dominance over the new smaller croc in town and pitched
IMAGES Top: Niño in knee deep water amongst the mangroves. Below: Niño the Croc dives down next to my dive buddy Rob.
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up beside our boat. The current was ripping through the channel, which made it difficult to stay in control. I took as many shots as I was able before the water became a little crowded with excited divers around the boat. That’s when I looked over and noticed the smaller croc (the new Niño) was waiting patiently in between the mangroves in knee-deep water. I decided to leave the crowd and create a bond with the new Niño. He seemed totally at ease with my presence and I don’t think I will ever have a more
enjoyable surface interval. We finished day four with a truly incredible sunset dive with Silky Sharks, where the sky was on fire and the silkies were beautifully boisterous. Truly one of my favourite diving days… The remaining two days of diving continued to deliver with more incredible underwater action with numerous Caribbean Reef Sharks. One moment was quite comical as two big reef sharks waited patiently behind the guide as he speared an invasive lionfish hiding in the reef. As the guide pulled the
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DOWN BETWEEN 30-35M WE HOVERED AND WATCHED AS NUMEROUS REEF SHARKS CIRCLED AROUND THE STUNNING CORALS...
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IMAGES Top: A Caribbean Reef Shark devours an invasive lionfish. Below: Silky Sharks at the surface.
Travel Log:
Jardines de la Reina, Cuba Flights
Currency
I flew with Virgin Atlantic direct from London Gatwick to Havana, Cuba. Flights run twice a week throughout the year.
Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC).
Top Tip! Stay on La Tortuga to enjoy swimming with Tito!
Transfers
Favourite non-diving activity
MORE INFORMATION www.cubandivingcenters.com www.travel2cuba.co.uk www.comedivewithus.co.uk
Favourite place to eat/drink Enjoying a meal in Havana’s Ivan Chef Justo - quirky atmosphere and beautiful food.
Water temperature
Jardines de la Reina is a conservation success that provides adrenalin-fuelled diving in pristine conditions. Book as a package with a stay in Havana.
Final Word!
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a restaurant to visit on our last night, just a short walk around the corner from our hotel. Ivan Chef Justo was the restaurant in question and would have been easily missed due to it being a converted house. The decor was bohemian with the walls covered in different clocks and old photos of Havana and Marilyn Monroe among other eccentric tastes. The vibrant decor was matched by the cheerful service and delicious food, giving a great final impression of Cuba before we left the next day. This is a trip I can’t recommend enough for an amazing experience. Cuba has an abundance of history to explore and the diving is extraordinary. Mixing Havana with a week in the Jardines de la Reina should be added to everyone’s bucket list of destinations. . n
Cruising around Havana in a classic American convertible car.
A 7 hour coach journey from Havana to Jucaro, followed by a 3 hour fast boat to the Jardines de la Reina.
Around 30°C in September. Shorts and rash vest are ideal but full suits recommended for the shark dives.
lionfish out, you could see the reef sharks jostling for position, when suddenly, out of nowhere from underneath, a grouper swooped in and stole the lionfish off the end of the spear. You could literally see the disappointment of the sharks as they were outwitted by this devious grouper! Canyon swim-throughs and small caverns full of tarpon made for an interesting diversion from the sharks, with small schools of horse eye jackfish providing some hypnotic entertainment as they swam in unison. Three Hawksbill turtles grazed on the healthy reef and provided an interesting colour change against the vivid coral. After a couple of day’s hiatus, Tito also returned to La Tortuga and allowed me one last sunset swim to say farewell. After the long journey back to Havana, I spent time relaxing by the pool, FaceTiming my family and getting my mind ready for “normal life” to resume in a couple of days. We were recommended a hidden gem of
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JARDINES DE LA REINA, CUBA MARINE RESERVE DIVING WITH GREY REEF SHARKS, SILK SHARKS, GOLIATH GROUPER AND CROCS! YES – CROCS!!
Undoubtedly one of the very best diving destinations there is for guaranteed shark encounters, our itineraries blend the rhythm, rum and history of Havana with the most amazing live-aboard experiences available today. We custom build every trip to give you the best experience, and for 25+ years, have been the market leaders in providing holidays to Cuba, with our own staff and offices in Havana to support you throughout your travels. ____________ A typical plan provides two nights in the amazing Old Town, followed by your 7 night live-aboard with up to 22 dives available, and then back to Havana for the final two nights. ____________
Prices start from £3699 per person Book up to 2 years ahead with a deposit and take advantage of our interest free payment plans.
THE SCUBA PLACE – COME DIVE WITH US! Telephone: 0207 644 8252 | Email: reservations@thescubaplace.co.uk www.thescubaplace.co.uk
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D o mi ni c a adv ertor i al
Dive Dominica
and let your heart race with surprise ominica, also known as ‘The Nature Island’, is a paradise for scuba diving lovers. Unspoiled and unforgettable, the seascape surrounding the island is a breath-taking as its towering mountains bathed in tropical mists. The water is clear, the marine life varied and the weather warm enough to spend an entire day in the sea. The waters here are so good in fact that Dominica is the only country in the world where a pod of the mighty sperm whale resides year-round! On dedicated whale-watching
trips, sightings of these majestic creatures are common, along with dolphin pods, humpback and killer whales. There are dive sites all along Dominica’s west coast, many of which reflect the steep and dramatic topography topside, with steep drop-offs, walls, and volcanic pinnacles. Colourful and healthy coral reefs teem with marine creatures of all kinds, including frogfish, seahorses, passing hawksbill turtles and eagle rays. With the incredible abundance of wildlife, Dominica will truly be one of your most enjoyable dives in the Caribbean.
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IMAGES Above: Scotts Head. Below: Champagne Reef.
Champagne Reef
It is, undoubtedly, the most famous dive site of Dominica. This spot takes its name from the thousands of bubbles escaping from the ground, just like swimming in a glass of champagne. Easily accessible from the shore, this reef has also become a reference for snorkelers and free divers. Divers are most likely to see sea turtles, seahorses, scorpion fish, squid, lobsters and crabs. This dive site is accessible to all levels, from beginners to experienced divers.
Scotts Head Pinnacle
A tiny village on the southwest coast of Dominica, Scotts Head overlooks Soufrière Bay — one of the most popular diving and snorkelling destinations in the world. Divers usually begin on Swiss Cheese, a large rock formation home to the well-known Soldierfish Cave. Not actually a cave, this swimthrough is usually packed with soldier fish and grunts that form a curtain in front of you, briefly parting to swallow you into the school as you pass through. At a depth of only 35 ft, a picturesque swim-through bisects the pinnacle, bringing you to the “other side” -- a steep wall on the inside of the volcanic crater that falls off to more than 120 ft.
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advertorial D o m i ni ca
L’abym (meaning, “the Abyss”)
This dive site takes you to a steep underwater cliff diving 500 meters deep. During your immersion, you will fly over a vertiginous wall covered with corals, gorgonians, anemones and sponges. L’abym is one of the most famous in Dominica for underwater photography because of its colourful environment and its rich macro life. If you are a good spotter, you will probably find seahorses, crabs, shrimps and even nudibranchs. You can also dive with stingrays, sea turtles, barracudas, parrot fish or scorpion fish. Discover Dominica and come alive! There is so much more to explore on land too - whether
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you’re looking for the best diving in the Caribbean, a hiking trip through the rainforest, relaxing afternoons in bubbling mud pools, or simply to soak up the sun and breathe in the fresh rainforest air, Dominica welcomes you! The Nature Island has everything from extreme sports to eco tours, from spas to whale watching, plus the Morne Trois Pitons National Park—the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Caribbean. No matter what you choose to do, Dominica offers an authentic adventure amid the unforgettable magic of nature unspoiled. n MORE INFORMATION www.DiscoverDominica.com or call 020 3217 7060
Join us in Dominica for
Dive Fest
IMAGES Left: Crater’s Edge. Middle: Natural world safari. Above: The Abyss.
5th-14th July 2019! Check out these special offers below n 5-nights and 2 tank dives at Hotel The Champs from only £540pp Book at hotelthechamps.com/divepackages n 5-nights and 6 tank dives at Fort Young Hotel from only £735pp EmailINFORMATION dive@fortyounghotel.com for MORE this exclusive offer
www.DiscoverDominica.com orncall 020 3217 7-nights and7060 10 tank dives
at Jungle Bay from only £820pp Use code ‘Dive BTS’ at www.junglebaydominica.com
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Underwater erwater Und PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Top Pix!
Each month, photographers from all over the world enter their images in the Scubaverse Underwater Photography Competition. Here, our UWP Editor Nick Robertson-Brown FRPS selects some of his personal favourites from the 2018 entrants.
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Underwater
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Photo of the Year 2018 Behind a Humpback Whale by François Baelen LOCATION: Reunion Island KIT: Sony A7III, Nauticam Housing
Nick says: “One thing that most photographers avoid is shooting the rear end of the subject, but sometimes the exception can be breathtaking. This shot is a great example… and the freediver and the second whale balance the image perfectly.”
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Underwater
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Runner-Up 2018 Tunicate Shrimp by Jack Pokoj
LOCATION: Dauin in The Philippines KIT: Nikon D7200 camera, Sea & Sea housing, Sea & Sea YS-D2 strobes
Nick says: “The contrast and the small depth of field make the subject leap out of the screen. The viewer is drawn towards the eyes and everything else just supports that small area of focus.”
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An opportunity to acquire a unique and beautiful island in a tranquil and protected corner of the Philippines. The island offers a number of possibilities, with the potential to develop a resort business if required. Or you may wish to keep the island to yourself, your family and friends. For further information contact Mr Chris Coe at: +44 7835 976388 cjcoe@btinternet.com PRICE ON APPLICATION
Underwater
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
3rd Place 2018 On the Throne by Natalie Bondarenko LOCATION: Raja Ampat, Indonesia KIT: Nikon D7000, Ikelite housing, Ikelite 125S strobes
Nick says: “This image is just a riot of movement around the centrepiece. It is a brilliant piece of framing and the eyes are drawn directly to the subject.”
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Underwater
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
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Underwater
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Winner December 2018 Follow my Lead by Cédric Péneau LOCATION: Reunion Island KIT: Nikon D7200, Nauticam housing
Nick says: “This capture is just amazing. It has motion, diagonals and behaviour, and the subject is beautifully isolated against the clean blue background.”
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FG9X Specially created for the Canon PowerShot G9 X and G9 X Mark II digital cameras Depth rated to 60m/200 feet
UWL400 High performance lights from 450Lm to 33,000Lm. Extensive range of backup, main and video lights. Bigblue brightens up your dive.
Compatible with most cameras featuring a 24mm lens (or a higher focal range) Depth rated to 100m/330 feet
www.liquidsports.co.uk
WWW.NAUTILUSDIVING.CO.UK
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FANTASEA DISTRIBUTOR FOR THE UK
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Underwater
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Winner August 2018 Turtle in a Fish Swarm by Margit Sablowski LOCATION: Curacao KIT: Nikon D300, Sealux housing, Subtronic flashes
Nick says: “The turtle is looking directly at the camera and the shoal of small fish has moved away to allow it through. You can almost feel the texture of the subject as it moves towards the camera.”
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Underwater
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
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Magic Photo Experience Join renowned photographers and marine biologists Nick and Caroline RobertsonBrown on a unique adventure as they return to the Philippines. Staying at Magic Oceans, a boutique dive resort in Anda, the trip includes an unlimited dive package, photography workshops and evening presentations about the marine biology of this outstanding location, most famous for its macro subjects but also visited by larger marine species. Interested in joining this exclusive expert led trip? Please register your interest with the Dive team and further details will be sent to you as soon as they are available.
Departs Price from Group size Leaders
19 May 2020 £1,795 (land only) 16 Nick and Caroline Robertson-Brown
The price is per person for 10 nights, superior twin share bungalow, full board, 8 days unlimited dive pack, airport transfers
Finest dive locations
Superb selection of resorts & liveaboards
100% independent
100% financial protection
Outstanding tailor-made diving holidays
H IT E W ID E IV DW US RL CL WO EX VE DI
With aquarium-like reefs and a dazzling array of marine life, the coastline of Anda on Bohol Island is worthy of any divers’ wish list. Set amongst tropical gardens, Magic Oceans is an intimate resort with a fabulous house reef catering for divers with a sense of adventure. Whilst macro diving is high on the agenda, there are plenty of larger highlights and modern facilities for photographers. It’s the perfect base from which to explore.
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Meet the Experts
Husband and wife team Nick and Caroline Robertson-Brown (Frogfish Photography) are multiple award winning photographers and along with three books published, feature regularly in the diving, wildlife and international press, as well as being the Underwater Photography Editors at Scubaverse. Both are passionate about marine conservation and are UK Ambassadors for Sharks4Kids.
Contact us on
01962 302087
sales@diveworldwide.com
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Underwater
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Winner May 2018 Casper’s Window by Hannes Klosterman LOCATION: Everglades Outpost in Homestead, Florida KIT: Nikon D500, Nauticam housing, Inon Z-240 strobes
Nick says: “This is a super balancedlight shot of an alligator from beneath the subject. It is framed perfectly in Snell’s window and its underside is an innovative angle I haven’t seen before.”
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Underwater
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Enter the
2019
competition Do you have a winning shot? Each monthly winner receives a £250 Scuba Travel voucher and Vivid-Pix software. The overall winner receives over £1000 worth of Mares diving equipment. Head over to the Scubaverse website and enter some of you own images at: www.scubaverse.com/ current-contest-photo
Scubaverse also run a monthly video competition judged by Jeff Goodman and there are some great prizes on offer here too – so get filming! 074 | D I V E T R AV E L A D V E N T U R E S | S P R I N G 2 01 9
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Encounter. Capture. Create. The Sealife DC2000 puts innnite control in your hands. With its large 1” backlit CMOS sensor, RAW shooting capability and lightning fast shutter, you’ll always get the perfect shot. Capture any sea creature with a remarkable 4” macro focus and a wide assortment of available macro & wide angle lenses. Sony 1” Type Sensor
4 Dive Modes
M Manual Control
RAW Capture
Full HD 1080p
Wii / Bluetooth
DC2000 image by Tobias Friedrich
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sealife-cameras.com
facebook.com/SeaLifeCameras
instagram.com/SeaLifeCameras
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CA L I FO R N I A L A JOLL A & LONG BEACH
Nick and Caroline take in the sights of La Jolla and Long Beach on a week’s drive and dive along the sunny coast of Southern California.
CALIFORNIA
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L A J OLL A & LONG B EAC H C A LIFO R NI A
WORDS & IMAGES: NICK AND CAROLINE ROBERTSON-BROWN
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CA L I FO R N I A L A JOLL A & LONG BEACH
N OUR RETURN from diving with Great White Sharks in Guadalupe Island off the coast of Mexico, we were dropped off in San Diego. Rather than heading back to the UK immediately, we decided to spend a week in Southern California, driving ourselves along the coast and trying out some diving and snorkelling in the region. It turned out to be a superb idea! The sun was shining; the sea was calm. We picked up our hire car, packed our dive gear into the trunk and set off towards the Pacific Ocean. Our first stop was not far at all, as we made the short drive from San Diego to La Jolla. Arriving in the evening, we took the chance to stretch our legs and walk along the coastline, to recce where we planned to dive and snorkel over the next two days. In the summer months this is a popular destination and the seafront was pleasantly buzzing with people ending their day, as we were, by walking (or skateboarding, kitesurfing and a plethora of other modes of movement) by the ocean.
One of the most popular attractions is the wild sea lion colonies that share the beaches and rocky outcrops with the locals and tourists. It is not uncommon to see people sunbathing right next to a sleeping pinniped here! La Jolla also has a great nightlife, and so as we headed back into town, we found ourselves lured into local craft ale establishments for refreshments. We had contacted a local underwater photographer for advice on where to snorkel and dive to see some of the best marine life. People are really friendly here, and so instead of just telling us where to dive, Jamie from Underwater Paparazzi suggested we meet up to snorkel La Jolla Marine Room reefs. She knew just where to look to find Leopard Sharks darting below us, huge rays and even turtles, in water shallow enough that we could have stood up! Alas, the surge had stirred up the sand, and so photography was not an option, but it was still incredible to see what was possible here by just grabbing your mask, snorkel
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L A J OLL A & LONG B EAC H C A LIFO R NI A
IMAGES Left: Beauituful La Jolla Cove. Far left: Enjoying a drink on the Queen Mary. Below: A circle in the sand where these sea lions sleep in the sun.. Bottom: Catching some rays - a sea lion basks in the warm sun.
ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR ATTRACTIONS IS THE WILD SEA LION COLONIES THAT SHARE THE BEACHES AND ROCKY OUTCROPS WITH THE LOCALS AND TOURISTS.
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and fins. The weather promised to be slightly better the next morning, and so we collected some tanks and Jamie agreed to meet us at La Jolla Cove to dive the kelp forest, to look for sixgill sharks and sea lions. You have to be up early if you want to dive at La Jolla. Well actually you only need to be up early if you want a parking space near to the dive site – which we did! Our alarm woke us up before the sun had risen and we drove down the hill and found a spot. Jamie soon joined us and we geared up and walked IMAGES Top: A sea lion blows bubbles as he swims past. Above : Swimming through the giant kelp fronds. Right: These sea lions share their beach with lots of tourists in the summer.
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down the steep steps onto the beach and waded into the water. She led us out towards deeper water and into the kelp forest. Unfortunately, the visibility had not really improved and so our chances of finding sharks were slim, but the kelp offers shelter to a host of other marine life including plenty of fish, lobster, crabs and the biggest sea hares we have ever seen. Jamie had to head off to work and so she left us to our own devices for the rest of the day. Rather than rent more tanks, we decided to snorkel, staying close to the shore and amongst the sea lions that play right up to the beach. Since they share these cool waters with thousands of people, it is not uncommon to see young sea lions playing between the ankles and knees of people wading into the water to cool off from the potent sun. We spent hours bobbing in the water marvelling at these wonderful creatures and how integrated into local life they had become. The next morning it was time to head north to Long Beach, a coastal city and port close to Los Angeles that was to
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L a J oll a & Long B eac h c a l i fo r ni a
be our home for the remainder of our trip. We had booked two days of diving with Sundiver International and were very excited about our planned trip to dive a working oilrig and Catalina Island. Ever since seeing one of Dr Alex Mustard’s shots of a diving seabird under an oilrig, we had wanted to come here and at last we had made it. We were staying at the Hotel Maya, which sits on the far side of the river from town, and from our balcony we had an outstanding view out over the water, with the Queen Mary right outside our window. Once settled in, we met up with the team from the tourist board, who gave us some advice on the best spots in the city and so we decided to explore and set out on foot for the short walk into town. Whilst you do not see many people on foot, Long Beach is made for people who love the
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outdoors and so it is possible to walk everywhere. We were determined to sample as many local flavours as possible, and fell in love with the local beers and especially the roasted brussel sprouts with balsamic vinegar and parmesan cheese! The next morning, up early again, we set off to the marina to meet up with Captain Kyaa from Sundiver International. She runs three boats out of Long Beach and had given us loads of help when setting up the trip. Our first day saw us head out on her middlesized boat to Catalina Island with a group of local divers. The boat had loads of space for all the equipment and people settled down for the hour or so crossing. For those that had skipped breakfast, food and coffee were laid on and very welcome. Time passed quickly and the day started to warm as the sun rose higher in the sky and we chatted to our fellow divers. The boat slowed and we
IMAGES Right: The Queen Mary. Below: It can be an early morning start if you want to do the best dives off Long Beach.. Bottom: California Sea Lions play in the shallows .
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set anchor close to shore and readied our equipment. The highlight of diving Catalina Island is the impressive kelp forests. At the back of the boat we could see the huge fronds swaying at the surface. The kelp forests are one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems in the world. They also provide a dramatic seascape in which to dive. At first on entering the water, we stayed on the outside of the kelp forest, marvelling at its size and beauty. We got our bearings and then decided to head in amongst the huge fronds. Immediately the water gets darker as the light finds it harder to penetrate the thicker parts of the forest. A large shadow passed overhead and then we saw a glimpse of an animal dart away from us. We waited, and a young harbour seal tentatively came closer, and spent a little time with us, but always staying just out of camera range. Something glinted on a rock and it caught our eye. It was a discarded abalone shell. These molluscs are prized for their meat by humans, seals and sea lions. The shells are beautiful. As this is a protected marine park we hoped that the shell was discarded by wildlife rather than mankind, and we left it there for others to enjoy. Garibaldi fish are another highlight of this delicate ecosystem. They are curious and happy to approach divers and look like giant goldfish, their orange colour standing out perfectly against the dark green kelp. On the seabed, there were starfish and brittle stars. Everywhere we looked we saw new life to photograph. Our surface interval was all about the lunch! Kyaa had prepared a feast for the divers onboard, the best food we
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IMAGES Far left: Beautiful kelp forests of Catalina Island. Left: An abalone shell left in the kelp forest.
Something glinted on a rock and caught our eye. It was a beautiful, discarded abalone shell. have ever had on a day boat for sure, with meat and vegan chillies and amazing chocolate brownies. Our second dive saw us head to a reef, to give us a different seascape to explore. We were looking for Giant Black Seabass, but whilst the rest of the divers saw four of these huge fish near the anchor, we missed this spectacle looking instead for the octopus and fish that use these rocks as protection. The next morning we loaded up onto the smaller of the boats, with only three other
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divers joining us on a dual destination trip to the oilrigs and then on to Catalina Island. It was flat calm and the sun was shining and we just knew it was going to be a wonderful day. Approaching the oilrig you really appreciate that this is a working site as the sounds and smells fill your senses. With the boat expertly manoeuvred to get us close in to the huge supporting structure, we jumped in. We had been advised to stay in sight of the underwater structure and to surface close by as well, so as
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MALTA’S 5H
RESORT
TECHNICAL
DIVING
Nitrox only dive centres Private Facilities - House Reef and Pool Packages and diverse courses available
ULTIMATE
CHARTER Boat charter service catering for both Recreational and Technical Divers
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WHAT MAKES A COMPLETE DIVER?
THE HOME OF SCUBA DIVING AND LEARNING TO SCUBA DIVE ON GOZO!
DIVE MASTER
INSURANCE
Simple, Secure and Affordable
BUY ONLINE www.divemasterinsurance.com CALL 01702 476902
Based in the fishing village of Xlendi, on the South West area of Gozo, Utina Diving College is based 50 metres from the beach and therefore it is very easy to reach. As a PADI 5* Instructor Development Centre, we appeal to divers and new divers who demand the personal touch. We only take small parties (maximum of 4) whether on guided dives or courses for those who want to learn/further their diving education. We are members of the PDSA (Professional Diving Schools Association) - our local governing body. We are the Malta & Gozo agents for Microdive Limited as well as being the only Microdive Experience Centre on the Islands which specialises in shallow water diving i.e. up to 9 metres. If you are an RYA Member, we can train you to the level required by the RYA for its members.
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IMAGES Right: The oilrig ‘Ellen’ was to be one of our favourite dives. Right below: The oilrig legs are covered in life. Bottom: The oilrigs create a great place for sea lions to rest and play.
to avoid any potential issues with boat traffic. We slowly descended below the surface, dulling out the noise from above, and immersing ourselves in what appeared in front of us. The top couple of metres of the oilrig structure that sits below the water was coated in mussels, with every inch of metalwork covered. A little deeper, and the structure was wrapped with pink jewel anemones and brittle stars. It was like a beautiful present. As we looked closer, camouflaged fish hid waiting for their prey to swim past. But for us, it was something else that caught our eye. As with every dive on the trip so far, a fast moving pinniped vied for our attention. A young Californian sea lion put on an incredible show of agility and speed. Darting around the super-structure of the oilrig, it blew bubbles, spun around each diver, and entertained us with a mesmerising show. We did a further two dives on
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Catalina Island in the afternoon, and this time we were lucky to see two Giant Black Seabass cruising through the kelp. We dived an incredible pinnacle on the backside of the island, only possible when conditions are perfect. We saw huge schools of fish and beautiful corals. This really is an incredible place to dive and we knew we were going to be leaving wanting more. For our final day we had been invited to visit and dive in The Aquarium of The Pacific in Long Beach. As part of their 20th Anniversary celebrations, there were opportunities for divers to experience what it is like to dive in the tank via their Dive
A little deeper, and the structure was wrapped with pink jewel anemones and brittle stars. It was like a beautiful present.
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Travel Log:
California, La Jolla & Long Beach Flights
Currency
Most major airports offer flights to San Diego and Los Angeles.
$US.
Top Tip!
Snorkelling with sea lions!
Bring full length, light inwater wear for snorkelling to prevent sunburn. Warm wetsuits are recommended for diving.
Transfers This was a Fly-Drive-Dive trip!
Water temperature The water is around 18-19° in late summer. At depth it can get colder, so a thick wetsuit or drysuit will keep you toasty.
Favourite non-diving activity Favourite place to eat/drink There are too many to mention but California is an incredible place for those that love their food and drink.
Final Word! Southern California offers great diving, wonderful weather, friendly people and superb food and drink. It really is the perfect holiday destination!
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IMAGES Top: The biggest fish in the aquarium! Above left: Rays and sharks are popular attractions at The Aquarium of the Pacific. Above right: Meeting the crew and getting a tour of Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise.
Immersion program. Whilst the main tank looks huge from the domed glass on the outside, actually, it is smaller than you think once you get in the water. You have to be very careful not to damage the display. Many of the corals and inhabitants here have been rescued or even confiscated from smugglers at airports. It is a surreal experience having people waving to you from the outside of the tank, while you swim in perfectly clear water with small hammerhead sharks, leopard sharks, rays and some very friendly batfish. Not wanting to slow down the incredible experiences Long Beach had to offer, we also jumped at the chance to get a private tour of Arctic Sunrise. The Greenpeace boat was in harbour, and it was great to see
the crew engaging people about the issue of plastic pollution in the ocean. We did not want to leave Southern California. With great diving, wonderful beers and fantastic food it is a perfect location for both avid divers and family groups that want to squeeze in a bit of diving but take advantage of plenty of other activities on offer. Long Beach and La Jolla make a perfect dual destination dive trip, as they are not too far apart and yet they have very different underwater experiences on offer. When can we go back? n MORE INFORMATION www.sundiverinternational.com www.rhinocarhire.com www.visitlongbeach.com www.visitcalifornia.com
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San Diego Dive Center
Ensenada
Guadalupe white sharks
BahĂa whale sharks N. Sea of Cortez
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Cabo Dive Center Socorro giant mantas
New Offering!! 8-10 night Trips Guadalupe, Mexico The best white shark diving on the planet plus
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Summertime
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PENZANC E CORNW A L L
Blues
Nick and Caroline take a drive down to the Cornish coast for an incredible shark experience that is well within everyone’s reach. WORDS & IMAGES: NICK AND CAROLINE ROBERTSON-BROWN
ORNWALL IS A wonderful place to visit and to go diving, with loads of great shore and boat diving, for marine life and wreck lovers alike. However, in the summer months something very special happens. The sea starts to warm up and Blue Sharks arrive in the waters off Penzance. Many divers travel all over the world to experience sharks close up and yet this dive is just a few miles off the UK's south coast. Our trip saw us arrive in Penzance in blazing sunshine and we were amazed to see that the sea was flat calm. It seemed that the weather gods were with us for once and the excitement rose as our small group of five stowed our snorkelling, rebreather and camera gear onto
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RIB Logan. As we pulled out of the harbour, our skipper accelerated and we were soon skipping over the water at a rate of knots. We were headed out to sea to a secret spot known to be good for Blue Sharks. As we approached our captain’s favourite spot, he closed down the engines and we drifted forward for a few moments. You never know what you are going to get on this type of day out. Whilst the hit rate for seeing sharks is very good, we decided not to get our hopes up just yet. We bobbed in the sunshine, merrily soaking up the rays, chatting and preparing our gear, as the “rubby dubby” mixture of rotted fish bits and oil, frozen to help the serious smell issue, was hung off the boat’s stern. The boat was drifting in the water, perfectly positioned to have
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THERE IS NOTHING IN THE WORLD THAT CAN BRING US BACK TO FULL ALERT QUICKER THAN THE CRY OF "SHARK!"
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PENZANC E CORNW A L L
IMAGES Left: On a sunny calm day there is nothing more spectacular than a Blue Shark. Top: Our skipper Charlie Hood. Middle: Caroline meets the Blue Shark. Above: Blue Sharks have big googly eyes.
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us in the ideal spot once the fishy oil slick had done its job, its scent seeping into the water to attract the Blue Sharks. Hopeful seagulls fluttered above the fish oil slick, sometimes landing on the waves to grab a morsel that had come loose from the netting. The gentle swaying of the boat over what were barely ripples in the glassy surface soon had us all nodding off, until suddenly our skipper, Charlie, shouted “Shark!� There is nothing in the world that can bring us back to full alert quicker than this particular cry and we were soon hauling on our booties, grabbing our masks and donning our fins. We were warned to enter the water as quietly and smoothly as possible so as not to chase our single Blue Shark away. Three of us slid into the cool water and watched as the shark grew in courage and started to come in closer. Blue Sharks are not very big, but they can be bold and soon this one was swimming right in front of our masks and cameras. They are curious creatures and this one took a test bite of the boat propeller as well as making a few attempts at stealing the chum bag. But most of her time was spent leisurely swimming around the boat and snorkellers. Two of our group had brought Lungfish rebreathers, purely to experience diving with the Blue Sharks, and our shark seemed happy to come in close to them too. Some people are lucky enough to get several sharks on this fantastic experience, but whilst the weather was perfect, only a single shark graced us with its presence that day. But that did not matter to us, as the shark was happy to stay with us in the water and get in close for some photos. Later, a Compass Jellyfish drifted between the group. The curious shark swam over to see what was going on and, as
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sharks do, took an exploratory bite. The reaction was incredible as she swiftly spat it out and opened her mouth as wide as it would go, swimming with her mouth gaping, presumably to wash away the stinging cells. Our shark was very unhappy and much to our disappointment, she swam off into deeper water. We hung around in the water for a while, but it did not look like she was coming back. We got back onto the boat and chatted about what a great, albeit short, experience it had been. It was
nice to warm up in the sun and grab a bite to eat and rehydrate. But then another cry of “Shark!” had us reaching for our gear again and sliding back into the water. It seemed that our shark had recovered and returned. Once again, the shark came in very close to the snorkellers and divers, sometimes brushing against fins and cameras as she passed. We spent perhaps another half an hour in the water, staying at the surface and near to the boat, watching this lovely shark swim amongst us.
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Blue Sharks are possibly the most beautiful of all the shark species and this is due to their elegant shape and gorgeous blue backs. But, whilst they might be supermodels in good looks, our shark could not be classed as intelligent. Another Compass Jellyfish drifted past and once again, with cries of “No!” from all those in the water, she swam up to it and took another bite. Same reaction – she spat out the jellyfish, shook her head, opened and shut her mouth as if in pain, and swam off into the deep. That was to be our final sighting of her and whilst we were sad to see her go, we had had a wonderful experience. We set off back for dry land and were travelling at speed when suddenly there was a change in the direction the boat was moving in and we all looked up at the captain. He was focused on something in the water in the distance, but try as we might we could not see what he was looking at. Then he slowed the boat and pointed. A little way ahead, two fins were sticking up out of the water. We watched and waited, hoping that not
IMAGES Top: The Blue Shark about to take a bite of the Compass Jellyfish. Left: A spider crab guards its home.
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IMAGES Above: A huge Basking Shark on the boat ride home. Below: A cuttlefish in Lamorna Cove.
TRAVEL LOG:
Cornwall Flights We didn’t need any flights, but there are airports in Newquay, Exeter and Bristol, as well as good rail links, if you want to shorten the drive to Penzance. It took six hours from Manchester.
Top Tip!
Favourite non-diving activity Visiting the local vineyard – Camel Valley. They have been producing awardwinning, world-class wines in this beautiful corner of Cornwall since 1989.
Favourite place to eat / drink
Take sunscreen and wet weather gear – you never know what the Great British weather might be like when you get there.
We are serious curry lovers but the Taj Mahal Nepalese and Indian restaurant is justifiably popular with locals and visitors alike.
Water temperature
Final Word!
Between 12–16°C. We used a 7mm wetsuit, hood and gloves, as it is easier to snorkel in a wetsuit than a drysuit.
This is an amazing shark experience, right on our doorstep, that proves you don’t have to travel far. The chance to see Blue Sharks and Basking Sharks in UK waters is an adventure not to be missed.
Currency £.
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only was this a Basking Shark sighting, but that we would be able to get back into our gear and get in the water with it. It was a Basking Shark and it was huge – close to 9 metres in length. It was moving at speed and so we were only going to get one chance in the water with it. Charlie let the boat move slowly through the water as we got back into our gear, and then manoeuvred the boat a good distance in front of this giant shark. Once again, we slid in with minimal fuss, heads lifted up out of the water to see if we could spot the fin. Charlie shouted and pointed us in the right direction, and soon the shark slipped right past us, mouth gaping so it could hoover-up plankton as it gently finned through the water. This was an unexpected bonus for us. Two species of British sharks on the same trip – amazing!
Back on shore we unloaded our gear and arranged to meet up in a local Penzance pub before moving on for a traditional post-dive curry. All the talk was about the incredible day we had had out on the water. We were all a little rosier from the sun than we had anticipated, ready for our first pint, and basking in the glow of a fabulous day. We made plans for some shore diving the next day, taking in Lamorna Cove and then Porthkerris, on our way back north. Both places offer great shallow shore dives to complement the day out at sea with the Blue Sharks. On our drive home we found time to pop into England’s most famous vineyard, Camel Valley Wines, for a taste and to grab a bottle of local fizz to celebrate this epic trip when we finally got home. Whilst Cornwall is a long way from where we live in Manchester, it was certainly worth the trip, with super shore dives and one of the most incredible shark dives in the world, right on our doorstep in the UK! n
MORE INFORMATION www.charleshood.com www.visitcornwall.com
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EG Y PT EL Q US E I R
Red Sea
Renaissance Egypt, once the heartland of diving, is enjoying a renaissance and her reefs have never been more beautiful. Regular visitors Richard and Hayley share why Roots in El Quseir continues to top their dive destination hot list year after year.
WORDS & IMAGES: HAYLEY EAUDE AND RICHARD STEVENS
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IMAGES Top left: Roots is perfectly situated between the desert and the sea. Top right: Beautiful flowers adorn the camp. Bottom left: The pool provides the perfect place to cool down. Bottom right: Richard heading out into the water of the amazing house reef. Below: Views over the camp with the sun starting to set behind the sand dunes.
GYPT IS FAMOUS for its ancient civilisations, pyramids and expansive deserts, but for many of us it’s one of the most popular dive locations in the world. With tropical waters teeming with fish, sharks and dolphins a plenty, and a seabed littered with more wrecks than Arthur Daley’s car-lot, it’s not difficult to find a scuba diving itinerary to suit the most discerning diver regardless of your experience. More importantly, it’s only a 5 hour flight from the UK. For us, hands down the best diving holiday we’ve experienced is a stay with the team at Roots Red Sea, situated a few kilometres north of the small fishing town of El Quseir. In fact, we’re such great advocates of this desert lifestyle that we’ve visited 12 times between us in the past few years alone! The journey to Roots is a 90 minute drive south from Hurghada and around the same north of Marsa Alam, so getting
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there couldn’t be easier. The accommodation is traditionally built with budget to boutique rooms offering solutions for everyone, and despite being in the middle of the desert, the set up is a home away from home with the staff offering a real family feel. It’s funny, there you find yourself, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and oddly enough you discover it’s exactly where you want to be. Clare and Steve who own Roots are always about, and the resort manager, Moudi, is a multilingual Egyptian happy to share stories, offer advice, and even play you a tune on his guitar in the evenings over a beer or two. The dive guides all share the warm friendly nature you’d expect, and their ability to spot seemingly impossible-to-see fish buried in the sand is simply astounding. However, it’s the amazing house reef that sets this location apart from the hundreds of other scuba diving spots scattered around the shores of the Red
Sea. This might sound like a journalistic spin with a pinch of exaggeration, but this truly is the most extensive, marine life abundant, and prettiest house reef we’ve ever dived anywhere in the world. You will only begin to appreciate this when you experience it for yourself. The house reef splits into two arms, North and South, following a slowly descending mouth. As you enter from the beach, the reef is immediately visible with a myriad of vibrantly coloured fish species waiting to say hello. The floor of the narrow channel opens out onto a large and very gradual slope that is the perfect location for spotting squadrons of squid. If you venture far enough you’ll find a statue of a ‘Virgin Mary’ type figure at around 22m. To the left you have the North reef, an easier dive in our opinion because of the shallow nooks and crannies in the rocks that allow for endless photo opportunities with lots of natural light streaming through. Here, the late afternoon sun provides
IT’S THE AMAZING HOUSE REEF THAT SETS THIS LOCATION APART FROM THE OTHER SCUBA DIVING SPOTS AROUND THE RED SEA...
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the most amazing dappled light, which gives the water an almost otherworldly feel. Further along, outcrops bleed out from the wall offering lots of life, one in particular housing two beautiful anemonefish guarding their young, while brightly coloured anthias stream back and forth around the hard corals on the corners. The sloping reef wall is extensive and allows the perfect opportunity to find an abundance of life from moray eels to bubble shell nudibranch, while the sandy floor at around 30m+ provides the perfect location for those that may be undertaking any courses. As beautiful as the North reef is, the star attraction is far and away on the South reef. A large, dominating wall leads you in, littered with holes that make IMAGES Top: The stunning North side of the House reef provides the perfect light for afternoon dives. Left: A pair of rare bubble shell sea slugs enjoying the house reef. Below left: Paul the Puffer poses for the camera.
perfect sized homes for the many fish and moray eels. Turtles are common and octopus are back and forth on their daily routines. Eventually, as the imposing wall slopes off, you find yourself on the corner of the reef, but as you turn right to head due south at about 18m, you’ll spot a small pinnacle that has one of the most stunning red anemones that we have ever seen. Over the years, we have probably spent half of our time underwater at Roots just documenting this beauty. The pinnacle itself is adorned with a plethora of feather stars that are like fireworks on a night dive, while the glassfish swarm happily in and out of the light making for some amazing photo and video opportunities. Another star of the house reef is the local pufferfish we nicknamed Paul - a yellow spotted burrfish variety who is extremely calm and relaxed around divers. He is larger than your average, so easy to spot and has saucer-like eyes that melt
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S D N E I R F H DIVING WIT
Euro-Divers Egypt: Grand Hotel & Utopia Beach
SIDEMONT EVENTS COMING UP SOON! FO R M O R E I N F O R M ATI O N :
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your heart. It’s safe to say that Hayley is smitten with this fella and has taken many a pic of his cute, spikey face. Disclaimer - we aren’t sure Paul is actually a boy! There is an abundance of life on this reef, and while on some trips we’ve spent a full week only diving the house reef, we would advise others to take advantage of the day trips on offer to dive at other local shore dive sites. A short drive north along the coast and you can be at ‘El Makluf’ - a stunning dive site with a cavern type channel at the start and end of the dive. The entry point is basically a hole in the reef floor that you drop down into. And if you head the same distance south, you will be at ‘Serib Kabir’ - a dive site that still astounds us regardless of how many times we visit. After a short swim adjacent to the reef wall, you turn right into the reef to be presented with the most incredible coral stacks rising high like an underwater metropolis. This dive ends with the opportunity for multiple swim-throughs in shallow water accompanied by the most stunning sun rays dancing in the crystal clear water. IMAGES Left: The stunning South reef pinnacle. Top: A large stonefish doing it’s best facial impressions. Right: A grumpy-looking stargazer. Below: A Green Sea Turtle at Abu Dabab.
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Never in our life have we seen, or are we likely to see again, the absolute crazy number of anemonefish to this MAGNITUDE! If you’re happy to venture further afield there are an absolute plethora of options available to you. Diving from the harbour wall in the village of El Quseir gives you great access to a dive site called ‘The Rock’, which we refer to as Anemone City. Never in our life have we seen, or are we likely to see again, the absolute crazy number of anemonefish to this magnitude. Hundreds and hundreds of anemones are adorned with dozens of fish - it’s really quite a sight to behold! Head further south and you have the chance to stop at Abu Dabab - famous for its giant Green Sea Turtles - or to take an early morning zodiac boat out to visit Elphinstone in the hope that an Oceanic Whitetip Shark might cruise by. On a couple of occasions we’ve been lucky with hammerheads, which certainly made the long day worthwhile! If you head north from Roots Red Sea, you can be in Safaga in around 45 minutes to take a day boat out to dive the wreck of the Salem Express. It is a modern day tragedy, but still an impressive site to dive. Finally, we couldn’t take you on this journey without mentioning the night dives on the house reef. We are going to put our neck on the line here, but this is the BEST place we have ever experienced night diving! They never fail to impress, from the many stargazers hiding beneath the sand, to the most unique and cool flashlight fish (Anomalopidae) that require you to head out to the wall on the South reef, sit on the sandy bottom and turn all your lights out. Yes that’s right, you are in total darkness.
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We are going to put our neck on the line here, but this is the BEST place we have ever experienced night diving!
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TRAVEL LOG:
IMAGES Top: Exploring the caverns of the North reef means an exceptional afternoon light show. Right: Posing up a storm outside our room, our smile never leaves when we are diving here.
A few moments later, you spot several lights flashing against the wall, moving along in the water column. These curious fish have bioluminescent organs located underneath their eyes containing luminous bacteria, which they use to communicate, attract prey, and evade predators. And of course, the best thing about the ‘Tuesday’ night dive is the beach fire with BBQ - laying round the fire gazing at the universe has a magical feel that instantly transports you away to another dimension, while listening to the crackle of the flames and the waves lapping the shore. We could write pages and pages about our adventures here, but we feel the number of times we have visited says it all, with many friends introduced who have also returned several times over the years. The relaxed and friendly atmosphere, mixed with the incredible diving that is all on
El Quseir, Egypt Currency
We flew easyJet from London Gatwick to Hurghada. Thomas Cook Airlines also run regular flights on the same route.
Roots take British £, €, $US and of the course the Egyptian £. You’ll likely get a better rate if using British £ here rather than changing before you travel.
Top Tip! your own time, makes for a truly unique experience. There are no bells ringing at 6am, no one telling you what dive site you need to do, you can go and dive where you want to dive, when you want to, and the team at Roots make it so easy for any skill level of diver. A stay at Roots Red Sea really does offer a fantastic week of diving in a country that has wriggled its way into our hearts, and is there to stay. ■ MORE INFORMATION www.rootsredsea.com www.egypt.travel
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Flights
If you don’t mind an early start, then a trip to Elphinstone is a must as you’ll likely be rewarded with Oceanic Whitetip Sharks.
Favourite non-diving activity
Transfers
Favourite place to eat
It’s around 90mins drive from Hurghada airport but the journey along the coastal road is stunning.
A day trip to Luxor is an absolute must! The Valley of the Kings is breathtaking!
On the beach for a BBQ after a night dive with a cold Sakara Gold!
Water Temperature
Final Word
Winter months can see the water temp as low as 20-22°C but a 7mm wetsuit is sufficient. June to September will see 26-30°C.
Roots Red Sea really is the jewel of the Red Sea, or in our language, our ‘home from home’. We recommend you give it a try soon!
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PA P UA N E W GU I N E A HI STOR I C WR ECK HEAVEN
Pete, Jake, Kate & friends… Papua New Guinea is home to some of the best reef diving in the world but not many people know about its rich wreck diving heritage. Christopher Bartlett shares his passion for this historic wreck Heaven. WORDS & IMAGES: CHRISTOPHER BARTLETT
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HISTORIC WREC K HEAVEN PA PUA NEW G UI NEA
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T WAS A blue I’d rarely seen until then. Crystal clear cobalt, the shafts of light from the morning sun appearing to emanate from one point deep in the ocean. As I followed the anchor line down, the four other divers fanned out below me like freefall parachutists or a flight of aircraft in formation. Fittingly so, as we were descending 39 metres into this brilliant blue to see a lonesome plane wreck sitting upside down on a sandy seabed. From just 5 metres below the surface I could already make out a small, dark blob. The Pete, a Japanese singleseat biplane with a large central float, lies upside-down, missing the float, tail bent round, gorgonians on its wings. Schools of goatfish and snapper hang around the propeller and wings. Sometimes there are so many fish, one can barely see the plane. No matter… once I saw the prop and radial engine resting in the sand, I felt a flutter inside, butterflies trying to come out of my reg. I was mesmerised by the stillness and calm of the once roaring, soaring machine. During the Second World War, the Imperial Japanese forces were determined to take Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea’s capital, to use it as a platform to isolate and invade Australia. The Allies were determined to stop them. Early in the proceedings, the northern port of Rabaul on the eastern end of New Britain Island fell and became the main Imperial base in the South Pacific Rim. A rear
supply base with multi-purpose, single-engine seaplanes was set up in New Ireland Province to the northeast to protect ships coming from the Pacific. Cape Gloucester, on the western end of New Britain, was the scene of a major Allied offensive in late 1943 to early 1944. Battles raged at several points on the main island of New Guinea itself, in Oro Province and Milne Bay Province. The result is a historical diver’s treasure chest of aviation and naval vessels. My love of PNG diving started in 2010, the day I dived Deep Pete, and continues unabated every time I go back. I’m not a big wreckhead per se; I haven’t been to Truk as a week of bombed ships and tech divers talking gobbledegook isn’t my idea of fun, but for some reason, WW2 plane wrecks do float my proverbial boat. Perhaps it’s because neutral buoyancy is as close as most of us can get to human flight; perhaps the derring-do of the era instilled through childhood comic books and WW2 films; perhaps the juxtaposition of the calmness of the resting places of these oncedeath-bringers and their raisond’etre. Whatever it is, that first trip to Kavieng, New Ireland Province, got me hooked.
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IMAGES Right: Lissenung Resort. Middle: Rapopo Plantation Resort. Far right: Tufi Resort
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HISTORIC WREC K HEAVEN PA PUA NEW G UI NEA
IMAGES Far left: Deep Pete sits upside down in 39 metres of clear blue water. Left: This plane wreck is an absolute fish magnet! Below: Christopher at Tavurvur Volcano near Rabaul East New Britain.
NEW IRELAND & NEW HANOVER
In 1944, Kavieng, on the western tip of the island of New Ireland, was an important supply base for the Japanese military. On 15 February 1944, one of the many US attacks resulted in major damage to installations including the sinking of numerous seaplanes anchored in the harbour. Unfortunately, the American Air Force suffered losses with four B-25s of the 345th Bomb Group going down. Three remain undiscovered, but Stubborn Hellion sits in 12 metres of water in the mangroves close to Albatross Passage. The viz is rarely better than 6 to 8 metres, but the plane is easy to dive, the twisted cockpit is open and accessible, and the fuselage intact. On one particular dive, moving along it towards the twin tails, I spied a Spinecheek Anemonefish manning the twin .50 calibre machine guns. If ever there was a fish that shouldn’t be given an HMG it is this one! The engines were ripped off on collision with the water but can be found following a bearing, or the guide, around 40 metres from the fuselage. In the harbour, one can find another Pete biplane, three Jakes, an Allied PBY-5, a.k.a Catalina flying boat, and the remains of the Tenryu Maru. The metal skinned Japanese planes are still in excellent condition, whilst only the engine blocks, props, gear, and wing frames
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remain of the Catalina. Assorted munitions and even a 500lb bomb were dumped nearby. The harbour area is patch reef and a lot of fine sand, but on an incoming tide the viz is around 10 to 12 metres. I’ve dived the best Jake a dozen times now, but still linger, looking at her longingly, thinking how much less peaceful the area was the night she was sunk by the B-25s of the 345th, when the Allies smashed Kavieng from the air. The day after the four B-25s were lost over Kavieng, the 345th Bomb Group found some Japanese ships by Three Island Harbour, Tunnung Island, off the north coast of New Hanover. The Sanko Maru was an armed freighter and mother ship to two Midget Submarines, escorted by Subchaser CH39. At over 130 metres long, the Sanko Maru was an easy target and took many hits from 500lb bombs. The Subchaser attempted to flee, but instead ran aground on a shallow reef and became target practice for the bombers and machine gunners. In September 2016, I led a dive trip up to New Ireland and
IMAGES Above: Clownfish in their magnificent anemone next to a Kate. Below: The wreck of the freighter Sanko Maru is a joy to behold.
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New Hanover to look for the missing B-25s and explore these vessels. We were unsuccessful in finding any new plane wrecks - although we eliminated some places where they weren’t but used the side-scan sonar I’d taken along to relocate Subchaser 39, whose exact whereabouts had been forgotten. We found her about a kilometre away from the Sanko Maru, her stern in 4 metres of water, the engines down at 18 metres. The Sanko Maru is probably the most beautifully overgrown shipwreck in the Pacific, festooned with gorgonian fans and sea whips, glittering with
fish, lying on her side in 22 metres of water, the port side a mere 5 metres deep. Gliding along her port side before dropping down, crossing the deck as I went, she was a joy to behold. Large openings created by Allied ordinance made it easy to go inside her, and her superstructure was a haven for macro life: Ghost pipefish, cryptic squat lobsters, nudis, depressed gorgonian crabs and soft coral crabs to name but a few, kept us enthralled for three long dives. She had been resupplying two type-C Midget Submarines. 50 metres off to the side one of the midget subs sat, unfound by salvagers who took the props and boilers from the Sanko Maru, until 1987. The midget sub, one of 76 built between 1934 and 1944, was originally planned as a 15-minute side trip but was so captivating that she turned into two dives. She sits in the sand, conning tower open, with whip corals growing off her from her empty twin torpedo tubes and twin props transforming her into a giant hairy frogfish.
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HISTORIC WREC K HEAVEN PA PUA NEW G UI NEA
I’VE DIVED THE BEST JAKE A DOZEN TIMES NOW, BUT STILL LINGER, LOOKING AT HER LONGINGLY, THINKING HOW MUCH LESS PEACEFUL THE AREA WAS THE NIGHT SHE WAS BOMBED...
IMAGES Top: Jake in Kavieng harbour. Bottom, L to R: Japanese mini-sub, New Hanover; Sanko Maru; Pete float plane, East New Britain; B25 Stubborn Hellion.
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I dived these wrecks as part of a bespoke itinerary from Lissenung Island Resort, on the way back passing by the east coast of New Hanover to dive a wonderfully preserved Japanese Kate three-seater, single-engine bomber, in 13 metres of clear water, next to the small island of Enelava. Redolent with coral, home to magnificent anemones and glassfish in the cockpit, she seemed to shine through the water, calling me down like an aluminium-winged mermaid.
WEST NEW BRITAIN
Sitting at the dinner table on my first visit to Walindi Resort, listening to the following day’s dive sites being described, I felt a little light-headed when asked if I was interested in diving a Mitsubishi Zero. By banzai I would!
SHE WAS MY FIRST ZERO AND I COULD NOT HELP FALLING EVER MORE IN LOVE WITH WW2 PLANE WRECKS...
IMAGES Top: Mitsubishi Zero, Kimbe Bay, West New Britain. Left: View from the Zero’s cockpit.
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A local fisherman, William Nui, found the Zero in 2000. Shortly after a small plane had crashed on take-off from Hoskins Airport in Kimbe Bay, William saw a plane on the sandy sea floor and he assumed he had found the wreckage of the recent accident, not a WW2 fighter, most likely ditched after running out of fuel. The aircraft’s serial number was found, and records show that the plane went missing during the battle of Cape Gloucester on West New Britain on 26 December 1944. She was my first Zero, and, adorned with red corals on the prop and nose cone, a magnificent anemone on the wing and another cockpit full of glassfish, I could not help falling ever more in love with WW2 plane wrecks. Once the other divers had seen enough and wandered off to look for critters nearby, I slowly flew around her, admiring her from every angle. Trying to fight off a childhood of reading Commando and Eagle comics to stop my brain from pretending to be a P47 Thunderbolt blazing away with my machine guns, I carefully lit up the nose with my twin Inons instead.
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HISTORIC WREC K HEAVEN PA PUA NEW G UI NEA
EAST NEW BRITAIN
Rabaul, the capital of East New Britain, being a major base for the Japanese, has numerous wrecks from Allied attacks. Extensive salvage has been carried out on many of them, and the major volcanic eruption of 1994, which covered parts of Rabaul in six metres of ash, had covered many of them up. However, a 90 minute ride down the coast, sits an upright Pete bi-plane in superb condition, 26 metres deep, in clear blue water. This Pete was shot down at anchor by the submarine base, next to George’s wreck, a cable layer converted to a mine layer. The ship is unidentified, but named after the diver who found her. Her bow is at 14 metres, her stern at 60 metres, and it is possible to penetrate the hold and the bridge. There is also a Zero close to shore near Kokopo town. As the years pass, the ash has disappeared from some of the shipwrecks, and five of them can be dived, two by recreational divers. The Hakkai Maru is a 130m support ship, now considered to be one of the
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area’s very best wreck dives. Sunk on 17th January 1944 by an American skip-bomb, she now lies in 25-30m of water. At the stern, you can find an impressive cannon, which is now covered in coral growth. The ship’s clock, which stopped at 17:20, the time of impact, can be found in the local museum.
MILNE BAY AND ORO PROVINCE
The north doesn’t have the monopoly on wrecks though. The B25 ‘Pistoff’ is 17 metres below the surface at Wanigela, 32 km SW of Tufi Resort on Cape Nelson, Oro Province. The natural harbour in the fjord by Tufi Resort is home to the remains of two PT boats and torpedoes, and further south at Cape Vogel, halfway between Tufi Resort and Tawali Resort, is the superb B17 Black Jack. At 49 metres deep, the iconic Black Jack (it takes its name from the last two digits of its serial number, 41-24521) is for experienced divers only, but generally the viz is 30 metres. Black Jack’s last mission was on 10 July 1943, when it left Port
IMAGES Above: George’s wreck, once a Japanese minelayer, East New Britain.
Moresby on a mission to bomb the heavily fortified Japanese airfields at Rabaul. After takeoff, both of the starboard wing engines developed problems but the crew pushed on to deliver their payload. On the way back, they ran into a violent storm over the coast of New Guinea, described by the pilot as “the blackest of black nights… the worst flying weather I’d ever seen in my life”. Low on fuel, with two dodgy engines, attempting to cross the 3,500-metre high Owen Stanley Range to reach base would have been suicide. The crew pointed Black Jack southeast towards Milne Bay, but were forced to ditch the plane at Boga Boga. They survived the crash landing and evacuated before Black Jack sank 50 metres to the sandy seabed, where it lay largely forgotten for 43 years until three Australian wreck hunters happened upon the wreck almost by accident, in late December 1986. The villagers at Boga Boga had told the divers about a plane that had crashed near their reef in WWII and thought it might
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IMAGES Above: P38 Lightning, Basilaki Island, Engineer Group, Milne Bay Province.
TRAVEL LOG:
Wreck Heaven, Papua New Guinea Getting there There are regular flights to Port Moresby from Singapore, Manila, Cairns, Brisbane, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Sydney, Honiara, Nadi, and Bali.
Getting around There are two domestic carriers, Air Niugini and PNG Air.
Top Tip! Divers get an additional 15kgs free checked baggage allowance!
Oro - Tufi Resort Milne Bay - Tawali Resort
Water temperature From 27-31°C depending on the time of year and the location.
Currency Kina (PGK). Cash points at arrivals in Port Moresby. Cards accepted at resorts subject to a processing fee. USD and AUD cash also accepted at resorts.
Where to stay
Favourite non-diving activity
Resorts with wreck diving include: New Ireland/New Hanover Lissenung Island Resort East New Britain - Rapopo Plantation Resort West New Britain - Walindi Resort
Village stays to discover local culture. With over 800 languages and 1000 tribes, PNG is the most linguistically diverse country in the world. The Goroka Highlands Festival in mid-September is mind-blowing.
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be an Australian Beaufort A9, lost off Cape Vogel in November 1942. The three explorers, Rod Pierce, Bruce Johnson and David Pennefather, set out to find the Beaufort on Rod Pierce’s now defunct liveaboard, MV Barbarian. As he made his way along the edge of the fringing reef, Pierce spotted the large tail-plane. For a dedicated wreck seeker, this was like finding the Holy Grail. Over 75 years later, other than the badly crumpled nose and twisted propellers, the rest of the plane is all there and an astonishing ethereal sight, resting on a sandy bottom in clear blue waters. Another deep dive is the transport ship S’Jacob, sunk by the Japanese air force in 1943, now lying off Porlock Harbour in 48 metres of water, covered in fish life. Tufi Resort can arrange long-range trips to dive these sites, but the best way is on a liveaboard, though the three liveaboards that operate yearround in PNG don’t currently go there. The S’Jacob must be dived when there is no current though, otherwise one misses the wreck and is in the blue. It’s one I haven’t managed yet, as both times I passed it on a liveaboard, the current was pumping. In September 2017, I got to tick off another plane on my wish list: the fastest allied fighter of the war, the P38 Lightning, close to Basilaki Island in the Engineers group, Milne
Bay Province. I got there on a liveaboard out of Tawali Resort, the no-longer-operational Spirit of Niugini. The wreck rests in 26 metres of water amongst some coral heads. Rarely dived, we spent 20 minutes doing a search across the sand mid-water and around the bommies before we found her. Easily recognizable with her slender twin fuselages, short central cockpit and her nose cannons, she has lost her engine cowlings and props, but sits at peace, having been ditched with no fuel left, in November 1943. Slowly but surely, a fetish I didn’t know I had until I went to PNG, is being exorcised. Every time I go back I manage to get at least one wreck in. Even if it’s sometimes just the shallow and murky A20 Havoc in Bootless Bay near Port Moresby. All I need to do is find one of the three missing B-25’s near Kavieng, and I’ll be cured. Until then, I’ll keep going back for my annual therapy. n
MORE INFORMATION Contact the Papua New Guinea dive travel specialists, Best of PNG, at cb@bestofpng.com. They can put together a bespoke itinerary for you covering multiple resorts and liveaboards, look after domestic flights, and land tours. Christopher Bartlett also runs tailormade safari and diving adventures worldwide through www.indigosafaris.com.
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PAPUA NEW GUINEA
www.walindifebrina.com reservations@walindifebrina.com www.mvoceania.com reservations@mvoceania.com
Image © Grant Thomas
Image © Grant Thomas
Image © David Doubilet
Image © Grant Thomas
Image © Andrew Dutton
Image © Grant Thomas
Dive the magical waters of Kimbe Bay & beyond with us. Take your choice of resort or liveaboard diving in this pristine paradise.
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Unique Dive Experiences
All inclusive packages available
Unique Cultural Experiences Diving | Snorkelling | Cultural Tours | Kayaking | Fishing | Village Tours
In Exotic Papua New Guinea Ph:+675 323 3462 / 5995 | reservations@tufiresort.com www.tufiresort.com
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