Sport Diver Advertorial Dec 2012

Ultimate Diving Spots Tailor�made diving holidays to match your exact specification Created for individuals, couples,  families and small groups

Designed by a highly skilled, 

well�travelled and knowledgeable team The widest range of destinations � from  Europe to the furthest corners of the globe Built on expert knowledge,  reliability and quality

Fully bonded for your peace of  mind and financial protection

The natural choice for diving holidays

Africa

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Europe

© Tara North

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Asia

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South Pacific

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Micronesia � Truk Lagoon MV Odyssey

From £3985

per person

Includes return flights from the UK, transfers, 7 nights on the Odyssey (FB), 28 dives with tanks, weights and Nitrox

Top Dive Sites  Yamagiri Maru 132m long passenger�cargo ship. Depths range from 18�40m and lists to her port side. With a couple of huge torpedo holes on her starboard side, she allows penetration with ample ambient light. For those who wish to penetrate further, the engine room is famous for its contents and its atmosphere. Perhaps the Yamagiri is best known for her large diameter artillery shells of battleship Musashi.

 Shinkoku Maru 150m long oil tanker. Depths range from 12�38m and sits upright. Having participated in the attacks on Pearl Harbor, she was hit by two American torpedoes, taking two days to sink. The bow gun of the Shinkoku Maru is heavily encrusted with stunning corals and colour and makes for a superb night dive. The vast engine room can take up an entire dive and the central superstructure contains the ships surgery, complete with operating table and medicinal artefacts.

 Nippo Maru 107m long cargo�water carrier. Depths range from 30�50m with 15 degree list to port. The Nippo is always a favourite.

Often in crystal clear water, she plays hosts to grey reef sharks, skipjack tuna and eagle rays wiith an incredibly photogenic bow. Carrying fresh water containers, her holds also play host to medicinal artefacts, crew uniforms and large artillery guns.

 Fujikawa Maru 132m long aircraft�cargo. Depths range from 9�35m and sits upright. Built by the Mitsubishi company, she was a converted into an aircraft ferry and prior to the attacks, she had already off�loaded 30 ‘Jill’ B5N2 bombers onto Eten Airfield. Since these aircraft had been disassembled for shipment, they were unable to help defend Truk and were destroyed on the ground. The cargo hold still contain Zero fighter and other aircraft parts. A truly exceptional wreck, she allows the diver to penetrate from bow to stern without touching the main deck.

 San Francisco Maru 117m long. Depths range from 45�63m and sits upright.

Arguably one of the best and most famous wrecks in the world. One of the San Francisco’s most striking features are the three Japanese Type�95 light tanks that still remain on her deck. The San Francisco Maru was damaged by dive bombers and photos show her stern on fire before she finally sank. The San Francisco Maru was discovered in 1972 and her cargo holds contain sea mines, torpedoes, bombs, artillery, aircraft engines, anti�tank and small arms munitions, and many other artefacts.

About Us The M.V. Odyssey is the benchmark liveaboard many others try to aspire to. The Odyssey offers up to 28 dives each week and visits about 13 wrecks.

Cabins can be configured for doubles, twins and 2 single cabins rooms, all with ensuite bathroom, ample storage, air con and DVD players.

The Odyssey can play host to almost every level of diver; Rec, Tech, Tri�mix or CCR. The boat has been designed for photographers of all abilities with large rinse tanks, camera tables and internal work space. EAN30 is complimentary and encouraged. If you are not already certified, courses are available throughout the week.

A 40m long vessel, the Odyssey is an incredibly stable diving platform and all dives are conducted directly from the mother ship. With a large and spacious dive deck, she can easily accommodate 16 clients and each diver has a dedicated bench and locker. Directly off the dive deck is a large living / movie / reference lounge. There is a spacious sun deck with loungers and an air conditioned dining room for all meals and snacks and a complimentary fully stocked bar.

Not only does Truk Lagoon offer the world’s best wreck diving, the Odyssey offers exceptional customer service and purposefully allows divers to dive the way they are most comfortable with. Depths vary from 5�50m with a static decompression bar under the deck for all dives.

www.trukodyssey.com

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www.atlantishotel.com

From £2075

Philippines � Atlantis Resorts Top Dive Sites  Sinandigan Wall A nudibranch heaven in Puerto Galera. On a single dive you can encounter up to 15 different species of colourful nudibranchs, harlequin sweetlips, fish, warty frog fish, crocodile fish, and almost every kind of anemone fish.

per person

Includes return flights from UK, transfers, 7 nights at Puerto Galera (FB), 5 days unlimited boat diving with tanks and weights

 Tubbataha Reef

 Apo Island

Located in the Sulu Sea at the centre of the Coral Triangle between Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, experience this spectacular reef onboard the Azores. Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park is home to no less than 573 species of fish, 373 species of corals, multiple species of shark and cetaceans, nestling hawksbill and green sea turtles.

A ‘signature’ dive area, this is a short 45 minute boat ride from Atlantis Dumaguete. Divers typically see many different types of jacks and snappers, sweetlips, emperor fish, fusiliers, barracuda, tuna, rainbow runners, turtles, sea snakes, batfish, potato grouper and more. A school of yellow tail barracuda patrols the reef, damselfish and anthias colour the reef and turtles are also present.

 Canyons This is ‘the dive’ to do in Puerto Galera. There are three spectacular canyons in the reef. These all have sheltering walls and sandy bottoms where one can watch the big fish fighting in the current above.

About Us

 Dauin Norte This is one of the most popular dive sites from Dumaguete.

It is home to ghost pipefish, frogfish, different shrimps and crabs, sea slugs and much more.

© Tara North

The leader in first�class dedicated dive holidays in the Philippines offering two resorts, and a liveaboard covering the best diving areas.

The liveaboard, Atlantis Azores, is positioned strategically to service remote diving areas with spectacular dive sites throughout the islands.

An added advantage is the ease of linking the two beautiful resorts � Atlantis Puerto Galera and Dumaguete by liveaboard.

Atlantis Puerto Galera is truly one of the top dive destinations in the world. The two�mile�long reef and surrounding area boast a biodiversity exceeding that of the Great Barrier Reef and the entire Caribbean combined. Mandarin gobies, ghost pipefish, pygmy seahorses, flamboyant cuttlefish and mimic octopuses are just a few of the thousands of species routinely spotted.

Atlantis Dumaguete offers peace and relaxation.

The reef, located directly in front of the resort, boasts such rarities as the mandarin goby, frogfish and the harlequin ghost pipefish. The macro life is astounding as are the spectacular reefs and walls.

“Come as a guest � Leave as a friend”.

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Indonesia Bali Diving Academy

From £1995

‘Bali Dive Safari’ Includes return flights from the UK, transfers, 13 nights accommodation (BB), 16 dives with tanks and weights

© Bali Dive Academy

Top Dive Sites

 Nusa Lembongan � Blue Corner A spectacular site for divers with some experience, but due to the undpredictable currents, is not always accessible. Here it’s possible to encounter marble rays, sharks, eagle rays and the superstar mola mola!

 Tulamben � Liberty Wreck This cargo ship, which was torpedoed in 1942 by the Japanese and further damaged by the eruption of Mt Agung in 1963, lies on a sandy slope parallel to the shore with depths ranging from 5�30m and can be enjoyed by snorkellers and divers. The wreck is nicely covered with corals and sponges, and is home to barracuda and bumphead parrotfish.

 Nusa Penida � Manta Point This site is blessed with deep vertical walls with dramatic scenery. The manta rays gather around the shallow cleaning stations at 4�12m. They arrive almost out of nowhere and hover around the rocks. Groups of wrasse rise and clean them. Simply amazing!

per person

Menjangan National Park 

Named after a large colony of garden eels, ‘Eel Garden’ has plenty of beautiful gorgonians and sea fans, and large blocks of coral which are cleaner stations with cleaner shrimps.

Good for every level of experience.

 Pemuteran � Secret Bay 

Be prepared � you are diving on fine black and gray volcanic sand and rubble and not on a coral reef. This site is a great place for the rare and most unusual underwater creatures. A macro divers heaven, get the camera ready!

About Us Pioneers of the now world famous Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan mola mola interactions and drift dive locations, Bali Diving Academy has been providing world’s best practice recreational SCUBA diving services in Bali since 1991. We are unique in that we maintain fully serviced and professionally managed PADI 5 Star facilities adjacent to Bali’s world class diving regions, Lembongan, Penida, Tulamben, Amed, Pemuteran and Menjangan.

Each outlet employs experienced multi lingual instructors, supported by some of Indonesia’s most experienced local dive masters. This commitment allows the delivery of safe and memorable experiences to divers from beginner to assistant instructor, consistently and without compromise.

Specialising in tailor�made itineraries for single or multi location Bali Dive Safaris, they can deliver programmes and amenities for diving families, underwater photographers and those seeking to combine world class diving with an exploration of Bali’s less travelled regions. Bali Diving Academy can guide your adventure from arrival to departure.

Few destinations offer such a unique blend of culture, colour and comfort.

© Bali Dive Academy

www.scubali.com

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Maldives Euro Divers

From £2175 © Euro Divers

Top Dive Sites  7th Heaven, Vilamendhoo A must for experienced divers, this outer reef thila (pinnacle) dive is great for encounters with large pelagics and schools of fish. The top reef is an incredible coral garden with overhangs featuring gorgonians. Nitrox is recommended on this dive.

 Kandooma Thila Only five minutes from the island, this drift dive begins with green turtles on top of the reef at 16m with a good chance of observing big schools of snapper, trevally, tuna, barracuda and eagle rays. The cleaning station is at 27m where as many as 30 grey reef sharks can be seen at any one time.

per person

Includes return flights from the UK, transfers, 7 nights at Eriyadu Resort (FB), 6 days diving with tanks & weights

 Eriyadu House Reef One of the most spectacular house reefs in the Maldives for both diving and snorkelling. Around the island there are five different entry points, most starting close to the beach.

Observe schools of fusiliers and batfish as well as a myriad of tropical fish and colourful corals.

 Gangehi Kandu, Velidhu A must for those who like big fish life, this channel dive begins on the outer reef, narrowing as you swim inside the atoll aided by the current. It is here that experienced divers can observe whitetip, grey reef and leopard sharks resting in the sand, and a reef of soft corals with plenty of tropical fish, turtles and stingrays swimming by. Manta and eagle rays, tuna and napoleon wrasse are often seen in the blue.

About Us Offering safe, exciting and professional diving in some of the world’s best locations, Euro Divers was founded over 30 years ago by Marc Odermatt who opened their first centre in the Maldives. Since its inception, the company has built an enviable reputation for high standards of safety, professionalism and customer relationship management.

Through many years of experience in a competitive area, Euro�Divers has developed into a customer�focused professional organisation dedicated to providing safe, fun and memorable diving experiences.

Each PADI 5* centre employs highly qualified multi�lingual instructors, teaching diving courses that range from beginner to assistant instructor level. Euro Divers can be found in Egypt, Thailand, Indonesia, Spain, Oman and the Maldives.

Their Maldives portfolio includes the Atoll Explorer and the island resorts of Eriyadu, Velidhu, Kandooma and Vilamendhoo, popular amongst UK divers and well located for the annual whale shark migration (Nov�Mar).

© Euro Divers

www.euro�divers.com

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Panama Coiba Dive Expeditions � MV Yemaya

From £3625 per person ‘Malpelo and Coiba National Park’ Includes return flights from the UK, transfers, 10 nights on the MV Yemaya (FB), 7 days diving with tanks and weights.

Top Dive Sites

 Hannibal Bank, Coiba Rising from thousands of metres to 46m on the top, we drift dive over the shallowest points of this submerged volcano.

Drifting at a depth of 36m we get mixed into huge schools of snappers and giant amber jacks. Larger predators loom out of the deeper water, hammerhead and black tip sharks, hunting yellow fin tuna. Occasionally marlins and dolphins join in. This is one of the key reproduction sites in the Eastern Pacific Corridor. It is swept by the main oceanic currents that form part of the areas unique pelagic environment.

 La Nevera, Malpelo A rocky outcrop forms a small bay that constitutes one of the best dive sites worldwide. The most important feature is the cleaning station; where squadrons of eagle rays pass, huge schools of silky sharks swim overhead like a thunder cloud and, at times, hundreds of hammerhead sharks are in the mix too. An amazing encounter.

 La Gringa, Malpelo



Located on the exposed southern side, one of the island’s largest satellite rocks is home to spectacular numbers of silky sharks in schools of up to 1000 individuals mixing with schools of hammerhead sharks. Galapagos sharks patrol the bottom and large aggregations of big eyes will be around all the time. An unforgettable experience.

About Us With our liveaboard vessel MV Yemaya, we organise diving, whale watching and nature observation expeditions to the remote islands of Coiba National Park, Panama and Malpelo Island, Columbia. Each trip offers the best in safety, service, comfort and adventure aboard our robust 35 metres modern and well�equipped vessel. We carry a maximum of 16 guests, looked after by a friendly and experienced crew. Expect to see magnificent marine life and no other divers.

Coiba is the largest uninhabited tropical island in the world. While diving here, you will encounter large schools of big fish, several species of shark, giant manta rays, schooling rays, and healthy coral reefs inhabited by plenty of macro life.

 Octopus Rock With a max depth of 40m, the top of this small island breaks the surface at low tide. Descend to a garden of hard corals, continuing to the transition zone with sand channels and rock terraces. Keep your camera handy as divers look out for seahorses, frog fish and other macro life on the sponges and soft corals. A great habitat for critters, octopus and bottom dwellers, this is a top night dive.

Malpelo is the Mt Everest of shark locations.

Nowhere else in the world can you dive with so many sharks and big fish. See huge schools of hammerheads and silky sharks, plus a variety of other species including the Galapagos, white tip and whale shark.

www.coibadiveexpeditions.com

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Oman Extra Divers From £1125

per person

Includes return flights from the UK, transfers, 7 nights at Al Sawadi Beach Resort (HB), 10 dives with tanks and weights

Top Dive Sites

 Hallaniyat Islands

 Daymaniyat Islands Al Sawadi Beach Resort is the ideal place to begin your diving adventure to the Daymaniyat Islands, a UNESCO protected Marine Park. The nine uninhabited islands offer divers coral gardens and an abundance of marine life including turtles, sharks and if you’re lucky, whale sharks.

 Lima Rock, Musandam Popular for its marine life and topography, this site offers an exciting mix of shallow dives on the north side, famous for its caves and overhangs and steep vertical drop�offs of 60m+ on the east.

About Us Extra Divers first opened their doors as a dive centre in the Red Sea almost 15 years ago and now welcome guests to 27 dive centres and resorts in some of the most beautiful destinations in the world, offering unforgettable diving experiences for all. The concept of safe diving combined with the best hospitality proved to be the right approach and today, Extra Divers affords an exceptional image amongst divers throughout the world. There are six Nabucco Resorts in their portfolio, including magnificent destinations such as Tobago, Oman and Indonesia.

www.extradivers�worldwide.com

 Al Munnasir, Muscat

Be one of the first to explore the Hallaniyat Islands in southern Oman, home to pristine corals, humpback and sperm whales and the City of Winchester wreck. The diving area is untouched and undiscovered, so intrepid divers can expect everything! Enjoy the 150m British war ship wreck at 30m, colourful reefs, look out for whales, manta rays and grouper or even discover a new wreck, as rumour has it, there are plenty in this area waiting silently for you. The expedition leader is a qualified marine biologist, helping you to identify the plethora of marine species you will encounter.

 Kelp Forest, Salalah The kelp (Oct�Dec) is home to many young fish including barracuda, which makes this an interesting site, something a little different. In January the dark kelp dies off which creates a new appearance for the underlying colourful reef.

Sunk in 2003, this 84m long wreck sits upright on a sandy bottom rising up from 30�12m below the surface. Large schools of snapper and schooling goat fish are found here.

© Tara North

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Mexico Dive Aventuras

From £1695 per person Includes return flights from the UK, transfers, 7 nights at Omni Puerto (BB), 8 reef and 2 cenote dives with tanks and weights.

About Us Dive Aventuras is located in the heart of Mexico’s Riviera Maya, 50 minutes south of Cancun. With convenient, affordable daily flights, getting here has never been easier. Caribbean reefs are a short boat ride from the marina. Also nearby are the Cenotes, a world class diving experience unlike any other.

This system of underwater caverns is easily dived with only an open water certification.

From January to March, sailfish arrive in the Mexican Caribbean attracted by an abundance of sardines. This excursion offers a heart pounding opportunity to snorkel with them as they work the bait balls. From June to September, hundreds of whale sharks migrate to the area providing the perfect chance to snorkel with the largest fish in the sea!

Top Dive Sites  Canyonland Divers explore deep cuts and canyons separated by sand chutes on this beautiful reef, which features huge sponges, gorgonians and black coral. Max depth, 33m.

 Las Islas Shallow This spur and groove reef is always popular with divers. Observe interesting coral formations, as well as the many bright coloured sponges and sea fans that dot the reefscape. Large varieties of schooling fish are always found here. Max depth, 13m.

 Chac Mool/Kukulkan Cenote One of the more popular in the area, this Cenote system has both lots of natural light and significant formations. As it has multiple entrances, it’s easy to do two completely different dives here. Be sure to visit the air dome toward the back of the cavern.

 Taj Mahal Cenote Easily accessed and uncrowded, the highlight of this cavern is a beautiful room with a huge airspace where three small openings in the ceiling allow beams of daylight to penetrate the cavern like lasers. You don’t want to miss this one!

 Paradise This popular reef features excellent coral growth with brightly coloured sponges and makes an excellent multi�level dive. Schooling fish, hawksbill turtles and rays are frequently seen, in paradise. Max depth, 27m.

www.diveaventuras.com

Dive Aventuras offers dive and accommodation packages that assure you a Caribbean holiday filled with excellent scuba diving and quality lodging.

We pride ourselves on our exceptional customer service with special attention to your safety, enjoyment and reef preservation.

© Karen Doody

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Azores

From £1095

per person

‘Blue Shark Adventure’ includes return flights from the UK, transfers, 7 nights accommodation (BB), 8 dives with tanks, weights and Nitrox.

Top Dive Sites  Princess Alice Bank, Faial and Pico Perhaps the best known dive site throughout the islands, Princess Alice Bank is about 45 nautical miles from the islands of Faial and Pico in the Central islands. A huge submarine mountain rises from the depths of the mid Atlantic Ridge to create a large area, less than 40m below the surface. The sea mount plays host to an almost guaranteed presence of devil (mobula) rays, almaco jacks and Atlantic bonito. Various species of shark mingle with barracuda, grouper and wrasse, in the strong currents that frequent this remote and hugely entertaining site.

 The Prawn Cave, Faial Just 10 minutes boat ride from Horta Marina on Faial, this cave dive is generally reserved for the more experienced diver. Its entrance lies at 35m and leads to a narrow 1m wide and 25m long corridor, eventually leading to a chamber at the far end. Large numbers of narwal shrimp guard the entrance of the cave along with jacks, resident conger eel and nudibranchs.

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 Pochino Arches, Faial Close to the island of Pico, this dive site is just 40 minutes from Madalena harbour. The volcanic rock formations have carved majestic arches, creating a unique and unforgettable image, perfect for photography. Slipper lobster, nudibranchs, white trevally and blacktail comber are all resident in the valleys and surrounding reefs.

 Island of Vila Franca, San Miguel Situated just a few hundred metres off the southern coast of San Miguel island, sits a tiny islet overlooking the town of Vila Franca do Campo. The result of a small underwater volcano (a natural reservation), the crater has become a small natural pool leading to a small channel, linking it to the sea. It is possible to dive all around the island with a choice of suitable entry points from the dive boat. Around the islet are several cracks in the rocks, varying in size and depth.

Marine life includes scorpionfish, Mediterranean morays, common octopus, large groupers and stingrays.

About Us Magical places that are still undiscovered are few and far between these days. Under four hours from the UK, the nine islands of the Azores are just such a place and are set to be the hottest destination of 2013.This stunning archipelago of nine jewel�like islands, offers visitors the opportunity to step back in time without leaving home comforts behind.

They’re the perfect place to be adventurous, to try something totally new or to explore independently.

Populated by friendly islanders, with great restaurants, hotels and well�established activity companies, the Azores are the perfect choice for a 2013 holiday with a difference. The beauty of the islands extends to include a wide range of stunning flowers, vibrantly coloured lakes, a breath�taking coastline of cliffs and bathing rocks, hills and mountains, natural thermal pools and numerous ‘Calderas’, stunning valleys and lakes created by ancient volcanoes. This unique landscape with its geodiversity provides the perfect backdrop for outdoor activities and is a photographer’s dream.

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Explorer Ventures Liveaboard Fleet

Top Dive Sites

From £2485 per person Includes return flights from the UK, 7 nights on the Turks & Caicos Explorer II (FB) 5½ days diving with tanks and weights

About Us

 St. Kitts, St. Maarten & Saba

Explorer Ventures Liveaboard Diving Fleet began offering dive trips aboard its first vessel, the Caribbean Explorer, in 1987. Twenty�five years later, the fleet has grown to offer a wide range of liveaboard diving excursions all over the world. Our world�class vessels offer 7 and 10 night itineraries, with something for everyone � expert diver, beginner and non�diver alike!

This itinerary allows ample time for guests to explore attractions on land without impacting guests who choose to dive. Dive sites range from pristine offshore pinnacles to historical relics encrusted with corals. The Caribbean Explorer II accommodates 18 guests in private air�conditioned staterooms, departing St. Maarten and St Kitts on alternate weeks.

 Turks & Caicos

Looking for a quick, budget trip or a week of pampered luxury? We have the trip for you, whether you want to explore the nooks and crannies for rarely seen species or look for the visceral thrill of sharing your bottom time with something four metres long with big teeth. With competitive rates and the best group policies in the industry, Explorer Ventures offers unique dive experiences at exceptional value. Dive with us!

Surrounded by turquoise waters containing miles and miles of living coral reef, the islands are a mecca for divers from all over the world. The islands are known for expansive underwater visibility and a profusion of marine life of all sizes. The Turks & Caicos Explorer II accommodates 20 guests in private air�conditioned staterooms. The boat departs Provo on a week�long itinerary.

 Southern Bahamas Far from the crowds to the north, the remote Southern Bahamas features some of the best diving visibility in the world, and the dive sites themselves are as spectacular as they are varied. The Turks & Caicos Explorer II departs Providenciales or Great Exuma on week�long itineraries.

 Maldives Diving in the Maldives is among the world’s best � hard and soft corals, swim�throughs, myriad pelagics and above all, manta rays and whale sharks, make this a dream destination! Carrying 20 guests, the Carpe Vita Explorer features 10 private luxurious air�conditioned staterooms. The boat typically departs Male on 7 and 10 night itineraries.

 Galapagos N

The enchanted islands of the Galapagos remain a distant dream for most. The reality of high�voltage diving in an area visited only by a very lucky few provides for a truly unique liveaboard safari. Enjoy a week�long itinerary aboard the Humboldt Explorer, which accommodates 16 guests in air�conditioned staterooms.

www.explorerventures.com

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